Linear tracking turntables, whatever happened?

dwette

Clearaudio has several linear arms starting at the ~$4K range. I had thought about getting the TT-5 for my Ovation (to replace the Magnify arm) but opted for their top of the line tangential arm instead, the Universal.

The Universal looks like a fairly conventional pivoted arm. What mechanism does it have that makes it tangential?

The Revox Linear tracking TT has a high electronic failure rate, it has nothing to do with the operation of the arm itself. Many times you will see the revox up for sale as not working due to this electronic problem.

I can’t remember what the problem was exactly, but it is not all that difficult a fix for a tech - but they all need it, as times has gone on.

Other than that, they are a fine example of a mid level short armed linear tracker.

As for air bearing linear trackers, don't forget the Maplenoll tables.

Unipivot do not 'suck'. I have enjoyed two unipivot arms over the years. First one was a Magnepan Unitrac 1 on a Rega. Nice arm.  
In fact I am playing a Mozart Piano Concerto using my Kuzma Stogi S unipivot as I write this!

From responses so far it does appear I can summarise the demise of the linear TT as a package, nothing to do with later linear arms.

They were out at the time that vinyl in general was on a rapid decline due to CD.
They were packaged and marketed for the most part as a simple and easy alternative to CD, with the result that a lot were neglected, heck it would not surprise me if some people did not even realise there was a stylus in there that needed cleaning.
They were somewhat complicated electronically ( required to compete with CD) and as such were more prone to breakdown than regular pivot arm manual TT of the time.