"oldskool" tonearms

Dear Dazz: I can't speak for other " vintage tonearms " lovers but I can speak for my self:

+++++ " Are these tonearms better than most of the contemporary siblings? " +++++

My answer: absolutely, yes.

+++++ " Do these audiophiles like them because of their (oldfashioned) sound? " +++++

There is no " oldfashioned " sound on them, there is only " right sound ".

+++++ " Or because the fact that they are very difficult to get nowardays? " +++++

No, I don't think so.

Let me to explain my answers:

- From my 18 tonearms, 14 came from Japan and all these but one ( Ikeda ) are " vintage " tonearms. The other ones: one from USA and three from Europe, two " vintage " and two current models.

- In the great time when the japanese were the leaders on the manufacture of tonearms, this people were the best of the best building a mechanical device like a tonearm and they make their design, almost always, not only with full skill/love and know how but with a great creative effort. ( I'm not saying that today designers have not that creative and skill for make tonearms ). In that time they really have to be " the best " because each manufacturer had a great ( in quality and quantity ) competition.

- Take a look for example, SAEC : its patented double knife Edge bearing design, its pipe itself is constructed of a special light alloy, a byproduct of French aeronautical technology, and their high-purity / high density headshell ( ceramic ) are unique in the tonearm industry.
Micro Seiki: the Gyroscopic bearing of the MAX 282/237 IS A TOUR DE FORCE AND A UNIQUE BEARING DESIGN.
Lustre GST 801: the variable magnetic flux type stylus force application system and its variable magnetic flux type anti-skating mechanism along with its vibration-proofing of stainless steel arm pipe and its high precision radial bearings, makes this tonearm one of the great ever made.
Dynavector DV 505: Its unique Bi-axis system ( horizontal magnetic type ) and the double damper method ( inertia controlled dynamic damping plus electro-magnetic damping type ) shows the creative brain of these people.
Technics EPA 100 MK2: Its unique variable dynamic damping shows the creativeness on the tonearm design along with an extremly stable 4-point gimbal employing ruby ball bearings with a friction of less than 3mg for movement in any direction and the use a metal pipe alloy of boron and titanium. Extremly hard to beat.

Satin AR-1S: The best unipivot ever made. Period.

I can talk and talk about those great great!! vintage tonearms, other like: Ortofon RS 212, Fidelity Research, Audiocraft AC 4400, Sumiko The Arm, Mission The Mechanic ( the only tonearm build from a single piece of aluminum. Not casting like the SME V/IV ), Stax UA-7, Denon Da 401, etc, etc.

I own all these tonearms and I owned some of todays tonearms and I can say that with my cartridges in my system nothing can beat them and you can have some of this superior tonearms for a fraction of the today tonearms price.

And let me tell you something: almost all my tonearms are still with its internal original wire, just imagine how could be improve each one when I change this internal wire !!!!.

I respect to all designers but nothing that I know can beat those tonearms at any price with any kind of design. It is not only my opinion: read what Tom ( a person that I highly respect ) post here about the MAX 282 against the Triplanar. Btw Tom, I have all the diferent arm wand on my MAX 282, what a tonearm!!!!

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

hello, I'am new to the threads but have been using the Gon for years! I have a problem that I hope someone on these threads can help me with? I 'am mounting 3 arms on my tt as we have been collecting vintage MC's for our new audio club. I just purchased a Magnepan Unitrac and have mounted it but not at the usual 57 degrees as I have a DDX1000 Micro Seiki tt. I am in need of a scan of the proper alignment protractor? Is it possible to set the alignment with another protractor say a Formula 4 one? Is their someone who could send me a scan fullsize of theirs? I would certainly be most grateful and even pay for your time. I have some rare NOS MC's and dont know if they will even work on this arm? Any other set up tips that anyone can give me about this unusual arm would be most a appreciative! I thought because of its VTA on the fly adjustment it would be a good canidate for switching cartridges around often? Or am I way off on this? Maybe I should get rid of it and get something else? HELP PLEASE,Regards Daren

Thanx for all your responses. Raul, you have a wonderful collection of arms. It reminds me of a museum. The Museum of Modern Tonearms. What do you think of the EMT tonearm? You are not very fond of the SME Series V tonearm, aren't you? Thom, the Schröder tonearms are very popular among audiophiles. Are they really that good or is it just hype?

Not wishing to proxy for Thomas Mackris -- but in answer to the Scroder question yes, it's good. Also quite user-friendly, simple really (maybe not as easy to make as it looks).
I have an old (vintage) arm, not a Schroder; but it's a contemporary arm I'd "consider" so to speak.

Dear Dazz: I owned the EMT 997: excellent. I owned the SME V and I own a SME IV, Moerch DP6 and I forgot : the Koetsu SDA 1000MK2.

Many people think that I'm a collector tonearm, but I don't: I have all these tonearms first because they are really great and second because in this way I always can match in the right way almost any cartidge that I own or will owned. I own these tonearms because of my cartridges. Till you find the right tonearm for a cartridge you really can't know how good is that cartridge.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.