Why are modern arms so ugly?

I only saw it at a dealer, and at first I didn't know what it was. I think Stereophile made it more known. Actually, If there wasn't any review from any one like them, it may not be known know. One thing I noticed is the counterweight is to far back (IMO) from the pivot point. I would think that when the arm is tracking a slightly warped record, that added length extending the weight back that far is going to cause it to be slower dealing with upward and downward motion. That slower response time would make this arm ideal for a perfect record. That doesn't happen in the real world. This looks like something that would fit the laws of something in motion, wants to stay in motion. With the added length, the arm may want to stay in its upward motion longer than if the weight was closer, and more capable of keeping the tracking force closer to where it should be. That added length will also slow it down while tracking a record that has a hole slightly of center. That would cause more of an anti-skate problem too. Extra side to side, and up and down movement for the cantilever, causing a tracking problem in both cases, if not tracking that perfect record. This is just my opinion.

there are more beautiful and more elegant, higher build quality tonearms, and less beautiful and less elegant, and lower build quality tonearms, but from my perspective they are all beautiful and elegant. i'm trying to think of a tonearm which does not cause me to smile at least a little in anticipation....i cannot think of any.

ugly tonearms? no.

not to my taste? sure.

if i had a collection of iconic vintage tonearms i might feel differently.

Dan_ed, thanks. I did not want to say that myself. Halcro and I must have very different taste :)

Even if they were the best sounding tonearms I ever heard they would still rank among the ugliest.

I can separate the visual and audible without any assistance thank you.

For example, I think Barbra Streisand has a great voice.

Dear Halcro, as you know, I am low tempered and a rather remote character .... while I really like the Cobra's VTA-tower in execution and handiness ( I had a good, intense and deep look at it at Thuchan's), I am not really taken by the late 1940s design of the arm wand at all.
It really is not form-follows-function, but rather "look here !!! man, I am REALLY different...".
But it sounds good.
Cheers,
D.