{"id":34919,"date":"2023-06-05T17:25:08","date_gmt":"2023-06-05T15:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/?p=34919"},"modified":"2023-06-05T17:26:57","modified_gmt":"2023-06-05T15:26:57","slug":"avidhifi-altus-and-nexus-tonearms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/turntable-and-accessories-reviews\/avidhifi-altus-and-nexus-tonearms\/","title":{"rendered":"AVIDHIFI ALTUS and NEXUS Tonearms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Review samples supplied by Hexagon Audio<\/a>
\nRetail prices in the Netherlands incl 21% VAT:
\nALTUS \u20ac1.800
\nNEXUS \u20ac5.250<\/h4>\n

After years of development and thoroughly testing various techniques, AVIDHIFI has now released two Tonearms: the entry-level ALTUS and the range-topping NEXUS. Developed entirely in-house, these arms have been fully designed according to AVIDHIFI’s core beliefs, with solidity, extremely tight tolerances, and the mechanical draining of resonances away from the cartridge at the forefront.<\/p>\n

These arms may visually and technically be the ideal companion for AVIDHIFI turntables but I was assured that they are designed to also work just as happily with other turntable brands. Important factors in this are that the arms were made with pleasing ergonomics in mind and designed for the best information retrieval as well as the least sonic signature possible. In other words, these arms are designed to work smoothly and predictably with any turntable and be very neutral.<\/p>\n

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NEXUS<\/h3>\n

The NEXUS is designed to the same extreme precision engineering standards as the AVIDHIFI turntables. Every tonearm is hand-assembled with the same craftsmanship that you would expect from AVIDHIFI.<\/p>\n

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Natural forces pull a tonearm, ever increasingly towards the center of the record. Bias compensation (also called Anti-Skating) is the mechanism that counteracts this. The NEXUS employs adjustable progressive Bias to gradually increase the field of force as the arm gets closer to the center.\u00a0There is a dot on the Anti-Skating dial to provide an idea of the point of origin (where you started) and a sense of how much input adjustment is made. Of course, the effect of these adjustments is subject to many variables such as the stylus type, VTF, suspension, and others. As such, a visual indication of, say, 1, 2, 3 grams will never be precise but I find that it can still be a handy visual reference, if only as a starting point. With the AVIDHIFI implementation, one needs to go by ear which may seem hard but in practice is really quite simple. When sibilance or distortion happens during loud passages in one channel, simply rotated the dial until the sibilance is either gone or at least reduced and coming from both channels. When it moves to the other channel, you’ve gone too far.<\/p>\n

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AVIDHIFI feels very strongly that supporting the cartridge rigidly while playing a record is vitally important, and it is why they have harnessed a bespoke hyper-strong titanium arm tube to push rigidity to another level. The GR9 grade titanium boasts a 1.3 mm wall thickness, providing unmatched strength and resisting bending or torsion modes that could negatively impact sound quality. Likewise, a rigid bearing architecture is paramount to delivering solid images etched in space, so each of its components is manufactured to incredibly tight tolerances.<\/p>\n

The NEXUS headshell is precision-engineered from solid aluminum and undergoes rigorous machining to ensure compatibility with the arm tube. To maintain optimal vibration transfer, weight reduction holes are omitted, avoiding potential sound distortion and preserving image focus and sonic solidity.<\/p>\n

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The NEXUS tonearm includes a precision-made VTA ring. This is just for finding the initial position. Once the desired height is reached, the arm shaft needs to be fixated with a single hex nut on the side.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The NEXUS comes complete with tonearm wires. These can be regarded as placeholders and it is expected that users will use higher-end versions.<\/p>\n

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ALTUS<\/h3>\n

The ALTUS offers cascading features from the top-model NEXUS such as the micron tolerance bearings and the adjustable progressive Bias.<\/p>\n

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ALTUS employs a thick-walled aluminum arm tube with a 2 mm thick wall to make sure the cartridge is held securely above the record and aid the transmission of vibration away from the cartridge.<\/p>\n

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No VTA ring for the ALTUS, but otherwise, the fixation works precisely the same way as for the NEXUS. Also, the arm uses the same Bias\/Anti-Skate-, and lift mechanisms.<\/p>\n

