Introducing the Vertere Reference Tonearm Generation III
Since its debut in 2014, Vertere Reference Tonearm has been the absolute benchmark and has facilitated the design of all subsequent Vertere reference products. After four years in 2018 the Reference Tonearm was further improved with the addition of its unique Transit Clamping system that allowed the optimum setup with its partnering cartridge to remain even after the most exhaustive shipping journeys!
Now another four years on the Reference Tonearm has been improved once again to Generation III. This time the improvements are primarily focused on performance and most importantly, fine tuning and easy setup for almost any pickup phono cartridge.
The new features include:
Uprated mounting base – with optimised coupling to the Tonearm pillar
Mounting base fine azimuth adjustment and alignment – optimising attachment to the arm-board
Arm-tube/head-shell azimuth adjustment – with fine Vernier adjustment grid
Simple, almost dynamic, VTA adjustment – with fine Vernier adjustment grid
Tonearm effective mass adjustment – with extensive Vernier reference grid
Optimised applied anti-skate force curve
Anti-skate inner groove magnetic corrective/compensatory force
Revised horizontal motion bearing design – optimised across the playable surface
Enhanced vertical motion bearing – with adjustable azimuth alignment
What makes the Reference Tonearm special?
The ideal Tonearm would be of variable effective mass to suit whichever cartridge the owner chose and would be super rigid but without any resonances. It would be easy to setup but allow adjustment to the micromillimetre, and it would be acoustically transparent and disappear, allowing the cartridge to do its thing.
The Gen III tonearm is close but still no cigar. The effective mass is adjustable, the titanium headshell and arm tube are super-stiff but have no apparent resonances, and every aspect of the setup is easy and repeatable. Some might be describing the Gen III as the ultimate in flexibility and almost the Universal Tonearm, but it has one drawback: it's not ideal for use with high compliance cartridges.
The key, though, is in the listening: mount the Reference to a good Turntable (Vertere SG-1 or RG-1 suggested), set it up with a good cartridge (again Vertere Mystic suggested) and enjoy. Like all Vertere products, it is not 'dramatically' spectacular. It's the music, the emotions and the resolution it drags from the groove that is spectacular.
Reference Tonearm Generation III will be available Summer 2022. Please contact your local Vertere retailer for further details.