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Curved and Straight Tonearms

Over the last 40 years I have owned 3 turntables. An entry level Dual from the '70's, a Denon DP-52F (which I still use in my office system) and a Rega P3-24 which I currently use in my main system. All of these turntables have had straight tonearms. I am planning on upgrading my Rega in the near future. Having started my research, I have noticed that some well reviewed turntables have curved 'arms. My question: What are the advantages/disadvantages of each, sonic or otherwise? Thanks for any input. 
ericsch
shadorne's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
shadorne
7,467 posts
 
S shaped arms allow for a greater pivot point distance than a straight arm - so less tracking error....
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
The only straight tonearms are linear tracking tonearms, the rest of the tonearm with straight armtube have an offset angle of the headshell, so they are not actually straight, except for the very short ones like the ViV Lab for example.
ericsch OP
750 posts
 
Yes, I meant straight up to the headshell. Other than less tracking error, any other pros or cons?
yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
5,464 posts
 
The last time I looked,most high end tables come with a straight arm. I don’t think it makes any difference,it’s all about the design of the arm. Take a look at this!
http://store.acousticsounds.com/index.cfm?get=results&start=1%20&CategoryID=111
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