RMAF 2011 – Linear-tracking pivoting tonearms

The Highwater Sound room had a few interesting things. The Cessaro speakers, for one.

Unfortunately, I think the speakers may have been too close to the front wall, creating a bass overhang, detracting from, and sounding distinctly distinct from, the immediacy of the horn midrange. We have heard these before and at that time bass integration was not an issue.

They also featured a couple of different Thales (pronounced ‘Tallas’) tonearms that are so innovative – the convenience of a pivoting tonearm with the hopefully more accurate and more better sounding linear tracking cartridge (i.e. the cartridge is aligned with the grooves, similar to the lathe that made the grooves in the first place).

The first tonearm, below, the Simplicity, is quite new. The second, more expensive one below that, debuted a few years ago [it looks like it is now much more robust in its current configuration]. Both are on a Thales turntable.

How this actually works … ?