Top linear trackers

@rauliruegas I’m quite sure the tonearm is fine and I’ve run three different cartridges in it - a Benz Ruby 3, a Kiseki Purpleheart, and now the Soundsmith Sussoro, which by far tracks and reveals the best I’ve heard. It was a bit of a challenge aligning the cartridge since the SME paper alignment template is a joke, so I did quite well with my SMARTractor and adjusting the sliding base in an iterative process to get a Baerwald alignment spot on. (I’m not interested in Stevenson). Then I ran the Analog Magic software to help get the other parameters precisely dialed in. **There is no gross tracking distortion generally with my good records. Instead the soundstage gets slightly pinched or constricted**. To give one example of a great recording of mine that is however, compromised, on my well recorded copy of Paul Paray Conducts Ravel/Debussy, Mercury Living Presence reissue, one side has music well towards the center. It is there, for example, that the soundstage collapses and distortion rises moderately. This record plays tremendously until the last few millimeters! I know the grooves themselves may be limited and perhaps the engineer squeezed too much on one side. It is my hope that with a good linear tracker the range of excellent sound will be vastly increased. 

@earthtones : by coincidence I own that LP too and several others that are well towards the center.

I don't listened to that LP from years now I will try today and if I I have any trouble down there I will post it and if not I keep " quiet ".

With out listened yet and knowing my system I could think will be no trouble but.......we will see.

R.

Please no flamewars, just another datapoint. 

Versa 1.2 and VPI TNT 1 with 9" JMW arm with Benz LP sound the same. I was surprised expecting the Versa would outshine the VPI, but that was not the case. The Benz sounded wonderful in both VPI and Versa: very rich tonally which is my preference. LP is very detailed also but not as much as Goldfinger. Better than either is the Benz Gullwing which combines the lucidity of the Goldfinger with the calories of the LP letting you have your cake and eat it too. The cherry on top is that the Gullwing costs less than either LP or Goldfinger. There is no body like no body. Want to hear the new Ortofon Verismo which also has no body but the demand for that cartridge is high and I cannot get ahold of one. Always wanted an Ortofon. It is wonderful how these old companies continue to flourish: Benz, Clearaudio, Ortofon, Koetsu, Lyra, Kiseki. Of course nuttin' wrong with new companies. People can be so touchy.

(Comparing TNT with 9" JMW against recent Avenger with 12" printed arm again the same. No progress in twenty years, but both are great turntable/arms. In case you were wondering if the Versa/TNT comparison holds up after both types out of production since the last century.) 

Definitely consider the ET 2.5.  Bruce is still making them, but you need to order direct from him I believe.  He also has spares and does a great job on repairs and he's a pleasure to deal with.

Using the right combination of arm wand and leaf springs on the counterweight assembly, you can accommodate a wide variety of cartridges from moderately high compliance (such as Grado woodies) to low compliance cartridges.

I've owned mine since 2001 on my TNT4, and I would not consider replacing it.

If you have the bucks check out the CS Port from Japan.