Timestep T-6 tonearms revealed

Timestep, the renowned UK audio brand has the solution to the lack of high-mass tonearms currently on the market, just the thing for low compliance cartridges.

Timestep’s Dave Cawley has recognised that our current leaning towards low-to-medium mass tonearms can be traced back to the 1980s. This is when high compliance moving magnets were the norm and moving coil cartridges were just beginning to catch on.

Cawley explains:

To accommodate the new moving coils, compromises were made, and to a large extent we’re still living with some of those compromises today. But cartridges have evolved and many of the high quality, low compliance moving coil models need to be partnered with a high mass tonearm to perform at their best.”

He then went and made one. His aim was to create a modern, cutting edge, high mass tonearm that was specifically designed to excel with moving coil cartridges.

Timestep T-6 DNA

The new Timestep tonearms were created using some essential ‘DNA’ from the legendary Japanese Fidelity Research FR64S tonearm (from the late 1970s). This was mixed with bang-up-to-date technology.

The development process of the T-6 arms has taken a couple years. This is largly due to Cawley’s determination to source the best possible materials and components for the job. In fact, his quest took him all over the world sourcing companies who were able and willing to make his specific components to the requisite standard.

The finished product

The result is the new Timestep T-609, T-610 and T-612: one tonearm available in three lengths: 9-, 10- and 12-inches.

The armtube is crafted from titanium and is a low resonance design. Bearing friction has been lowered thanks to a combination of a stainless steel bearing block fitted with ultra-fine tolerance ABEC7 ceramic bearings. The bearings have been washed and re-treated with a high quality lubricant.

Additionally, internal wiring is pure silver, while the tonearm connector is a bespoke PTFE and gold design.

Finally, the frictionless magnetic anti-skating allows for effortless fine-tuning and the headshell (not supplied) is fully detachable and interchangeable.