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Turntables, Tonearms, Cartridges & Accessories:
Tonearms
Audioquest [back
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PT-9
AudioQuest PT-9 Basic/PT-9+/PT-9 Extreme Tonearm
Rigid, Non-Resonant, Versatile
Adjustable pivot damping, damped armtube &
headshell. LC-OFC internal wiring. Gun metal gray finish.
Template & set-up instructions included.
Available in 3 versions:
PT-9 Basic ~ includes generic non-AudioQuest tonearm cable.
Upgrade to PT-9+ by adding Plus (+) tonearm cable. Upgrade
to PT-9 Extreme by adding Extreme tonearm cable.
PT-9+ ~ includes high performance Teflon-tubed
solid PSC+ (Perfect Surface Copper+) Plus (+) tonearm cable
(available separately). Upgrade to PT-9 Extreme by adding
Extreme tonearm cable.
PT-9 Extreme ~ includes very high performance
Teflon-tubed solid PSS (Perfect Surface Silver) Extreme tonearm
cable (available separately).
• Medium mass and adjustable optional-use
damping allows optimum performance from a very
wide range of cartridges.
Dynavector[back
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DV
507 Mk. II
The Mk 2 version of the Dynavector DV 507 tonearm has made
its long-awaited debut, building on the strengths of the original
DV 507 which has enjoyed the highest reputation among audiophiles
world-wide since its appearance in 1984.
As it is a bi-axis inertia controlled tonearm
the DV 507, no matter the type of cartridge can trace the
music signal grooves cut in the recording with extreme accuracy.
The DV 507 also provides superb trackability on warped recordings.
Resolution and musical detailing are quite remarkable.
Nottingham
Analog [back
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Tom
Fletcher, Managing Director of Nottingham Analogue, on NOTTINGHAM
TONEARMS
Within the last 18 months
we have completely revised all our tonearms by continually
striving for better materials for damping and rigidity. All
our arms employ a unipivot design. Unipiviot arms are usually
manufactured with silicone damping or stabilizers by means
of weight as compensation for the stability and damping. This
method is forever trying to settle down whilst you are playing
a record. To set these arms up is quite difficult. Nottingham
Analog arms are different in the way they achieve stability.
We have the single point with the tons per square inch pressure
but close to the centre as possible we have two stabilizing
bars that keep these arms from rocking on its azimuth, also
it generates a damping moment which does not require stabilizers
or silicone fluid.
Our Interspace arm (front-most photo) with centre
distance of 22mm, is an arm that has a lot of features of
the more expensive ones and performs very well on our Interspace
turntables.
The space arm (middle photo), like all our arms,
has a carbon fibre tube that consists of fibre orientation
along the tube and not around like a bandage. This gives better
resonance control and rigidity where we most need it. From
now on the arm will have a VTA adjustment, like all our arms
except the Interspace arm.
The Anna arms (12" version shown in rear
photo, also available on special order as a 10") are
our current statement, combining all the damping and strengthening
techniques we know to give an illusion of music that is totally
non-fatiguing.
All our arms sound the same - ‘a
family of sound’ - we think they have to, if they didn’t
some would be right and some would be wrong. Whether you buy
an Interspace arm or Anna arm the differences will be very
subtle but very worthwhile having. We can listen to an Interspace
arm for hours otherwise we would not attempt to put it on
the market.
Rega[back
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RB 1000
The RB1000 takes thirty times longer to produce than an RB300.
At present there are only two of our most highly trained and
experienced technicians that can build this exotic tonearm.
The RB1000 carries more technological changes over previous
Rega tonearms than any other Rega tonearm produced during
the last twenty years! Key areas of improvement can be found
in the bearing assemblies, wiring and materials used. We have
worked to redistribute and reduce mass in areas of the tonearm
where mass is critical to performance. The easiest place to
see these changes in evidence would be the polished aluminium
arm tube. It has no coatings of any type.The changes we have
made over the RB900 have resulted in a tonearm with extremely
high structural rigidity, combining ultra low friction movement
together with incredible stability. These attributes will
make any cartridge mounted on this tonearm work harder than
they have ever worked before. Do not be surprised if the first
time you listen to familiar music, you hear detail that you
have not heard before!
RB 600
The RB600 is a high performance version of the legendary RB300
tonearm. The RB600 is lovingly constructed to extremely high
tolerances by a dedicated team of production technicians.
To further improve musical detail the RB600 carries an extremely
high performance Rega designed phono cable assembly with state
of the art Neutrik connectors.
RB 300
The first Rega tonearm, and perhaps the most famous tonearm
ever produced, the legendary RB300. Fitted to the P3, this
tonearm will never be found wanting for performance and will
make cartridges work very hard to provide you with astonishing
quantities of musical detail.
