Michael Fremer on linear tracking tonearms (and air bearings)

 The 2018 review of the (interesting & expensive) Bergmann Audio Galder turntable and - most interesting - Odin tonearm, which has just been published on Stereophile website (here), is a nice occasion for an excursus on linear tracking tonearms (and air bearings). Given that author Michael Fremer is probably the person with the most extensive experience of listening to top performance turntables, it is an obvious interesting read. And so it is. I find the description of Eminent Technology tonearms and their problems (at the end of part 1) particularly interesting. MF is an avowed skeptic of linear-tracking tonearms, even in this review, but whatever our persuasion or expectations of the technology, I think there is something to be learned here. It is also interesting to read his report on the problems with air bearing and discussions about them with Tim Sheridan and Andy Payor (at the beginning of part 2). It is not the easiest article to read, but it is certainly valuable information. Highly recommended (the review).