New $35K pivoting tonearm

Syntax, You're right and I feel the same looking at a chopstick with a hinge for
thousands of dollars. Lets not forget the same reviewers raving about the
ultimate toilet flush design, the Well Tempered arm...

you have to be kidding for that kind of money.

Syntax, I like your sense of humor, but I must disagree with you on the subject of wood tonearms. I own a few that I like very much, and even in theory there are some properties of some hardwoods that seem well suited to the job. I don't own a Durand, but I would like to (Talea, not Telos). Also, although your remark did make me laugh, I strongly doubt that any well done wood tonearm will be affected when your wife opens the window, unless perhaps you are experiencing a typhoon. Why is a metal rod (choose your metal) more sophisticated, or even "better", necessarily? Both types can sound very good. If the early Schroeder tonearms have a flaw (and I don't know that they do) it is more likely related to the string bearing than to the wood composition, IMO. I've got an old but virtually NOS Grace wood tonearm that I have been thinking of modifying by adding side weights at the pivot; it has the potential of any modern expensive wood tonearm, if you like unipivots and if you don't hate wood.
Dkarmeli, I have long tried to hold my tongue when it comes to the WT tonearms, because there are so many devotee's on the internet, but I do agree with your assessment of them. I just don't get the enthusiasm, at all.

Lewm, my comments on the wooden arms have to do with some of their pricing
and not their sonic quality. Its what this thread is mostly about, that at a certain
point you have to say enough is enough. I'm sure that the price of this arm will
serve its purpose and provide Vertere with plenty of free advertising, and I wish
them success in their business. There IS one born every minute. As far as WT
goes, there's 10 of those born every minute!

I wonder what the birth rate is for this?
"HiFi-Tuning Supreme Fuses - 99% Silver + 1% Gold = 100% Sound"

I read that the bearings are "leaf bearings" or "non-rotating polymer-metal laminate films." Can someone tell me what that is? In a video interview, the designer mentioned the bearings do not have to pivot up and down or left and right and have limited motion just enough for tracking. He said the vertical motion has 22º or 23º of freedom and about 60º of freedom.

YOUTUBE VIDEO

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