RB 250
For those on a budget, the RB250 will offer astonishing performance
for its price. It is fitted as standard to the famous P2 turntable
and is also the choice of many other turntable manufacturers
on an OEM basis.
SME[back
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IV.Vi Tonearm
The Series IV precision pick-up
arm owes much to the technology developed for the acclaimed
Series V. Although presented at a lower price it retains the
unique one-piece magnesium tone-arm, dual-lock base and other
advanced features listed.
The Series IV is a worthy relative of 'the best
pick-up arm in the world' with a sonic performance reflecting
the care and attention to detail underlying its design and
manufacture.
V Tonearm
SME engineers, recognising the potential of
the latest complementary equipment, accepted the challenge
to design and build a pick-up arm which unlike others in existence
would make no detectable sound contribution of its own. The
work took almost four years and the measure of its success
is the acceptance of the Series V precision pick-up arm by
technical experts and users as one of the world's truly great
audio products.Series V sound has an almost startling dynamic
range and neutrality enabling high levels to be enjoyed. It
escapes the 'LP' sound and demonstrates that structural resonances
in pick-up arms are responsible for much that makes vinyl
records readily discernible from master tapes.
The functioning of a pick-up arm appears simple
but is in fact very complex. All cartridges employ relative
motion between armature and stator portions of a generating
system to produce the signal output. Reproduction can only
be true therefore when all movement representing groove modulation
is made by the armature to which the stylus cantilever is
attached and none by the stator represented by the cartridge
body. Unless the pick-up arm holds the latter against even
the minutest movement at audio frequencies the signal will
be modified in some way. The result is a subtle loss of clarity,
dynamic range and transient attack that can make the sound
from even the best system tiring to listen to.
The following notes will help a better understanding
of the problems and how they were resolved in this radically
new design.
In common with any mechanical device the behaviour
of a pick-up arm is governed by three properties of matter
that also define the laws of motion. The first property is
mass which opposes any change in motion. The effective mass
of an arm and cartridge resists motion least at low frequencies
but increasingly as frequency rises. It is this resisting
force which makes the operation of a cartridge possible. At
subsonic frequencies the armature and stator move as one allowing
the slow movements needed to negotiate the record surface
without generating a signal. At audio frequencies however
the increased resisting force causes the armature to move
relative to the stator and a signal is produced. The transition
point between these two conditions is important for a clean
low frequency response and is established by the compliance
of the cartridge and the total effective mass of the arm and
cartridge body.
The second property is stiffness which resists
bending or flexing. It is a restoring force, proportional
to position or deflection.
The third property is damping or resistance
to motion. Here motion means velocity and without it there
is no damping. The total equation of force acting on a pick-up
arm is therefore the sum of three parts: acceleration acting
on the mass, velocity acting on the internal or applied damping,
and bending or deflection acting on the stiffness.
Mass and stiffness determine how much a pick-up
arm will flex and vibrate and damping determines how long
it will vibrate. Damping alone cannot prevent flexing or vibration,
it can only lessen its effect. The stiffer the arm the less
it will flex and vibrate; the more massive the less it will
vibrate.
Very high tone arm mass would therefore be ideal
to control the cartridge had it not to be strictly limited
to preserve the required relationship of compliance and mass
already referred to. Stiffness, the second part of the equation
of force, must therefore be used also. Infinite stiffness
would be ideal but we have to be more realistic. In a beam
of given length stiffness is dependent on the material used,
its cross-sectional area and in the case of a cylindrical
beam increases as the cube of its diameter. Doubling the diameter
will make it eight times as stiff.
Although the proportions of the Series V tone-arm
reflect these facts, tests showed that the required stiffness
was still unattainable using conventional fabricated construction.
A one-piece die-casting in magnesium alloy was therefore adopted
comprising the shell, tube and balance weight cantilever.
36% lighter but only 25% less stiff than commonly used aluminium,
a magnesium arm of the same mass could be as much as 25% stiffer.
In addition die-casting would allow the numerous changes of
section required to optimise effective mass and control standing
wave effects. Finally magnesium's high self-damping factor
was augmented with an internal constrained layer to damp the
tubes’ high frequency resonance.
The Series V's excellent vibration analysis
results owe much to the high stiffness and damping of its
tone-arm, but stiffness to be of value must refer to something
rigid. Tests disclosed the many points at which rigidity could
be lost so all other principal parts were pressure die-cast
allowing each to be tailored precisely for its purpose and
utilising the high mass of zinc-based alloy to damp out vibration.
