Linear tracking turntables, whatever happened?

Rauliruegas -
I am disappointed that you were not able to share technical information on how to get the best bass having owned the tonearm. I thought you learned on the ET2 thread about setup, even if you do not still own the tonearm. This is not an ET2 thread so I won't go into setup detail here.

The ET tonearm 2.0 and 2.5 versions, are standalone tonearms, designed to be mounted on many types of turntables. To say it was mounted on a Sota or other table, unfortunately does not tell anyone how you actually set up the tonearm "to perform". That's the info that is valuable. Bruce Thigpen, through his business partnerships arranged to have it mounted on a number of turntables. i.e. Sota, Oracle, VPI etc...

To answer your question I have heard the Kuzma Airline - same room with an ET2. An MC was mounted on an ET 2.0 and it was mounted on a different, what IMO was a lesser table than the Kuzma table that the Airline was mounted on ; so it was not an apples to apples comparison. Still it was enough for me to stay with the ET knowing what I knew.

Regarding Gear and classes of gear.
I have no devotion persay to gear. I can also talk passionately about my room, my speakers, amp, preamp, etc... I do run my gear hard - all hobbies - I keep the good ones and that is the end of it. The Gear are not trophies. The only thing of value is the Room/Space and the music; not the digital files - easily replaced - but my record collection.
   
I do believe that gear does fall into classes. For example assume a person owns just a regular Cartridge W, Tonearm X, and it is on turntable Y. If the person then upgrades the turntable to Z and keeps all else the same, and the results are much better. Then it probably can be said that the tonearm in this case, out classed the previous turntable. That's my opinion.

With that each time my reference turntable was modded to the better, or bettered with another table - it took my ET 2.5 to new heights.
   
The best bass comes when the tonearm is set up for the highest vertical inertia.

@ct0517 - I'm interested in your comment about setting the ET for highest vertical inertia. How do you accomplish that? I've had the Kuzma Airline for at least a dozen years and remain happy with it (the only issues have been compressor related and now that I have a relationship with the SIL folks here in Texas, I've pretty much solved that problem, though it does require more maintenance than a conventional arm). Bass? Not in your face, thwacking slam. But if it is on the record, you will hear it. There is something very 'unmechanical" sounding about these arms. I did have an ET that was given to me many years ago, but never got around to setting it up. Herb Wolfe, who only recently passed away, was supplying a lot of the pumps and hardware to the NY audio mafia back in the day. He was a very cool guy. 

The ET is a phenomenal tonearm and I can’t believe it sells for as little as it does. It just pulls out that much more natural detail and subtle soundstage cues which tells me it’s allowing the cart to do its job. 
I run a portable construction compressor into a water separator into a regulator. It provides me with a half hour play time with a 2 minute run time. Arm is rock solid, never goes out of adjustment. 

Hi Whart

@ct0517 - I'm interested in your comment about setting the ET for highest vertical inertia. How do you accomplish that?

The Eminent Technology tonearm comes with four counterweights and it is quite easy to remove enough weight, so that the lightest weight resides at the very end of the I Beam. Highest Vertical Inertia.  In recent years due to our demand and interest, Bruce introduced an I Beam that is now in the length he originally intended it to be. Due to constraints with - Dustcovers - from tables it was partnered with, he had to go with a shorter I Beam in the original design. The longer I beam now reduces the weight requirements by half still - increasing vertical inertia even more. 

The Setup Issue  
in learning how to use this unique design, most people, including me in the beginning, just used all four weights in setup, and let all the weight reside on I beam, wherever it ended up based on the VTF needed. This is wrong, and sometimes the weights ended up very close to the Air Bearing spindle - not ideal, and goes against the setup design.   

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On the Airline from what I recall you are provided with two counterweights with the Kuzma ? Correct me if wrong. Try to do set up so that the lightest counterweight is furthest back on the rod. I don't know if two weights give enough option to run this way.  

Anyone looking to setup an ET 2.0 or 2.5 should upgrade to the longer I beam. Bruce also now offers a new Solid aluminum Mounting Plate and Joint (we call it the Gooseneck). they replace the Carbon Fiber versions.