Is it possible to love a fatter tonearm?
Most sleek, graceful tonearms, including Sony's, are lovingly crafted precision instruments.
But even the most expensive beauties have a beast of a problem.
Tonearm resonance.
At low frequencies, feedback in the form of noise and wayward harmonics is added to your music. Bach with a tiny tuba in the background.
It's called the last big turntable problem.
Poof. Sony banished tonearm resonance at any frequency by putting a linear motor in the tonearm. And a linear motor under the tonearm.
That's why it's radically fatter and radically better. It's totally electronic.
We call our new tonearm the Biotracer and our new turntable is the PS-B80. It's the highest-fi you can buy for professional applications or critical home listening.
----------
Frequency
A microcomputer orchestrates every tonearm move. There are no counterweights, tracking force mechanisms or antiskating devices.
When the PS-B80 is first turned on, or when a new cartridge is installed, the microcomputer automatically adjusts the arm for zero balance. A standby lamp on the arm base illuminates during this brief operation.
You select the stylus force by dialing an LED readout on the front panel and the microcomputer automatically makes the adjustment.
Tracking force can be changed during record play.
Antiskating force is automatically and continuously applied by the horizontal linear motor. A sensor
relays the tonearm's lateral position to the microcomputer the selected tracking force is stored in its memory.
The linear torque BSL (Brushless & Slotless) turntable motor delivers an extremely high signal-to-noise ratio and virtually eliminates wow and flutter. The BSL motor in a major design breakthrough has no slots to cause uneven torque distribution.
A highly stable quartz-crystal oscillator and a magnedisc servo-controlled system lock turntable speed for precise platter rotation.
Consider the electronic automation.
Record play is automatic. Record size selection is automatic. Repeat and partial repeat are automatic. Even stylus cleaning is automatic.
The new all-electronic Sony PS-B80 redefines the limits of turn table technology.
Listen closely. You're going to love it.
PS-B80
---------
Vertical linear motor
Arm balance sensor
Vertical velocity sensor
Horizontal linear motor
Horizontal velocity sensor
Lateral position sensor
---------------
SONY
-----------------
(High Fidelity, Apr 1980)
Also see:
ADC Integra Series carbon-fibre integrated headshell/cartridge
Predictable Crises in Classical Music Recording, by Allan Kozinn