Ultra-high quality 10mm and 17mm ABEC 7 radial shielded bearings
were selected to provide low friction vertical and lateral
movements, while holding the tone-arm motionless against front/back
and torsional forces. The support afforded by these large,
wide contact angle bearings, excludes the possibility of chatter
and wear or damage in normal use.
The horizontal axis bearings carry the tone-arm
in a substantial yoke also housing a spring tracking force
mechanism. The bearing axis is at record mean level to minimise
warp-wow effect and the spring, a possible source of coloration,
is resonance controlled.
The main pillar is 23mm diameter, machined from
steel, heat treated, ground and honed. It houses the vertical
shaft and bearings, and carries the control bracket incorporating
the anti-skate mechanism, lowering/raising control and motion
damper.
The base is highly original. The pillar moves
vertically between two jaws and horizontally between two slideways.
Locking is effected by transverse clamp bolts, spring loaded
to maintain settings when released. The design ensures extremely
positive clamping maintaining the rigidity of the assembly
which is then secured to the mounting surface of the deck
with four cap-head screws.
The weight housing is undersung to correct its
centre of gravity and provide a vibrationally non-reflective
termination of the tone-arm. A damped two-point suspension
carries the tungsten-alloy balance weight . Its unique shape
enables it to be positioned close to the fulcrum reducing
inertia to minimise the effects of record warp and eccentricity.
Movement is made along mitre-ways by rotating a thumb wheel
and leadscrew carried in twin ball races. Only l9mm of travel
is required to cover the whole balance range and a lever effects
clamping in any position.
Electrical aspects received no less attention.
The internal wiring is of specially developed silver litz,
each conductor having five insulated strands. The damped output-socket
swivels allowing it to take up its own position for installation
and to minimise vibration transmission when used on a sub-chassis.
The high quality linear crystal oxygen-free copper audio lead
selected for its electrical and mechanical characteristics
is terminated at one end with SME right-angle 5-pole DIN contra-plug
and gold-plated phono plugs at the other.
The magnesium tone-arm is finished in satin
black enamel, other major parts in black chrome with details
in bright chrome and polished stainless steel. Each unit is
complete with tools, accessories, and an advanced drill jig/template
and alignment system simplifying mounting and exact placing.
Structurally inert the Series V embodies
every worthwhile feature in a pick-up arm. As part of a complete
system working in concert with a comparable turntable and
cartridge it will provide wide range transparent reproduction
of vinyl L.P's, bringing the listener audibly closer to the
clarity and dynamics of the original performance.
309 Tonearm
The Series 300 broadens the
application of SME technology
Although the unique one-piece magnesium tone-arm
is reserved for the Series IV and V arms, advanced metal working
techniques produce a fabricated arm of exceptional stiffness
and at the same time allow a choice of three arm lengths to
suit all decks.
The detachable magnesium headshell has a new
style coupling, providing the convenience of rapid cartridge
interchange without loss of rigidity. Our
designers can be justly proud of these models which offer
a performance and manufacturing excellence unmatched by many
more expensive arms.
VPI[back
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JMW 10/12 Memorial Tonearms
The JMW Memorial tonearm is the culmination of years of research
into the mechanics of tonearm design, and is an assault on
the state of the art of analog reproduction at a time of renewed
interest in vinyl playback. The machining and assembly are
first rate and easily up to the levels of perfection found
in our TNT series of turntables. You could call the JMW the
TNT of tonearms.
The JMW combines the virtues of a true damped
unipivot, with uncompromising dedication to vibration and
resonance control using minimalist design. The resulting arm
is extraordinary in its ability to extract information from
an LP's grooves. The soundstage is wide and deep with air
and separation between the instruments. The feeling of solidity
of images and top to bottom coherency is unmatched. The JMW
is proof that, in tonearm design, less is more. This is the
quietest tonearm we have heard, and we have heard them all!
The JMW features an extremely long arm tube
(10 inches from spindle to stylus for the JMW-10 and 12 inches
for the JMW-12), with a lower offset angle than shorter tonearms,
resulting in linear-tracking accuracy. The vertical height
of the tonearm is adjustable during play in 0.00035"
increments. Due to the low offset angle of the headshell,
the JMW requires no mechanical anti-skating adjustment. The
required anti-skating force is provided by the torsion of
the leadout wires.
The JMW incorporates a sophisticated grounding
scheme, as well as silicon hard and soft damping of its composite
aluminum/stainless steel arm tube, to ensure the lowest noise
possible. The entire arm assembly, including the arm tube,
counterweight, VTA tower, and azimuth ring, is detachable
from the arm's base, leaving all critical setup parameters
intact and allowing for rapid cartridge changes. Only the
highest quality wiring, cartridge clips, and Lemo connectors
are used for the purest sound possible.
