Thales Simplicity tonearm review in Stereophile.

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but hasn't the Schroeder LT crushed the Thales tonearms, in terms of "simplicity", cost, and actual performance? The Schroeder does allow the cartridge to maintain tangency across the LP surface, just for starters. No skating force to worry about. And the bearings are low in friction. And it's easier to mount. And...

Lewm, I hope you are correct about the Schroder LT, as I will have one soon. I was interested in the Thales arms in the past until I found out they will not fit on my TT. Even so the subject of tonearms interests me. Especially linear tracking arms, because they are even more of an engineering challenge.

Great that the principle of linear tracking is undergoing a resurgence with the Thales Simplicity and Schroeder LT. I'm a total convert with my Trans Fi Audio Terminator T3Pro air bearing linear tracker, a total giant killer at a tenth of the price of these models.

I agree with Hiho. . .it seems to me that Fremer botched this review based on all the other commentary available.

I think that the most significant point to Fremer's Review......was the fact that on digital recordings he made using the Thales and a normally pivoted arm......no-one was able to pick which recording used which arm?
This result is confirmed by my experience with many listeners to my normally pivoted tonearms.....who never seem to leap up and exclaim....."ahhh.........null point.....null point" when the cartridge happens to hit the spot just twice on each record's side? :-)

But then again.......on Fremer's digital recordings of his cartridge tests.......the vast majority of listeners preferred MM cartridges in a Mid-Fi arm and table.....to his $8000.00 LOMC Anna cartridge in his Cobra/Caliburn combination?

HighEnd Audio......like religion......is mostly 'faith' based and led.....rather than logic, science and experience based......with a few notable exceptions IMHO?