Linear tracking vs. Pivoted tracking tone arms.


After searching all 735 existing analog "threads" I only found one short discussion regarding Linear tracking arms vs. tangential tracking arms. I have been a vinyl collector for over 32 years, and beleive that pure analog is still the "gold standard". In 1984 I purchased a Sony PS-X555ES linear tracking, biotracer, turntable. It is a fully automatic table with direct drive. This table has served me well, with no mechanical or set up issues. It is still in my system today. There are no adjustments other than balancing the tonearm to a netural position, then dialing in your tracking force. Two years ago I installed a Denon DL 160 moving coil cartridge, and am very pleased with its quality. I am considering retirement for the Sony and replacement with a Michell Gyro SE with Rega pivoted arm. Linear tracking arms are not availiable. This is a belt drive, full manual table. I understand that the master LP lacquer is cut on a lathe with the linear method. Should vinyl be replayed in the same manner for optimal sound? I would really like to hear from some hard core audiophile vinyl types on this one. By the way, my system consists of the followinig: Conrad-Johnson PV10B all tube pre-amp with tube phono stage. This is split into a C-J Primer 11 tube amp and C-J MF2250 FET amp, bi-amped into a pair of KEF Reference series 3-2 speakers. The Premier 11 feeds the mids and highs and the MF2250 feeds the bass section. All cables and interconnects are Monster Cables finest. Thanks in advance for any advice.
lbo
I know I am going to be attacked big time for this, and I am not even going to defend myself, I am going to hit and run, let the insults fly as they will. I cannot begin to understand how Rega has gotten away with selling an arm with no VTA adjustment for all these years. I would by an AQ in a heart beat, even if I knew it had a few flaws, before I would buy what I can only consider a lo-fi arm like a Rega, since it has not real VTA adjustment. I have had my say, blast away!
Lou, you don't have to run. It's true that Rega arms are made cheep and have an alarm wire in the arm tube but they work well. The first goal of arm is to track properly. The sonical performance more depends on turntable and cartridge rather than on arm unless it's realy expencive high-tech arm.
On that reason I've decided to pass on SME arms and wait until I'll be able to hook up myself with Graham...
a couple of points to consider- while it is true that linear designs are technically superior in reducing tracking errors than a pivoted arm,they also tend to be more complex to fully implement,are generally less reliable and typically more expensive to produce than a pivoted design.The reason pivoted arms permeate the market is that they can produce excellent results reliably and at reasonable cost.Success with a pivoted design is closely tied to the skill and accuracy of setup and if tracking errors are heard ,it is far more likely that those are from inadequate cartridge installation, less than precise alignment and deficiencies of the cartridge itself.
for lou-not a blast but to call the Rega arms lo-fi is a mistake.It is the most successful tonearm in its category for good reason: it plays music well and offers exceptional value.The reason that there are so few tonearms available at its pricepoints is because its superiority effectively crushed nearly all the competition for nearly 2 decades.The VTA issue is the result of Rega's long standing belief that stability and rigidity are more important than convenience.You may choose to agree with this stance or not.The downside is that this approach of using machined spacers to accomodate varying cartridge heights and VTA results in fairly large steps. The rigid nature of this approach,while paying off in musical and sonic benefits is less than adequate for use with certain fineline profile stylus profiles and there fore will limit the number of optimal cartridge choices.Obviously the Rega cartridges will perform ideally in the Rega arms as will less VTA fussy
units such as the Dynavectors.The aftermarket VTA adjusters should go a long ways to addressing the more VTA persnickety cartridge options.
My experience owning an ET2/Sota Cosmos and later a Versa Dynamics 1.0, convinced me early on that there is certain 'rightness' inherent in linear trackers that seems to be absent with every pivoted arm i've ever tried or heard. My current reference (Versa 2.5) lives in my buddy's system. And 15-yrs since it's inception, it still handily smokes (sonically) all the latest and greatest 'tables and arms (pivoted) that we've compared it to...It's a damn shame John Bicht ain't in the TT business any longer.
Ok, I have been had, Caterham1700 tossed in a hook that I have to nibble at....

"The reason that there are so few tonearms available at its price points is because its superiority effectively crushed nearly all the competition for nearly 2 decades."

Superiority in marketing? The best selling product, even at a particular price point, rarely is the best product you know! I am sure some others lacked in resources and not in quality, which is where I believe the Rega's are lacking.

I find their argument a hoot too. Better to use a lesser grade cartridge which can never extract from the grove what information is there so that you can have a false sense of superior rigidity! Sounds like an add targeted toward folks in need of Viagra to me.....

No, better to use a superior cartridge and an arm that can, pretty much, infinitely adjust to accommodate it. I’ll pick up a Rega if I need a back, or lower section, scratcher…. Then again, we all know about opinions, and mine like all others, should be seen through that filter….