Close Your Eyes, and You’re There
About ALPHASON SPECIALIST AUDIO
Setting the standard and breaking new ground in hi-fidelity audio reproduction
Our mission at Alphason Specialist Audio is simple, to deliver a pure, true-life, hi-fidelity listening experience at a price that is attainable for all. As a company of professional enthusiasts, we are committed to producing technically advanced products, precision engineered to provide exceptional performance without compromise. Importantly, we deliver those products at incredible value.
At Alphason Specialist Audio, our passionate pursuit of hi-fidelity audio reproduction began over forty years ago. Pioneering the first one-piece titanium arm tube and head shell in the 1980s earned us a place at the forefront of high-end audio excellence, and we were quickly recognised as the world’s leading tonearm manufacturer. Meticulous craftsmanship, enduring reliability and unparalleled performance have become synonymous with the Alphason name.
Our collection of products not only sets the benchmark for quality, performance, and value, but also delivers a lifespan that exceeds expectations. Customers past and present can take advantage of our upgrade service, which allows them to benefit from the latest advances in design features, materials, and unique manufacturing processes.
Our comprehensive support extends well beyond the point of purchase, and our lifetime warranty enables fellow audio enthusiasts to get the best from their systems, safe in the knowledge that we will be there every step of the way.
We call this the Alphason Approach, and it has earned us the respect, trust and acclaim of critics and enthusiasts worldwide.
The Alphason Approach
- A true-life, hi-fidelity listening experience at a price that is attainable for all.
- Cutting edge design that sets the benchmark of performance.
- Meticulous craftsmanship and precision engineering without compromise.
- An upgrade service, which allows our customers to benefit from the latest advances.
- A lifetime warranty* and comprehensive support to get the best from your system.
* subject to terms and conditions, covers defective components only
Our History
40 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE
Mike Knowles founded the Alphason brand in the early 1980s, but Alphason Specialist Audio’s rich heritage dates back further to the late 1970s and one man’s mission to redefine the standards of vinyl sound reproduction. In 1976, inventor, engineer and founder of Alphason Specialist Audio, Mike, became the youngest Chartered Engineer in the UK and undertook the ambitious task of mathematically modelling all the vibrational modes in a hi-fi tone arm and turntable. The results were extraordinary, like switching on the lights!
Mike was able to radically optimise the design, removing as many vibrational modes as possible and then optimise those remaining to within at least one and a half octaves apart to eliminate additive effects. By maintaining control from the highest to the lowest frequencies, Mike achieved a tight, clean and articulate sound of the highest quality. The tonal neutrality and clarity were unlike anything that had ever been heard before.
“What have you done? The arm is so tonally neutral that I could not believe it. I have spent half a day testing my equipment.”
The Birth of the HR-100S
This advanced, in-depth mathematical modelling, laid the groundwork for Mike’s pioneering design and the industry’s first one-piece head shell and arm tube reference tonearm, the HR-100S, which was first released back in 1981. Dissatisfied with the limitations of conventional bearings, as used in other tone arms to this day, and their inability to faithfully reproduce the fine harmonic detail with precise focus and phase alignment, Mike set about developing bespoke gimbal bearings for the HR-100S, capable of meeting the demands of high-fidelity musical information retrieval, capturing the finest details in full and in phase, to accurately reproduce the full soundstage and true-life listening experience.
“The Alphason bearings set a new industry standard… Better bearings are not likely to be found.”
The HR-100S immediately gained a reputation as the most tonally neutral tonearm in the industry. Its superior performance, faithful resolution and definition, without emphasis or grain, became the benchmark for audiophiles seeking the ultimate in hi-fidelity. Since it’s conception, and its ultimate success in the late 80’s early 90’s, the original Alphason Audio HR-100S reference tonearm has built a dedicated following and to this day, remains highly regarded and sought after by audiophiles worldwide.
“Remarkable, too, is the sense of tonal purity. Listen to any good piano recording and revel in the pure, tightly defined timbre of each note. There is no fuzziness around the edges of images – the focus is laser-like. Each image is there..”
The Alphason Sonata Turntable
Alphason went on to produce a range of tonearms such as the Opal, Delta and Xenon. In 1986 the Sonata, a sophisticated suspended turntable, was launched. Its chassis was made from drop-cast pig-iron hanging from long, adjustable, damped springs in three suspension turrets to provide exceptional isolation and self-stabilisation. This together with a one-piece bespoke cast resin platter driven by twin motors represented significant steps forward in state-of-the-art turntable design which has inspired many other designers since then. The Sonata garnered rave reviews and is still widely regarded as being one of the best turntables.
A range of speakers, pre-amps and power amps followed. Alphason enjoyed notable success with the Atlas power supply and the Orpheus speakers which were used by a number of reviewers as their “reference speakers”.
With the onset of the digital revolution, Mike diversified into other industries where his creativity, foresight, and technical capabilities were revered. In 2020, he returned to his roots in the audio industry. Despite the recent vinyl revival, Mike was shocked by the lack of innovation and progress since the heady days of the 1970s and 1980s. He quickly set about breathing new life into the iconic HR-100S using modern design techniques, more advanced materials and ultra-precision manufacturing. The result is the HR-200S, our flagship tonearm, a symbol of modern innovation that achieves market-leading tonal neutrality and performance.
Today, our mission is to develop a range of advanced audio equipment that redefines the way we hear, perceive and connect with recorded music through authentic and faithful reproduction to provide the true-life listening experience.
Our promise is simple
Close Your Eyes, and You’re There
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Join Our Global Network of Distributors and Dealers
As a family-owned business, Alphason Specialist Audio is committed to fostering collaborative and supportive relationships with exclusive distributors and dealers around the world.
We are expanding our distribution network. With the recent surge in demand for vinyl, now is the ideal time to align yourself with our prominent high-end audio brand, which is internationally renowned for progressive innovation, an enduring product range, and outstanding customer care. Our competitive pricing delivers attractive returns to our valued distributors and dealers. We offer exclusive distribution rights in designated geographical areas, comprehensive marketing support, and flexible terms.