General question on Carbon fiber tonearms versus aluminum

First post from testpilot gets it right. Carbon fiber done right will beat aluminum done right. The inherent vibration control properties of carbon fiber are simply superior. The key however is to do it right. Carbon fiber fabrication has been around a while now but still nowhere near as long as aluminum. This gives aluminum a big edge in terms of cost of manufacture. At the very leading edge of the high end of course both (all) are pushing the envelope so hard it is all new manufacture. 

That said, take a very successful, accomplished and long history company like Origin Live. They made aluminum tubes for a very long time. When they upgrade models what do they use? Carbon fiber.  

I can make stuff in my shop out of carbon fiber. Got everything you need. Everything except the skill, experience, knowledge, and ability. I can make it- have made it - but not at the level anywhere near professional products. A good example of how you cannot say that something is better simply because it is carbon fiber. It sure could be. But as usual, only one way to know for sure: go and listen. You will see.

Any carbon arm I ever listened to was sounding clinical and boring at the end of day. I know all the conversations about it but I never heard any sonic advantage compared to other regular arms. Even getting them for free I would not listen with those. But, each his own.

To the technical people: What roles do material hardness and strength play when it comes to tonearm material? If I am correct, carbon fiber is stronger than yet not as hard as aluminum; aluminum is harder than but not as strong as carbon fiber.

I have only tried aluminum and titanium nitride arms, so can't comment on the comparison between aluminum and carbon fiber.

I think the comparison between CF cantilevers and aluminum tube cantilevers is a valid illustration here. CF damps more, so has a more smooth, but dead sound compared to aluminum. I don’t care for CF canti’s..

Ive found the same to be true for tonearms. There is a certain muting of dynamics from CF tonearms.

My best tonearm is a titanium tapered tube. Don’t care for magnesium. I would LOVE to finish my new Boron Carbide tonearm soon. I think that will be a winner.