Why the sudden popularity of 12 inch arms

Dear Doug: Nice to talk with you again.

+++++ " Raul does not much notice or care about two things that happen to matter a great deal to Paul and me: very low level detail.... " +++++

well I did/do ( remember that I posted some where that Paul and you are on the " edge " for VTA/Azymuth changes in every single record?..... ) but certainly my music/sound reproduction priorities are a little different from yours and this fact has nothing wrong, every one of us have different priorities in some audio areas.

+++++ " Of course the materials and manufacturing advances......" +++++

dear Doug how I wish that you could have on hand a SAEC 506 or EPA-100MK2 and Audicraft AC3300 or any of those " very old " tonearms because in that way you could confirm that its build/material quality are second to none ( for say the least ) and up to any " today " tonearm ( but the Cobra that I don't have experience on it ), long or short.

Read what Thomasheisig posted or what you posted ( you are talking of trade-offs. ) or what Sirspeedy or Pryso or Nsgarch or Albert or Onhwy or Bobp posted, there is a common subject on it: real audio/music know-how, every one are talking and coincide ( one way or the other ) in the same main factors/subjects. We all have more coincidences about that differences and that fact say something.

Here are some people emails that I receive or posted in Agon about:

+++++ " BTW have you ever tried the Sony arms? I have just acquired a OUA-1600L and it blew me away on my Victor TT-101:- dynamic, musical, controlled and competitive with my Triplanar / Ikeda / SME V / 801 and possibly superior. I like the removable headshell and right now with a NOS Sony XL-55 MC it rocks! " +++++

+++++ " Experience, like fifty years of it in the hi end, confirms there is no collation between price and better sound. A last point, set up and the arm tend to rule. I've heard $3K cartridges improperly set up by 'experts' and still the owner raved how better it sounded," +++++

+++++ " Raul... the turntable is by far the best I've had in my system. The background is very quiet/black. its made me appreciate my cartride and phono stage more... "+++++ this comes from a TT Micro Seiki owner.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Well, I've heard it said "ignorance is bliss". I have also heard and experienced much bliss down Mexico way. Great place to "get away" from "modern technology" Lots of history to "discover" there as well. There is nothing wrong with enjoying history. I quite encourage it. Having knowledge of the past protects one from repeating the mistakes of the past. Without an in depth knowledge of history, we would be unable to ducument our progress to the current day. I am sure most would agree Black and White photography actually brings something to the art. No one would use it however, to "recreate" an accurate depiction of the subject matter, outside a black and white world. One would employ modern technology to accomplish that. The higher (newer) the technology employed , combined with the expertise at exploiting that technology, the closer to the original the result will appear. Some folks prefer a paint brush to recreate the picture they "see". Very few painters however, would try to convince anyone their art could be mistaken for the real subject matter. Or that paint and canvas is "unfortunately" all there is. Unless perhaps they were "cut off their ear nuts"! Z.

Remember it's not your experience that matters, it's how many toys you own.

Ole'

Raul,
The real high-end of Audio is rarefied indeed.
The vast majority of listeners will never be able to hear the true cutting-edge designs in their own systems, in their own listening environment.
If one were to evaluate advances in audio design by the satisfaction of the general user with his own set-up, then yes......Micro-Seiki and Technics and Pioneer would probably all figure prominently.
At most stages in my 30 year experience with audio, I have been ecstatic with my own system and found it hard to imagine how the sound could improve?........until I inserted something better.
And that something better was inevitably NEWER.
That doesn't of course mean that EVERYTHING newer is better.
I still have the same speakers I started out with 30 years ago simply because I can find nothing that sound remotely better.
I had my Regar Planar 3 turntable for 30 years (despite hearing Linns and Sotas) because nothing new sounded significantly better to me.
Similarly with my valve Kebschull pre-amp and Perraux power amp.
Even after buying the Halcro Pre and Power amps, I could still happily go back to my 30 year old Kebschull and Perraux which together with my speakers would put my system beyond yours in terms of antiquity.
What I could NOT happily go back to (now that I've heard the Raven with Copperhead)......is my Rega Planar 3 with Hadcock arm.
We are not saying that ALL new designs are better in Audio.
We are saying that truly BREAKTHROUGH designs and better DEVELOPED designs will enable a closer approach to the source than we have previously had.
And those who brush this off without the opportunity to hear for themselves, are merely penalising themselves needlessly.

Toys? Antiques? Artifacts from a previous generation? Physical evidence that proves just how far we have come with our hobby/avocation?

Sir, I believe Linears are/have benefitted from SOTA mat'ls and such as well. I'm saving my allowance as we speak. I am having difficulty with one decision: I could have many low value/quality tonearms and cartridges, or I could invest in one or two New High Performance arms and cartridges. Is your son going to many "crappy" med. schools or just a couple that are the best he/you could access? HHMMMM.... Z.