High End 2018 • Hot Product

In a weird Fritz Lang-meets-Jaeger-LeCoultre moment, the Thales Simplicity 2 tonearm suddenly grew sleek, curved surfaces and a beefed-up structure. The 'arm base, cueing platform and main bearing housing are all much more massive, eschewing the almost delicate complexity in pursuit of increased rigidity, better energy transmission and reduced structural resonance. It looks much prettier too, while the increased real estate on the bearing housing has allowed the inclusion of an improved VTA mechanism as well as Vernier scales for VTA and azimuth.

But this was a new 'arm, dubbed the Statement and costing a substantial €17,900. It looks substantial, and Thales claims substantially improved performance. With a review already scheduled, we’ll soon be in a position to report.