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What are TA’s?

Really interesting take that, @daddycool. As you say, eveeyone likes something different and if it’s right to you, it’s right to you.

I have similarly heard the rad 2 upgrade is again a huge shift… so, I have that to look forward to, too!

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Tone Arms is my guess, Dan

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Hi
Naim Aro is a unipivot
Most other are gimball type.
In other words they move only in two directions and have very close tolerances.
The Aro is unipivot meaning it balances on one point and can float in all directions.
Hope this helps.

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The Aro in a Unipivot, so its wobbles… and must be hand cued.
The Ittok is a conventional, gimballed arm and has a cueing device.

I have had an Ittok, since 1982…

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Totally different tonearms. Aro is a delicate thing made by Naim. Ittok earlier arm by Linn. Aro has cult following, limited supply, made by Naim

As @Skeptical would say both are now obselete :wink:

They are both very good tonearms. The Aro is better and is worth more than an Ittok. It is comparable and possibly better in some ways than an Ekos 2 and can compete with Ekos SE, albeit different.

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And for completeness perhaps we should also mention the reimagined Aro tonearm by Tiger Paw called Javelin, in an even more limited production run I believe, and the Roksan Nima Unipivot.

Never heard it (or operated it) but I thought the Javelin looked quite sophisticated and pleasing.

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Peter Swain has designed The Lifter device for the Naim Aro
Takes the wobble out of cueing. :scream:


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I’ve had my Ittok since the mid-80s. The Aro was too wobbly for me.

My one attempt at putting stylus to vinyl with an Aro was at RPM Clapham when it was run by Karen Hole. I was collecting my Mana Reference table and they left me alone in the dem room. Fortunately, I don’t think they heard the kerump noise when I pretty much dropped the arm on the record…

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I compared Aro & Ekos when replacing my Ittock. This was over 30 years ago. I compared them in the dealers and on two comparable LP12s at home. Both arms were new to the market at the time from memory. I chose the Ekos. It was better than the Aro in a number of ways. It’s the only time in over 50 years I’ve chosen Linn over Naim when comparing (amps/cd players). I wanted to choose the Aro but I couldn’t because both me and my wife preferred the Ekos. I still use my Ekos (serviced by Linn). It’s a beautiful piece of engineering. Ekos 2 and Ekos SE must be significantly better than the Aro given the Aro’s never been improved?

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ARO certainly competes with the Ekos SE Dan

I have both and enjoy both immensely

Different tonearms with different power supplies and different phono stages

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Hey, I have Ekos 2. I haven’t heard an Aro. I absolutely love the Ekos 2.

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Aro needs to be set up and treated with great care - get it right and it delivers !

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But Aro has cult following and with geddon many prefer. It seems like a delicate creature.

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I guess I will have to get one and be like @Bevo and have 2 set ups!

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I have the ARO with Geddon

In my view a wonderful combo

Yes the Radikal gives more detail but the Geddon has a musical swing about it with the ARO which gets you up and dancing as it were

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I’ve owned one for over 20 years. After a while you get used to the delicate cueing etc. Also the periodic levelling with the small round spirit level placed above the bearing. Can be therapeutic !

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Yep get 2 Dan :+1:

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You’re ahead of the game with your Ekos 2 I’d suggest. The only way to improve on that is an Ekos SE. I await an update :wink:

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I am blasting Duran Duran right now on my glorious LP12 and it sounds sublime. Absolutely gorgeous! And to believe there is more to come. The guitar sounds so clear. The bass so deep. LP12’s are glorious machines to dig deep into our hearts and play music that absolutely sings!

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