Anyone tried Cartridge Man's Conductor linear arm?


I'm thinking on giving it a whirl, though I need to find out if there are any cartridge parameters for best performance. The only two reviews seemed to have focused on using Cartridge Man's own MM3(which i have) or new Classic. I'd like to hear about it's performance with other carts.

The primary apprehension that I have is that CM developed "The Isolator" to be used with this tonearm - and we all know what most of us think of that item. Makes me wonder if he had to compensate for some inherent design/performance flaw of the tonearm.

Thinking on using a Dynavector XV-1s with it. Also have a Denon DL-103d, MM3, and Grado "The Statement", although I'd probably sell all those to make way for the XV. Other choice might be a Jan Allaerts since I think he uses an Air Tangent linear tracker for test equipment.

Would be used with Scheu premier mkII w/ 80mm platter, Gram Slee Reflex or Vacume State JLTI phono stage w/ Gram Slee EXP steup amp.
darkmoebius
I sent an email to Len Gregory "The Cartridge Man" about which cart weights/compliance ranges make the best synergy with his Conductor. His reply was:
we make differing counterweights to cope with cartridges weighing anything from 5 grammes to 20 grammes (maybe heavier) and the pump has a built in flow regulator to cope with the extra mass.

My 3 carts are all in the 7-7.5gr range, although the Dyna XV-1s I'm considering is 12gr. Gonna need a different weight for that one.
I'm surprised few have jumped on the boat, either that or they just want to keep a low profile.

My first experience with a linear tracker was with the famed Rockport, don't ask me which version, but it was revelatory. The cart used was a Benz Glider (1st version). It threw a panoramic rock solid soundstage and extracted the last bit of detail from the grooves. Even the Glider's somewhat "dry" character was evident from my brief encounter. Since then I've always wanted to try a linear tracker, but costs and setup considerations put me off them.

That is until the Conductor came along. This cheapest of the air-bearing linear trackers, doesn't use high pressure, but high volume to float the arm tube assembly. Build looks somewhat DIY, but the finish on the beam on which the arm travels is very, very smooth. Only a slight gush of air is audible near the arm.

Most importantly, in terms of sound quality, it is able to extract the most from cart used, regardless of whether it is the first or last track. The soundstage is wide, deep, and images are stable and coherent. It allows greater expression of the instrument/vocal. Common flaws raised about linear tracking arms about their bass reproduction were not evident - I get depth and definition. The great thing about it is that all this is reproduced not as "hifi" detail, but as a musical whole, not emphasizing any one area.

Pay attention to the tonearm wire as it only comes with RCAs at the arm base. This has a big impact on the sound.
I'd like to ammend my late-night post to remove the cynicism about the Isolator being needed for some flaw in the Conductor. It's been pointed out to me that is definitely not the case.

Anyway, anybody out there with real world experience with this arm?