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Incidentally, the ALTUS also uses the same DIN connector, RCA connectors, and very high-quality external and internal cable loom as the NEXUS. The only difference is that the ALTUS is through-wired whereas the NEXUS allows the user to change the headshell wires.<\/p>\n

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The ALTUS Headshell is produced through a precise laser cutting process on solid aluminum. This ensures the highest degree of accuracy in terms of tolerances and provides a steadfast base for the cartridge. It does this without the presence of weight-reducing holes frequently found in other headshells, which can negatively impact the transmission of vibrations and lead to a distorted sound, especially hindering image focus and sound solidity.<\/p>\n

The headshell is fitted to a solid aluminum collar, ensuring seamless integration with the arm tube. The ALTUS has thinner headshell wires compared to the ones used with the NEXUS but I can confirm that they most certainly do not make the arm sound thin.<\/p>\n

Next: Technical Aspects<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Technical Aspects<\/h3>\n

The headshell wire clamps of both tonearms fit intentionally very snugly onto the BORON’s pins, obviously making for good connections but requiring extra care when pushing them onto the cartridge. To facilitate easier initial fitting and opening of the clamps, AVIDHIFI cartridge pins are pointed at the ends.<\/p>\n

If desired, the user can use an Allen key to slightly open up the pins at their entry point but my instinct would be to leave them nice and tight. As AVIDHIFI’s Stuart confirmed, one need not worry about damaging the arm’s bearings when holding it in place while pushing the clamps in place. But of course, always do this with the protective cartridge cover in place.<\/p>\n

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A purpose-designed low-capacitance external phono cable reassuringly anchors into place using a right-angled DIN connector and high-quality gold-plated RCA plugs. For purists wishing to embrace the naturally balanced output of a phono cartridge, the cable is also available fully balanced with XLR connectors.<\/p>\n

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Both arm boards have a 3-point connection for ideal rigidity under all circumstances. To this end, the hole in the arm board has an internal egg-like side. You can’t tell from the photo but the inside of the hole is vertically machined such that the sole point of contact with the arm shaft, after fixing the side screw, is in the vertical middle.<\/p>\n

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One might not notice it upon casual inspection but the lift system itself is 100% proprietary, right down to the tiniest components. Whereas 99% of the other companies use OEM parts made by one or two big manufacturers, AVIDHIFI chose to fabricate their own bespoke lift system. Rather than relying on the resistance of oil, which can vary according to ambient temperature, making the lift go slower or faster depending on the room temperature, AVIDHIFI opted for a spring-loaded system. Unlike traditional systems, the spring-loaded lift will always move at the same speed, regardless of room temperature. An additional feature of this system is that the lift moves slower for the last portion of its travel, providing a particularly soft landing for the cartridge.<\/p>\n

The arm lift platform has an unusually compliant foam layer on top. Usually, this pad is made of harder rubber but with the AVIDHIFI tonearms, the rubber is so soft as to cave in quite deeply when the arm is resting on top. As it was my first time encountering this, I asked Stuart about it. As it turns out, the thought behind it was ergonomics, chosen for the extra resistance and confidence, for a nice feel while cueing (and to prevent large sides). While I agree that the headshell will indeed absolutely never slip inadvertently, I also feel that the compliant foam makes tiny cueing corrections harder than normal.<\/p>\n

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When mounted with the VTA such that the arm is level with the LP surface, and with the arm lift in its uppermost position, the arm only goes just about high enough to clear the stylus from the digital scale’s weighing platform. Since the arm lift uses unusually compliant foam, it’s worth being extra careful when traversing such objects on the platter’s surface.<\/p>\n

There is no dimple in the horizontal center of the gimbal housing which makes adjustment via a one-position protractor such as the Acoustical Systems SMARTractor that I like to use less convenient. I wondered, was this omitted on purpose? Stuart responded that the supplied two-point protractor can be used which requires no location in relation to the arm pivot point and that this protractor is well-tested and considered ideal.<\/p>\n

