Vintage Hi - Fi ZETA Audiophile Tonearm
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:640456 |
Vintage hi-fi ZETA audiophile Tonearm box EnglishAs new. This tonearm was purchased by a friend in the mid 1980s and mounted as the second arm on a famed Technics SP10 turntable . But it was never used as he always preferred the alternative arm cartridge (Kiseki agate /FR64SS12") I purchased the arm from him, but soon relocated overseas so it was never mounted again. It has recently been unpacked from considerable vintage hifi gear in long termstorage ZETA ARMBackIf ev...er there was a battleship tonearm, the Zeta is it. Launched in 1982 at £399, build was heroic, with a huge arm pillar housing top class bearings, large diameter armtube cut from 20-gauge alloy and a solid, one piece HE30 alloy headshell with a milled flat underside.The direct coupled counterweight comprises an alloy housing with three mild steel weights inside. Wiring is copper Beyer microphone cable, although later Zetas came with the option of vdH MCD502 for a £90 premium. Physically, the arm resembles the Mission 774SM, which was also made in the same London engineering works, GB Tools.A classic example of a heavyweight tonearm, its 16g effective mass makes it best suited to low compliance moving coils. A removable counterweight insert allows a total cartridge weight range of 17g. Setting up is a tad fiddly, as there’s no spring-applied tracking force adjustment. This is good news from a sound quality point of view, as there are no extra bits of metal inside the bearing housing to vibrate. But it also makes setting the tracking weight a more fussy business requiring a decent stylus balance.The counterweight is locked in place by a Allen-headed grub screw. Likewise the arm height adjustment, while bias is applied by a thumbwheel on the arm pillar, but is also uncalibrated ? meaning it’s test tones a go go trying to get the settings right.On audition the Zeta is a gem. It’s a great all rounder with a very strong, even and taut bass, superb midband performance and clean, extended treble. Dynamics are superb, with a tremendous feeling of power and grip. Also top class is the Zeta’s resolution, letting the listener focus on one single strand in the mix and follow it effortlessly right through the song.This, plus its superb dynamics and commensurate rhythmic ability, mean it’s always a compelling listen
