Three main design principles make the ViV Labs Rigid Float tonearm special…

First, the tonearm is free-standing. It does not physically attach to your turntable, which means it is not directly coupled to any source of vibration or noise. Its weighted, non-slip base is designed to provide perfect mechanical isolation. This characteristic also means the arm is compatible with a wide range of turntables as a primary or secondary tonearm, with no drilling necessary.

Second, the tonearm uses a proprietary magnetized oil in the bearing mechanism. Arguably the most critical goal of tonearm design is elimination of friction in the bearing. The material used in the Rigid Float, sometimes referred to as ferro-fluid, is nearly friction-free when placed in a magnetic field. The oil also acts as a damper against acoustic vibration, further enhancing clarity and transient response.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the tonearm uses zero-offset geometry, making resonance optimization the top priority. The trade-off is higher tracking error at the beginning of the disc, but the advantage is the elimination bias force, making anti-skate unnecessary. Groove modulation is never constant across the face of a record, yet conventional tonearms require the user to choose a fixed anti-skate force, placing the cartridge into a state of constant entropy during playback. The ViV Labs Rigid Float completely resolves this issue, allowing your cartridge to track with perfect lateral stability. Subtle details and textures that would otherwise be lost to resonance are reproduced clearly and beautifully.