Schröder LT

[Bill Hart]

I'm curious about this arm from a design and engineering standpoint- I gather it was introduced at this year's RMAF. I saw some pictures of it, and also looked at a site that had some older patent drawings of similar designs. I get the idea that the pivot point articulates as the arm moves inward, but I'm not sure i understand how the correct geometry at the stylus end is maintained-
anybody check this thing out?
I'm not buying, just kind of intrigued by the engineering/design aspect of it and curious...

 

[mep]

I saw it and heard it. No offset on the headshell and it supposedly tracks a straight line across the LP. With what little time I had to hear it, I thought it sounded good.

 

[Bill Hart]

I saw it and heard it. No offset on the headshell and it supposedly tracks a straight line across the LP. With what little time I had to hear it, I thought it sounded good.

Thnx, MEP. Did you understand how the articulating or moving pivot point (for lack of a better word) maintains geometry at the stylus end of the tonearm? In other words, it looks like the pivot moves as the arm moves, but at first glance that would seem to change effective arm length and a whole host of things. Maybe i'm tripping here, but it didn't look like the pivot point stayed in the same plane, like a 'normal' linear tracking arm does.

 

[audioarcher]

Thnx, MEP. Did you understand how the articulating or moving pivot point (for lack of a better word) maintains geometry at the stylus end of the tonearm? In other words, it looks like the pivot moves as the arm moves, but at first glance that would seem to change effective arm length and a whole host of things. Maybe i'm tripping here, but it didn't look like the pivot point stayed in the same plane, like a 'normal' linear tracking arm does.

It has two horizontal pivots in the base. There is some kind of a guide rail with a magnet/magnets assisting movement. This is all hidden under the arm base. I don't pretend to know exactly how it works as I have not seen the inner workings. It does appear to work quite well though. There is nothing like it that I am aware of. The closest is the Thales arms but they pivot at the headshell instead of the base.

 

[Bill Hart]

It has two horizontal pivots in the base. There is some kind of a guide rail with a magnet/magnets assisting movement. This is all hidden under the arm base. I don't pretend to know exactly how it works as I have not seen the inner workings. It does appear to work quite well though. There is nothing like it that I am aware of. The closest is the Thales arms but they pivot at the headshell instead of the base.

Thanks Sean.

 

[audioarcher]

Anytime Bill.

I was impressed with the sound and lack of tracing/tracking distortion. I want one.

 

[microstrip]

Most probably this arm has some type of servo system that moves the arm pivot - the tricky part is the rate of correction and how it measures/detects the minimal side forces due to groove pressure. May be I can persuade Herr Schröder to manufacture an arm wand for my Forsell!

 

[audioarcher]

I am sure there is no servo or electronic correction. Just very low friction bearings from what I understand.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Most probably this arm has some type of servo system that moves the arm pivot - the tricky part is the rate of correction and how it measures/detects the minimal side forces due to groove pressure. May be I can persuade Herr Schröder to manufacture an arm wand for my Forsell!

Nope no servo, just the aforementioned magnet.

 

[Bill Hart]

Most probably this arm has some type of servo system that moves the arm pivot - the tricky part is the rate of correction and how it measures/detects the minimal side forces due to groove pressure. May be I can persuade Herr Schröder to manufacture an arm wand for my Forsell!

Man, Micro, you've got all the cool historical stuff. A Forsell, eh? You still use it?

 

[Bill Hart]

Here's a link to a description apparently written by Schroder. The pics i've seen show an articulating pivot point, but little else.


http://audiofest.net/2012/downloads/Special/SchroderR.pdf

 

[microstrip]

Here's a link to a description apparently written by Schroder. The pics i've seen show an articulating pivot point, but little else.


http://audiofest.net/2012/downloads/Special/SchroderR.pdf

Thanks. But other than the magic word patented nothing new is told:

the new Schröder utilizes a patent pending mechanism that moves the foot point (base) of the tonearm as it traces the grooves such that perfect tangency is maintained at all times. No servo, no air pumps and hoses, no excessive effective mass in the horizontal plane.

We have to wait until someone tells us about the magnetic mechanism!

 

[mep]

I can tell you that at first glance this arm is very deceiving because it looks like every other pivoted arm with the exception of the wooden tonearm.

 

[jazdoc]

The demo at 2011 RMAF was impressive but hard to attribute anything to one component in an unfamiliar system. However, that system sounded very good, so one can presume the arm is high quality. I did not notice any of the usual Schroeder house sound.

 

[hvbias]

Just saw a comment on AnalogPlanet that it will be $8900, not the $6000 that Michael thought.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Just saw a comment on AnalogPlanet that it will be $8900, not the $6000 that Michael thought.

I'm not sure the price has been settled yet but Steve Dobbin told me $8900.

 

[mep]

I'm not sure the price has been settled yet but Steve Dobbin told me $8900.

But Myles, didn't he say $8900 for the first year and then it was taking a big jump to around $13K? Also, this arm will be built by Dobbins and not by Schroder.

 

[MylesBAstor]

But Myles, didn't he say $8900 for the first year and then it was taking a big jump to around $13K? Also, this arm will be built by Dobbins and not by Schroder.

That's what I was saying. I don't remember the second figure but the price wasn't set in stone IIRC.

 

[mep]

That's what I was saying. I don't remember the second figure but the price wasn't set in stone IIRC.

He did caveat the out-year price, but I'm thinking it was in the $13K range.

 

[jfrech]

Anyone have this arm yet? Curious what folks are thinking about it? I have a friend getting one soon...