Neither arm offers an Azimuth adjustment facility. As I found in practice, styluses need not always be mounted 100% straight in the cantilever so I feel it is good to have a facility to correct for this. Upon inquiring as to why this was omitted, Stuart Robertson of AVIDHIFI responded that the tolerances in the AVIDHIFI cartridges and arms are very tight, essentially assuring proper Azimuth from the factory. Upon insisting, he added that the company feels that a relatively small number of people have the required tools or skill to properly adjust the Azimuth and it’s more likely to result in an ill-adjusted cartridge than it ending up just right. While I agree that he makes a fair case and most users would probably indeed not want to fiddle with this, I would still expect a tonearm in this price range to offer the facility for those who wish to adjust it.<\/p>\n

When handling the tonearms manually, I noticed that they are more restricted in their vertical movement than normal, due to how the bearing housing is constructed. Naturally, the arm has ample freedom for cueing and tracking the record. I asked Stuart if this restriction is intentional. Of course, I needn’t have asked, indeed, it was intentional and done because the less bearing movement, the more rigid the arm is. The reduced freedom provides a smaller window of potential play.<\/p>\n

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Both tonearms are supplied with perfectly-fitting arm boards which are screwed in place from underneath the chassis extension. The geometry is made for a pivot-to-spindle distance of 216mm rather than the commonly used 222mm.<\/p>\n

Stuart Robertson of AVIDHIFI explains tonearm geometry<\/h3>\n

“There is not really a norm when it comes to geometry. While many manufacturers adopt a geometry model to match that of others to help facilitate easy drop-in replacements and help economize on design time and cost, our expertise, and on-tap precision manufacturing plant, have allowed us to not just settle for what those before us have done, but instead, (as we do with everything we design), start with a blank sheet of paper and design a product that is the absolute best possible without limitation or constraint.<\/em><\/p>\n

The 216mm distance was selected as an integral part of an overall geometry that allows keeping the arm shorter for increased rigidity, while also allowing a lower moving mass. This lower moving mass reduces the inertia of the tonearm, resulting in an ideal balance between rigidity and tracking performance, ultimately leading to lower tracking distortion. This “shorter” length is crucial to keeping unwanted resonances in the arm to negligible values.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Pivot to Spindle <\/em>(Mounting Distance)<\/em>, Tracking Angle\u00a0<\/em>(Offset Angle)<\/em>, and Overhang, together with some other elements make up the overall geometry. It\u2019s the overall geometry that makes the difference, and that\u2019s where the magic happens!”<\/em><\/p>\n

Side By Side Comparisons<\/h3>\n

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Here are the two counterweights shown side by side. On the left is the ALTUS and on the right is the NEXUS. Note that the NEXUS weight has the same outer diameter but has a wider diameter hole to fit the thicker arm. To compensate for this, it is wider\/thicker in shape.<\/p>\n

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System Context<\/h3>\n

The tonearms will be reviewed in combination with an AVIDHIFI BORON<\/a> cartridge and an AVIDHIFI Sequel SP<\/a> turntable in the Main System<\/a>. The rest of the analog chain consists of a CH Precision P1<\/a> phono preamp, L1 preamp<\/a>, A1.5 power amp<\/a>, and Magico S1 MkII speakers.<\/p>\n

Tonearm and Cartridge Setup<\/h3>\n

The tonearms are easy to mount thanks to their perfectly-fitting arm boards which are screwed in place from underneath the chassis extension. For cartridge setup, I used the Acoustical Systems SMARTractor protractor with its Loefgren B DIN setting. The VTA (Vertical Tracking Angle, or effectively the tonearm height) was adjusted such that the cartridge’s body and the tonearm tube were visually parallel to the record. Then, the cartridge’s overhang and zenith (horizontal rotation in the headshell) were set using the SMARTtactor, followed by the VTF (Vertical Tracking Force) to my earlier established ideal of 2.27 grams.<\/p>\n

Next: Listening and Conclusion<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Listening – ALTUS<\/h3>\n

Upon first handling the ALTUS it feels reassuringly sturdy as well as perhaps more lightweight than one might expect from the AVIDHIFI brand. Nevertheless, this arm sounds<\/em> anything but lightweight. Its sonic presentation is concrete, focused, down-to-earth, very neutral, and beautifully linear. Simultaneously, it is highly resolving and quite refined, certainly given its friendly price.<\/p>\n

