Linear Tracking or Not?, Any Experiences and Recs

I have an ET2 on my Teres 255 with a Shelter 901, it the best I have ever had and sounds great all the way to the end of the record. Linear tracking tonearms sound best because this is the way the records were cut to begin with and it only makes sense to play back with a linear tracking tonearm. At first I was afraid of the so called constant adjusting of these arm but it has not been that way with my ET2. Yes, they can be a real pain to do the initial setup and you will need patience but once this is done right and the table is leveled correctly they are no more troublesome than a regular pivot tonearm. Once you go Linear tracking I don't think you will ever go back to pivot tonearms ever again, I know I'm not. Just to let you know that if you find and ET2 you will need the setup jig to help you setup the arm faster and more accurately, without this you will be yanking you hair out on the initial setup.

Hi DGAD,
as a owner of the (Graham Phantom,Triplanar,SME V and two
Kuzma Airline TA), if you would like to go for a linear tracking tonearm, try to get a Kuzma Airline.
You won't regret it.
The only small drawback is that one should place the air
compressor in a different room. But kuzma suplied
a 25 meter hose for it.

Regards Karl-Heinz

Karl-Heinz,

How is the low level bass on the Kuzma? I have heard that linear tracking tonearms can have problems w. the disipation of energy since they are more similar to a Unipivot in this point. Also, they sometimes preclude using an outer ring due to the positioning of the arm. To me unless you have a vacuum platter you are making a compromise. Firmly fixing the record to the platter yields much a much quieter background & increases dynamics considerably.

My friend has been using an Air Tangent for about ten years.There has been no problems,whatsoever.He does not have a table with a vacuum system,yet the sound is absolutely stunning.Clearly a cut above any pivot I've ever heard.I'm intimately familiar with his set-up,and can attest to the fact that,though a linear arm needs some extra attention,there is NOTHING that has the ebb and flow of music,like an arm,of this type.I only wish I had the time to deal with the issues involved in it's care and feeding!

Best regards!

I 've been using a tweeked Maplenoll Ariadne signature for about 13 years with great results. I won't throw my hat in the ring with comparisons since I haven't done any controled test since th Maplenoll is an integrated unit. I will however throw in a little tweek that has worked very well for me in liu of an outer platter ring.

I made two little brass wire brackets kinda like an L shape with just a bit of a point extending out from the top to barely catch the record edge, the bottom leg going under the latter at a slight upward angle, and the vertical length sprung slightly and just over the height of the platter. With these I could clamp the record edge to the platter in two places if needs be. Definitely fiddley but cheap and effective. Email me at piedpiperprod@yahoo.com if you want to see pictures. Should work on most tables.