20. "RE: Well, there are different thoughts on this. . ." In response to In response to 19
. . .and it really depends on who you ask, some people are very big fans, BUT—
With a curved, "S-shape" tone arm, in my experience, you have get better results as far as fidelity across the board with all different types of records (12", 10", 33, 45, etc.). The S-shape (properly adjusted with counterweights, anti-skate, etc.) is able to ride in a wider variety of grooves.
Straight arms are good for two things: playing standard size records and scratching.
Of course, straight arms are not going to ruin your records or destroy your life, but if you have an ear for fidelity, you will notice a difference.