GY8 has released the first full review of the Alphason HR-200S Reference Tonearm.
“The arrival of the HR-200S has proved a sobering experience indeed. If the original Alphason was good, the updated version is considerably better still. Versatile, beautifully and thoroughly engineered and delivering superb musical performance. A very welcome return, I suspect the HR-200S is only the start…”
– Roy Gregory, GY8 – March 2023
Days Of Future Past…
The second coming of the Alphason HR-200S tonearm
“The original HR-100S definitely broke the mould. When arms like the Ittok, Zeta, and Syrinx were establishing the straight arm/off-set headshell hegemony, the Alphason was elegantly and resolutely curved. The S-shaped tube was formed from titanium and terminated in an integral headshell, an arrangement that pre-dated (“inspired” might be a more accurate term!) both the SME 5 and the Rega RB-300. The curvature and dimensions of the arm and cartridge mounting platform were also carefully modeled to optimise stiffness and vibrational modes. Nor did the distinctions stop there. Where the majority of arms were using high-spec ball-race bearings, the ones in the Alphason were zero-play designs.”
“Ultimately, designer Mike Knowles sold up and re-focussed his design skills on sustainable engineering and green energy, but now both he and the Alphason tonearm are back!”
“The arrival of the HR-200S has proved a sobering experience indeed. If the original Alphason was good, the updated version is considerably better still. But that’s only the beginning of the story where the new tonearm is concerned…”
“Look closely at the cartridge platform and you’ll see a black line around its edge, visible evidence of a composite insert that both stiffens and damps the structure. The bearings contained in the elegant gimbal housing are still zero-play ceramic, but a new “Super Finishing” process has allowed far higher pre-loads to be applied, resulting in significantly increased rigidity while maintaining optimum friction values. Even the falling-weight bias arrangement has been refined and updated, eliminating the roller (to prevent rattles) and using silicone collars to locate the thread on the bias bar, allowing for infinite adjustment. As well as better quality cable, the wiring is also burnt in before delivery, something that’s often overlooked. Alphason supplies a carefully selected tonearm cable, complete with a short flexible section to allow its use with the once ubiquitous suspended sub-chassis designs. That may not be as important as it once was, but the quality of the cable certainly is and Alphason has chosen well. For once, swapping out the supplied cable (or supplying one yourself) isn’t necessary with this arm. At the business end of the tonearm, the large mounting platform and long slots make the cartridge set up remarkably straightforward, while the proprietary Pin Jack cartridge tags are a joy to affix.”
“Out of all this, what was most remarkable was just how clearly the tonearms’ common qualities and character emerged. The first is a sense of purity. This is both tonal and textural. The second quality, distinct but closely related to that tonal and textural purity, is an inherent sense of balance. Dynamics are quick and lively, with the ability to project musical energy irrespective of frequency. The result is a natural sense of scale and perspective, spatial and rhythmic coherence. The arms are sure-footed and secure, never tripping over themselves or getting muddled. Together, the even spectral balance and tonal purity add up to poised, unflappable performances notable for their sense of clarity and musical purpose.”
“What Alphason has achieved is to create a quiver of excellent tonearms, versatile, beautifully and thoroughly engineered and delivering superb musical performance for the price. A very welcome return, I suspect the HR-200S is only the start…”
