I appreciate the clarification, Amir, and I did see the line following the "trash" paragraph. I also have a very dry sense of humor which sometimes goes awry. But you can (all) understand, I'm sure, that those of us who put evrything we have into a product which is our only source of living are also likely to be quite protective about our name and what's said about it.
From the beginning, and as the U.S. represenative of the Air Force One turntable, I had my own reservations about putting a second turntable on the more popular 29th floor; as it turns out, my concerns were not too far off, as most of the discussion of the AF-1 centers - so far, at least - on Gary's room, with nary a word about the lovely sonics that were eminating from the Lamm/Verity/Graham room on the 35th floor. And with a very different and improved tonearm to boot!
The setup in Gary's room is an unknown to me. While I'm sure he knows how to do it well, when a used arm is put into play, I like to make sure of several things, including of course cartridge alingment, the correct amount of damping fluid (very critical with the Supreme and earlier arms, much less so with the Elite) and another variablle which will make a huge difference in things: the output cable and the cartridge.
I still have no idea what output cable was used, and we all know what a difference a day AND an output cable can make. And of course, about someone claiming that his favored cable is the best, while the person to his left or right will claim just the opposite. It's the realization that I could make things better in this regard that let me to design a very new wire, and have had it made under license from Nordost. This is not just off-the-shelf Odin wire, as I had definite concepts and goals in mind when working this out, just as the wire in the $35k arm was his take on the best approach. So the pricing of the stock Nordost cables should not be taken as a literal jumping-off point for the Elite arm and it's new features...
Then there's the variable of two different cartridges. According to Gary, he has two different models, heavily modified (his emphasis), and so there are these other variables that are quite hard to predict. In fact, in my own testing, it's not enough to have two of the same cartidges; I've found that one tonearm sounded different from the other, and I was ready to assign it to some changes I was experimenting with - UNTIL I discovered that the second cartridge (same model and manufactuer, obviously)was just enough different to skew my results. No - for me, in any meaningful comparisons, it simplly must be the EXACT same cartridge. Properly aligned, of course.
(And for those comments about my alignment gauges, I have indeed updated the newest ones so that the target plate that rests on the stylus tip and cantilever is adjutable in height so that greater accuracy is assured. THe math was repeated many times to ensure accuracy, and I can promise you that these gauges will give you an accuracy that is as great as any off-arm protractor. And yes, we now have three different gauges for the 3 arm lengths of (nominally) 9,10 and 12-inch.
So, while I enjoy a good joke, you may perhaps undestand that in this competitive and economically challenged economy we all live in, a sensitive manufactuer may find potentially hurtful phrases tossed on on chatrooms like this can cause trouble.
It's also not a good idea, I think, to have two different designs of any product on exhibit on a demo room, as the inevitible comparison are likely to come forth, and if the conditions are not competely balanced (same wiring, same cartridge, etc.) in this case, then hurt feelings are bound to result. It would be the same as if a second turntable of high quality were used in the same room as the AF-1 (the Continuum,for instance). I doubt very much if Stella would be happy with that, nor if a pair of Wilson speakers were available for audition right next to the Verity, Vandersteen, Genesis,etc.
While the audiophile enthusiasm for comparison is always there, I sugeest that exhibit rooms at CES are NOT the place for ancillary products that are being promoted by another, non-competitive, manufactuer to be squared off in combat. Potentially incorrect assumptions and hurt feelings are likely to develop. Someone in this thread, or the other thread about the AF-1, made that observation, and I agree fully. Although I'm as much of a curious audiophile as any, and always am on the lookout for ways to make my products better (and to be aware of the good competiton around me) I would, myself, never engage in analyizng two different examples (especially of of a product I don't even make), and write about it on-line. Someone WILL become very pissed off, it's a guarantee...! That's the province of trained reviewers who, one hopes, have a lot of the variables closed off.
So, Amir, Gary, and others (who, I have noted with appreciation, have rushed to the defense of my work, even though the line was just a joke...), enjoy the hobby and by all means let's all go for the brass ring, but please try to remember the sensitivies of those who may have missed the punch line.
Bob, you got it all wrong. It was all a joke what I wrote the first page. I am not an LP guy and wouldn't know a good tonearm from a bad one to save my life. Here is the pertinent part again:
Sorry I created the wrong impression. I think everyone here got it the right way.
