With a linear arm it is critical for the air manifold to be exactly parallel with the plinth and wand length to be set so the stylus will obtain perfect zenith. If this set-up is not achieved then the linear arm will perpetuate a constant tracking error all across the LP and sound worse toward the center as the radius of the groove tightens. With exacting set-up the arm will sound the same all across the radius.
IMO it is amusing to hear staunch advocates of long pivot arms claim that you can hear the roughly 1% reduction in tracking error that a 12" pivot arm achieves relative to a conventional pivot arm, while also maintaining that the further reduction of .3%-1% down to zero available with a linear arm is unremarkable.
IMO it is amusing to hear staunch advocates of long pivot arms claim that you can hear the roughly 1% reduction in tracking error that a 12" pivot arm achieves relative to a conventional pivot arm, while also maintaining that the further reduction of .3%-1% down to zero available with a linear arm is unremarkable.