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An afternoon with high-end tonearm designer Frank Schröder

104.169.31.213

Posted on March 19, 2019 at 05:52:29
wawa2020
Audiophile

Posts: 399
Location: NC
Joined: October 25, 2002
Great Youtube video by John Darko with Frank talking extensively about every aspect of vinyl reproduction. Frank makes some interesting observations and skewers more than a few vinyl "myths".

Well worth watching!

 

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How great is that!!!!!!!, posted on March 19, 2019 at 06:49:08
TomWh
Audiophile

Posts: 764
Location: Tucson Az
Joined: August 7, 2003
He is a guy who can think and use logic in the audio business. Notice how he never said his tonearms or tables are the holy grail or a certain bearing design is the only way to go. He is a class act.

The one thing he states numerous times is matching of system. He also listens to hear what the system can do. I could go on and on but watch the video, it is great!!!

Enjoy the ride
Tom

 

Very good!, posted on March 19, 2019 at 06:59:04
Initially, kinda came off aloof. But, you can tell he has a good engineering background. Esp live versus studio efforts. And digital versus analog.

You know, this whole thing of what is good or bad --- system-wise, is so subjective. Too many variables. Too many senses involved. At least, to narrow good and bad down to subjective words.

It's like good looking females. Who knows exactly why that person looks good to you? And why she may not look all that wonderful to another.

I go with my first impressions. Worry about critics, later.


8^)

 

Much Pontification; Little of Substance , posted on March 19, 2019 at 10:36:41
Mel
Audiophile

Posts: 2993
Location: New York City Area
Joined: February 21, 2001
A waste of time. This is not to denigrate his contributions to the art, but this soliloquy is not one of them

 

RE: An afternoon with high-end tonearm designer Frank Schröder, posted on March 19, 2019 at 14:49:26
ecl876
Audiophile

Posts: 3416
Location: Bend, Oregon
Joined: January 14, 2007
Contributor
  Since:
January 28, 2012
Sorry- I removed my post- didn't see yours. Enjoyed the interview. Found him to be articulate, down to earth and honest. Also impressed that he speaks English so well, assuming German is his first language. Better than many of us Americans.

 

RE: An afternoon with high-end tonearm designer Frank Schröder posted by ecl876, posted on March 19, 2019 at 21:34:10
ctbarker32
Audiophile

Posts: 289
Location: Kensington, MD
Joined: September 11, 2003
I enjoyed the interview but would have liked more cogent answers to what makes a good tonearm and also why many are so expensive? One of his arms costs about $5k. What makes an arm cost that much? Could he design an arm for say around $1k that would be almost as good? Is it simply a matter of the more widgets you make would lower the price? That seems to be the case of the ubiquitous Rega arm that is quite inexpensive and seems to be made in the millions despite some design flaws (grounding, no vta, etc.).

Basically there are a few tonearms under $1k mostly variations of the Rega or the Jelcos. After that, tonearms quickly escalate into the multi-thousands.

Peter Lederman seems to like his arms and sells them on his site. I consider Mr. Lederman one of if not the most informed person on the planet when it comes to phono cartridges. With his retipping service he must have examined practically every cartridge ever made?

It's so frustrating in the Audiophile industry where there is wild pricing variability without clear factual evidence of where the money goes? Compare this to something like the Cell Phone that has an insane amount of technology minutrization and can sell for a relative pittance compared to Hi-Fi? I know much of Hi-Fi is akin to the luxury watch world that has to be the most frivolous industry of all time (pun intended). Everyone has a cell phone that is atomically time synced. Do you really need a heavy hunk of jewelry on your wrist as well?

I own several Rega, Jelco, JMW metal and 3D, and a Moerch. All wildly different. I still don't understand what makes a good tonearm?

 

RE: An afternoon with high-end tonearm designer Frank Schröder, posted on March 26, 2019 at 16:54:40
Posts: 418
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Joined: January 6, 2015
Thank you for sharing this very interesting interview. I felt that it was very worthwhile.

 

RE: An afternoon with high-end tonearm designer Frank Schröder, posted on March 27, 2019 at 02:21:46
Gravetones
Audiophile

Posts: 230
Location: Asia
Joined: February 9, 2004
Thanks a lot for the post. Enjoyed listening to his views.

 

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