Linear tracking turntables, whatever happened?

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.

Uberwaltz - I agree with you
take for example another timing example.  
 
The original ET2 Air Bearing Linear tracker was introduced in 1980. The same year that CD was introduced. Bad timing ? yes, but thousands were still sold. Today they cost $5000 in US dollars new and without the pump system, but can be had for under $1000 used in good shape for an original version from the 80's.

Now unless someone has driven over one with their car ,there is nothing but a good isopropyl cleaning of the manifold's capillaries,  to bring it to factory specs. No mechanical bearing to deal with, no oil or lubricant to get hard over time. Unlike the Transfi with its multi bearing (air and mechanical), the ET2 is a full 360 enclosed air bearing. But it needs a pump with air line.  

My reference tonearm is a custom build ET 2.5. Once set up properly, it outperformed all previous tonearms including VPI 12, FR64s, and a Dynavector the last of which came to me on a Jean Nantais (his preferred arm) 100 lb Lenco. This TT had the same gear on it that Salvatore called the best he has heard with the first Ref 1.

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But it takes a Type A personality to own an ET2, not a Type B.
What is an Type A you ask ?

Well, think back to before GPS in cars. If you were out in the middle of nowhere and lost, would you

Type A) pull out the map and/or ask for directions. (or)

Type B) keep prodding on hoping to find your destination.

(Type B's should not own ET2's)

Anyway there is a whole thread dedicated to this unique tonearm if anyone is interested.  

Agreed about the Trans-Fi. Not only is it a good air bearing design, so the lateral forces acting on the stylus are negligible (think about the mechanical advantage of a spiral a meter long, acting over the width of a groove - a distance measured in micrometers), but it’s adjustable. As adjustable as any arm made, and that alone makes it a contender.

Let’s talk about adjustability. Tangentiality - fiddly, but perfectible. An old record, a good micrometer, a bright light, and half an hour. Mass - just add brass weights to the conveniently space holes. Resonance - lay Moongel or Sorbothane on the flat surfaces, as much or as little as required - as required for your cartridge and your taste.

VTA adjustment on the fly - and so easy it’s trivial. VTF a bit crude and fiddly, not on the fly, but intuitively obvious. Azimuth is the toughie - fiddly, but intuitive and very stable. Thing is, you start where most others end - and you end with 1 or 2 minute of arc precision (with a mod - see below).

Forget about overhang and choose-your-poison protractors which pretty much get it right - for parts of the record. And forget about almost-right-I-hope anti-skating. Instead, rejoice in Vic’s measurement about forces acting on the stylus - tonearm wire dominates.

Add the clever engineering which makes use of standard parts instead of precision machining, and you have a low-cost ultra high end device.

Is it perfect? No. The beam is cantilevered out, and so it’s just as unstable as other air bearing arms (that is, not very, but a little). The beam should hold adjustment to a few minutes of arc for perfect horizontal orientation. It doesn’t - it’s only stable to about 10 minutes of arc, but on the other hand, it’s a predictable amount in a predictable direction. I’ve built a support for the other end of the cantilever, and it solves both issues.

The vertical pivot is higher than the stylus by a centimetre or more. That means slightly compromised performance for warped records. The wand is only 70mm long, which accentuates the problem. On the other hand, the wand is only 70mm long. So that’s a tradeoff. In practical terms, it affects about 3% of my records negatively and 97% positively.

Last, there is a very minor aberration in air pressure on the saddle, for a few seconds, three or four times per side. The only cure is going to be an amorphous carbon bearing - costly, clunky, high pressure, and probably custom. But if I do that, I suspect I’ll have the best, most versatile cost-no-object tonearm in the world.

Or, you could settle for $15,000 performance for $1,000.

System - DIY air bearing TT, Koetsu, DIY electronics, ESL’s.