According to Audio magazine's Anthony Cordesman,
"The JMW Memorial tonearm produces some of the tightest
and deepest bass I have ever heard from analog." The
Absolute Sound's Harry Pearson gave the JMW Memorial the coveted
5-star rating in issue 106.
Visit your nearest VPI dealer today and hear
what all the fuss is about.
JMW 10.5/12.5 Memorial
Tonearms
The JMW 10.5 and 12.5 Memorial tonearms begin where the JMW
10 and 12 leave off. Although they share much of their predecessors'
design, including the precision unipivot, damped stainless
steel/aluminum arm tube, and high-quality internal wiring,
the 10.5 and 12.5 incorporate several significant improvements:
The newly-designed counterweight puts more mass below the
arm's pivot point for improved stability. A large setscrew
has been placed between the arm rest and the arm lift to greatly
improve the arm's rigidity. A damping collar has been added
to the arm tube in order to improve the arm's immunity to
vibration. A new, larger VTA tower makes it even easier to
set VTA during play.
Sonically, the JMW 10.5 and 12.5 are a cut above
the already impressive 10 and 12. In usual VPI tradition,
existing JMW 10 and 12 tonearms may be upgraded to the 10.5
and 12.5 respectively at reasonable cost.
JMW
9 Tonearm
The JMW-9 tonearm is the perfect complement to the Aries Scout.,
offering all of the advantages of a unipivot tonearm at a
bargain price. The arm has a low friction bearing mounted
on a solid stainless steel rod with markings to set VTA (Vertical
Tracking Angle). As with the more expensive JMW-10 and JMW-12
arms, the tonearm assembly of the JMW-9 can be removed and
replaced in seconds, allowing instant cartridge changes with
multiple armwands. An RCA junction box allows any RCA-terminated
interconnects to be used.
The JMW-9 uses the same geometry and mounting
as the Rega RB300 tonearm and can be dropped right into the
Rega arm hole with no modifications.
JMW 9 Tonearm Armwand
Have more than one cartridge and a JMW 9 tonearm? Get an extra
armtube and enjoy the benefits of multiple cartridges today!
You can switch cartridges in less than 30 seconds!
JMW 10 Tonearm Armwand
Have more than one cartridge and a JMW 10 tonearm? Get an
extra armtube and enjoy the benefits of multiple cartridges
today! You can switch cartridges in less than 30 seconds!
JMW 10.5 Tonearm Armwand
Have more than one cartridge and a JMW 10.5 tonearm? Get an
extra armtube and enjoy the benefits of multiple cartridges
today! You can switch cartridges in less than 30 seconds!
JMW 12 Tonearm Armwand
Have more than one cartridge and a JMW 12 tonearm? Get an
extra armtube and enjoy the benefits of multiple cartridges
today! You can switch cartridges in less than 30 seconds!
JMW 12.5 Tonearm Armwand
Have more than one cartridge and a JMW 12.5 tonearm? Get an
extra armtube and enjoy the benefits of multiple cartridges
today! You can switch cartridges in less than 30 seconds!
JMW 10/10.5 Dropped Counterweight
Get rid of unwanted vibration and significantly improve your
sound with this new counterweight for your JMW 10 (with hollow
lighter counter weight) or 10.5 tonearm (newer 10.5's already
come standard with this counterweight!) Finish: Matte Stainless
Steel
JMW 12/12.5 Dropped Counterweight
Get rid of unwanted vibration and significantly improve your
sound with this new counterweight for your JMW 10 (with solid
heavier original counter weight) 12 or 12.5 tonearm (newer
12.5's already come standard with this counterweight!) Finish:
Matte Stainless Steel
Wheaton
Triplanar [back
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Triplanar
The TRI-PLANAR MKVI ULTIMATE
is the latest revision of the TRI-PLANAR legendary tonearm.
It incorporates state-of-the-art design technology, while
retaining the perfection of hand craftsmanship.
The TRI-PLANAR MKVI ULTIMATE includes all the
features of the TRI-PLANAR V, plus major design improvements.
The TRI-PLANAR MKVI ULTIMATE utilizes a larger
diameter headshell tube than the previous models. In addition,
we increased the trough for silicon fluid that was incorporated
in earlier versions to further enhance the bass response.
We use Cardas tonearm wiring and redesigned
bearings featuring handmade, hardened and polished needle
cones and a sophisticated system of counterweights allowing
proper stylus force for any cartridge without altering effective
mass. We also redesigned the clamping yoke that firmly couples
the headshell tube to the bearing tube, making for a single
unit but allowing azimuth rotation of the headshell. The MKVI
also uses a state of the art headshell damping treatment featuring
a lead insert that enhances imaging and extends stage depth.
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