[rudy99]

ive read the s shaped tone arms can scratch your records if your noo super careful so i was opting for a straight arm.     are there any dfferences in sq with the  s shaped arm, ive seen a ttx with the s shape and if i remeber correctly it  wasnt very stable.  so  ive read staright is best for scratching(which i wont be doing) , whould i get it any way, what other advamtages migh the staright posses.

 thanks

[doug s.]

shape of tonearm is not relevant, all other things being equal.  different arms have different tracking error rates, (more related to total length than shape), but all decent arms should be w/errors so small as to be insignificant.  theoretically, a linear tracking arm w/zero degree tangential tracking error across the entire would be best, but even here, it's not really relevant.  improper set-up of any decent arm will introduce more wear than any arm-to-arm wariations...

doug s.

[mjcmt]

You ask "which tone arm damages vinyl" Any tone arm will damage a record if you don't put cartridge on it w/ a good stylus. LOL

[rudy99]

ah yes, but no matter how perfectly u set up the needle , the tonearm etc,, you will still be damaging your vinyl,  every time you play it , thats why i was curious whcih tonearm damages vinyl least,, ive heard the straight can ride the inner groove of the record harder thus wearing it out faster,

[doug s.]

ah yes, but no matter how perfectly u set up the needle , the tonearm etc,, you will still be damaging your vinyl,  every time you play it , thats why i was curious whcih tonearm damages vinyl least,, ive heard the straight can ride the inner groove of the record harder thus wearing it out faster,

if your anti-skating is working properly, straight vs s-shaped arm does not make a difference, the needle will ride both left & right groove evenly.  even straight arms have the headshells cocked at an angle, so needle is basically in the same relation to the record either way.  unless, you are really talking about a completely straight dj-type tonearm: 



doug s.

[Ericus Rex]

I'd be more concerned with your cartridge then your arm.  A cartridge that requires a lighter tracking force will wear your LPs a lot less than one that requires more force.

[doug s.]

I'd be more concerned with your cartridge then your arm.  A cartridge that requires a lighter tracking force will wear your LPs a lot less than one that requires more force.

especially if it's a spherical shaped stylus,  elliptical is better, fine-line type is best.  more surface area contact spreads out the total force.

doug s.

[jrtrent]

especially if it's a spherical shaped stylus,  elliptical is better, fine-line type is best.  more surface area contact spreads out the total force.

A conical stylus actually presents a larger footprint in the groove compared with an elliptical (and a line-contact will have a bigger footprint than a conical), so the pressure per square inch is reduced. A 1964 study found that a .7 mil conical causes no more wear at 3 grams than a small elliptical (e.g., .2 X .7 mil) tracking at 1.5 grams.  I found these comparisons at another forum site:

A 0.7mil spherical stylus (18um radius where the stylus contacts the groove) has a contact area of 30.5um(sq.) - one wall.

A 0.5mil spherical stylus (13um radius where the stylus contacts the groove) has a contact area of 23.4um(sq.) - one wall.

A 0.3x0.7mil elliptical stylus (18umx6um radii where the stylus contacts the groove) has a contact area of 20.6um(sq.) - one wall.

A line-contact stylus (45umx6um radii where the stylus contacts the groove) has a contact area of 46.7um(sq.) - one wall.

A microridge stylus (75umx2.5um radii where the stylus contacts the groove) has a contact area of 62.1um(sq.) - one wall.
http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=vinyl&n=373893

[jrtrent]

ive read staright is best for scratching(which i wont be doing) , whould i get it any way, what other advamtages migh the staright posses.

If you look at the picture doug s. provided, you'll see a turntable fitted with what's called the straight, underhung arm.  Overhang is the distance the stylus extends past the spindle, and some amount of overhang along with an offset angle is used in cartridge alignment to minimize tracking angle error.  An underhung arm is short enough that the stylus doesn't reach as far as the spindle; the cartridge is aligned straight in the headshell since introducing an offset angle increases rather than decreases tracking angle error in the short arm.  One advantage is that without an offset angle, skating forces are virtually eliminated, which helps the stylus maintain contact with the groove walls during some maneuvers performed by DJ's.

[doug s.]

A conical stylus actually presents a larger footprint in the groove compared with an elliptical (and a line-contact will have a bigger footprint than a conical), so the pressure per square inch is reduced. A 1964 study found that a .7 mil conical causes no more wear at 3 grams than a small elliptical (e.g., .2 X .7 mil) tracking at 1.5 grams.  I found these comparisons at another forum site:

A 0.7mil spherical stylus (18um radius where the stylus contacts the groove) has a contact area of 30.5um(sq.) - one wall.

A 0.5mil spherical stylus (13um radius where the stylus contacts the groove) has a contact area of 23.4um(sq.) - one wall.

A 0.3x0.7mil elliptical stylus (18umx6um radii where the stylus contacts the groove) has a contact area of 20.6um(sq.) - one wall.

A line-contact stylus (45umx6um radii where the stylus contacts the groove) has a contact area of 46.7um(sq.) - one wall.

A microridge stylus (75umx2.5um radii where the stylus contacts the groove) has a contact area of 62.1um(sq.) - one wall.
http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=vinyl&n=373893

your comparisons are interesting; thanks for those.  i knew that fine-line/micro-ridge type cartridges prowided the least amount of wear; i had always assumed elliptical was better than spherical...

doug s.

[Minn Mark]

I've got both types (str and S arms), and each has its advantages.   Rarer, but still around in vintage or expensive new models, are linear tracking tonearms. I'd prefer to have a well damped straight arm with a detachable headshell, but again, I seem to find this option only on select, expensive arms, like SME.

Compliance, and proper matching of cart/arm/table figures into the mix, too. Oh and, don't forget....CLEAN, well cared for LP's are vital !

At the end of the day, it depends a lot on what you hear....or at least what you perceive you hear, so as Ben Kenobi said, "Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them. Reach out with your feelings."

Cheers,

Mark

[BobM]

Use the force LUUKE! No not that force ... the tracking force.