Tracking is excellent, confirming that the arm is well-suited to being fitted with the relatively low-compliance AVIDHIFI BORON cartridge. I was anticipating the need to re-adjust the VTF, but as it turned out, the same 2.27 grams that I used with the Audio Origami arm seems to be ideal with this arm as well.<\/p>\n

As part of my initial AVIDHIFI turntable review, I listened to the TA-1 and TA-3 tonearms which are the equivalent of Rega RB-220 and Rega RB-330, and it is immediately clear that the ALTUS may be AVIDHIFI’s entry-level tonearm but its performance is anything but. There’s really no contest with the ALTUS performing miles better in many areas such as liquidity, refinement, airiness, and nuance. Of course, it may be expected for the ALTUS to outperform these budget tonearms but also when compared to other tonearms in its price range, the ALTUS remains a really good proposition. The Sorane SA 1.2, for example, starting at 2.150 euros, does not sound quite as linear and balanced and it does not have the same level of resolution and refinement as the ALTUS.<\/p>\n

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The ALTUS is elegant from all angles.<\/p>\n

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It’s only when you move the price point way up that you encounter competition. The Audio Origami PU-7 adds more liquidity, resolution, clarity, spriteliness, and delicacy\/refinement, along with a more spacious presentation that manages to elude more magic from the Sequel SP turntable. That’s only fair, of course, given the PU-7 costs roughly double. At the same time, this comparison neatly establishes the ALTUS’s excellent performance at its price level.<\/p>\n

Its all-around great performance is further cemented by its excellent bass precision and articulation, as well as its exuberant dynamic behavior, all of which is more or less on par with the PU-7. I’d say that is quite an achievement<\/p>\n

Listening – NEXUS<\/h3>\n

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The NEXUS arm feels considerably heavier than the ALTUS and it seems that this is reflected in the sound. The arm features the same AVIDHIFI hallmarks as the ALTUS, sounding exceptionally solid and concrete, well-focused, and down-to-earth. With its Titanium arm, the NEXUS is inherently sturdier which I feel translates to the sound that feels more rigid and down to earth and arguably less exuberant and playful. Nevertheless, the NEXUS further ups the game with even bigger bass, deeper tonal saturation, creamier mids, and more expansive soundstaging. Meanwhile, although very confident, the NEXUS manages to also sound rather relaxed.<\/p>\n

At 19 grams, the NEXUS’ effective mass is only 1 gram higher than that of the ALTUS but given its sturdier feel, I still felt it appropriate to experiment with the VTF to find the ideal balance. And indeed, a reduction to 2.17 grams made for a better balance between airiness and finesse, and solid confidence. Nevertheless, the NEXUS remains tonally darker, as well as more solid, and more confident than its smaller sibling. It’s a little less spritely and enthusiastic and trades this for a fuller, tonally more deeply saturated, overall earthier, more planted approach.<\/p>\n

Addendum – headshell wires<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I performed the tests for this review I listened to the arm as supplied, including the headshell wires. This is a bit of a missed opportunity as I later learned that AVIDHIFI expects users to substitute the NEXUS headshell wires with more exotic versions. They may be short wires but I imagine that they will still provide a good opportunity for tweaking.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

Both AVIDHIFI tonearms have been designed with an ideal balance between rigidity and tracking performance in mind. They are very stable and this results in a sound characteristic that perfectly exemplifies AVIDHIFI’s focus on rigidity. Both tonearms sound decidedly neutral, solid, well-grounded, and focused, as well as refined and rather delicate, and with excellent tracking.<\/p>\n

Both models exemplify the AVIDHIFI ethos. Bang for buck, the ALTUS is unbeatable. What the higher-tier NEXUS provides in its basic guise, besides very tasty looks, is a rather substantial shift in sonic presentation. If ultimate bass heft, body, solidity, midrange richness, and tonal saturation are high on the priority list, then this is the arm to get. Additionally, the NEXUS allows further tweaking of the sound by substituting the headshell wires.<\/p>\n

Associated Equipment<\/a><\/p>\n

Availability<\/h3>\n

The tonearms are available now and shipping daily:-)<\/p>\n

External Links<\/h3>\n

Distributor for the Benelux: Hexagon Audio<\/a>
\nManufacturer’s website: AVIDHIFI<\/a><\/p>\n

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