Ortofon has released two new pickup arms. They are the AS-212R and the AS-309R, both falling into the reference category.
The new Ortofon AS-212R tonearm (pictured at top) is a 9-inch version and the AS-309R a 12-inch version. Both arms are handmade, with adjustment and final final evaluation also being human work. All materials used in both arms were chosen with an eye toward avoiding unwanted vibration and distortion as much as possible. The arms are aligned to the Baerwald standard and equipped with a universal connector. The latter means you can use almost any common element, from SPU to shell-mounted types.
130 parts
Nice detail is that the high-end Ortofon 6NX-TSW1010 tone arm cable is included. In terms of finish, a luxurious combination of silver and matte black has been chosen. In total, the arms contain no less than 130 individually and with high precision made parts, according to the manufacturer.
The Ortofon AS-212R costs €2999 and the AS-309R €3099.
A lot of money for little material.