New $35K pivoting tonearm

Agree with Doug; I think it's the non-regular structure of a good hardwood that benefits a wood arm wand vs a metal one, for dissipating energy. But this thread is not about wood tonearms; sorry. Love my Reed. Have really liked a Talea in my friend's system.

Ditto to what Doug wrote, especially on the first point about aligning the bearings. When I read the OP's description, the first thing I thought of was the built on tonearm on my Dual 1019 record changer, and then I thought of every tonearm I've ever owned, except the unipivots, which do not require such bearing geometry at all.

I generally do not go along with ridiculing audio gear based solely on retail pricing, but this one does take a sort of cake, when it comes to that.

Syntax, I like your sense of humor, but I must disagree with you on the subject of wood tonearms. I own a few that I like very much, and even in theory there are some properties of some hardwoods that seem well suited to the job. I don't own a Durand, but I would like to (Talea, not Telos). Also, although your remark did make me laugh, I strongly doubt that any well done wood tonearm will be affected when your wife opens the window, unless perhaps you are experiencing a typhoon. Why is a metal rod (choose your metal) more sophisticated, or even "better", necessarily? Both types can sound very good. If the early Schroeder tonearms have a flaw (and I don't know that they do) it is more likely related to the string bearing than to the wood composition, IMO. I've got an old but virtually NOS Grace wood tonearm that I have been thinking of modifying by adding side weights at the pivot; it has the potential of any modern expensive wood tonearm, if you like unipivots and if you don't hate wood.
Dkarmeli, I have long tried to hold my tongue when it comes to the WT tonearms, because there are so many devotee's on the internet, but I do agree with your assessment of them. I just don't get the enthusiasm, at all.

Swampie, To be a Devil's advocate, I would say that a solid metal rod or a hollow metal tube is less likely to warp when it does expand and contract based on ambient temperature. Also, metal is much less sensitive to humidity, compared to wood. On the other hand, I really have liked the sound from wood tonearms I have heard, so I think such concerns about wood are largely bunk.

Jeb, No joke?

What is odd to me is that the OP started a thread about a $35K tonearm marketed by the previous guru of Roksan, and about which none of us know anything, apart from its cost. Then the venom was directed largely at Durand tonearms for the sin of being "expensive" and made of wood. Yet the Durand tonearms cost much less than $35K (even apparently with the latest and greatest upgrades on a Telos) and have a highly favorable track record already among thoughtful audiophiles. Could it be that certain harsh critics with ulterior motives were lying in the weeds waiting for a chance to snipe at Durand?...... Nah. But not impossible to believe, for reasons which should be obvious to any veterans of the Audiogon Analog forum.

Let's keep in mind that, if one is affiliated with a company making a all-metal tonearm that is price competitive with the Telos, it would be good strategy to dump on the Telos (and Schroeder tonearms) for being made of wood.

Jeb, Now please make a cogent argument against wood tonearms, if that is your position. Your arguments by analogy are nonsensical. And if you did not read any of the previous posts, you may not know that Reed, Durand, Schroeder, Pete Riggle, and several others DO currently make and sell wood tonearms.

And those plastic park benches suck, by the way. Nothing like a splinter up your arse to let you know you are in a park. Central Park in NYC still has 100% wood benches for your sitting pleasure.