PR: “Since its debut in 2014, Vertere Reference Tonearm has been the absolute benchmark. The resolution achieved from almost any high-quality phono cartridge supported by the Reference Tonearm has been unsurpassed and unrivalled.”
“This iconic tonearm has facilitated the design of all subsequent Vertere reference products.
Without such an accurate, revealing and true to the original monitoring system, it would have been almost impossible to realise such absolute reference products.
The worldwide acclaimed; Pulse-HB range of connecting cables, the RG-1 Record Player and the new RG-1 Motor Drive are just a few examples of this.
After four years and substantial improvements of numerous weak links, all roads led us once more back to the tonearm.
Assisted by all the gains achieved over these years, it was possible to revisit the Reference Tonearm and to identify its ‘tweakable’ areas.
Here even the slightest of ‘tweaks’ proved to be sufficiently advantageous and compelled us to implement them into this already world class leading product.
The result of these is the New Generation Reference Tonearm.
What was once unimaginable; the thought of improving such a remarkable product is now a reality – giving us immense satisfaction pushing back the barriers once again.
The New Gen. Reference Tonearm excels from its predecessor on three fronts;
1 Performance enhancing upgrades
2 Ease of alignment, setup and final tuning procedures
3 New packaging with safe in transit clamping system
To achieve the above; it was necessary to implement first all the performance-enhancing tweaks and upgrades. This approach ensured that there were no stones unturned and gave priority to achieving absolute performance.
The first area of upgrades was from the inside and focused on improvements to the routing of the internal wiring and its alignment relative to the horizontal motion bearing. Extra fitting and alignment procedures put in place ensure total harmony between the new wiring routing and unimpeded free movement of the tonearm.
And as a final touch to the optimised signal cable path, a machined piece of solid extruded P.T.F.E. replaces the original Acetal tonearm cable connector for the improved dielectric.
The critical interface between the Reference Tonearm and the arm-board is, effectively, a mechanical impedance that must work in harmony with the whole system. This interface is through the arm-base mount which should also facilitate setup, alignment and adjustment of the tonearm.
The Reference Tonearm Mount Base was designed to fulfil these requirements. However, the original design meant that setup and alignment had to be carried out by expert personnel to achieve optimum performance. This requirement made a subsequent change of cartridge and transportation of the system further involved.
The New Generation Reference Tonearm Mount Base has been redesigned to make setting up much easier and to enhance performance even further. The new mount base presents an entirely coherent mechanical impedance and ensures consistent performance after every remount or transportation.
One of the many features of the Reference Tonearm is its fully articulated counterweight assembly.
This unique design ensures the tracking weight is marginally but continuously adjusted while the tonearm moves up and down tracking the record groove. No clamping, outer ring or vacuum suction system can make the record flat. These gimmicky and unnecessary additions merely try to address the shortcomings in the tonearm. Correct tonearm design is the only way to help the cartridge do its job.
The New Generation Reference Tonearm Counterweight Assembly revisits this incredible ‘auto correcting’ design and makes it even better.
There are over fifteen bespoke precision machined components plus another nine parts that make up this remarkable counterweight system. This new design allows superfine adjustment of the tracking weight and includes a locking mechanism to ensure accurate and repeatable setups.
Almost all high-performance MC cartridges perform at their best particularly when their coil assembly is symmetrical within the magnetic gap. That is where the New Gen. Reference Tonearm Counterweight Assembly comes to its own.
The last challenge was to design an effective clamping and packaging system for safe transportation of the New Gen. Reference Tonearm even with the cartridge mounted. This clamping system was also to assist in remounting and setting up of the tonearm afterwards to optimum performance levels. And this really was a challenge!
However, the final design solution not only addressed the above but also provided the New Gen. Reference Tonearm with an adjustable arm clip which made everyday use more pleasant than before.
A solid, precision machined, stainless steel pillar rigidly fitted to the lift/lower plate acts both as the adjustable arm clip support and as the transit clamping system mount.
There are also other features incorporated in the New Generation Reference Tonearm that help factory alignments to achieve even better results in the field – such as the new Bearing Yoke Support Modification.”