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New T8 Prototype Tonearm From Goldmund

Defying everything you thought you knew on turntables

Jan 7, 2008 12:02 GMT  ·  By
Half CNC machine-half audiophile toneram, the new Goldmund T8 is software-driven and will sport incredible features
   Half CNC machine-half audiophile toneram, the new Goldmund T8 is software-driven and will sport incredible features

Well, Goldmund is a name that's recognized for two things mostly: first of all, it's the extreme quality of its products and then comes their fabulous pricing that makes Goldmund gear available only for those with really, really strong bank accounts.

[admark=1]The Reference 2 turntable is one piece of Goldmund technology which has simply demolished any charts with expensive gear around the world: priced around $300,000, this turntable is a mixture between a piece of technology and a piece of art, embedding the most careful design and finishing with some of the most advanced technology ever to be used with vinyl record players. Well, as if the Reference 2 wasn't advanced enough, Goldmund have recently announced the new prototype tonearm, codenamed T8, promising even better specs for a sonic reproduction closer to reality (if possible).

The new T8 tonearm comes with features that have never been even specced before as it will be a real hybrid between a CNC machine and an audio piece of tech. This time, the Goldmund tonearm will be software-driven and more - the new digital operation will be able to control both the vertical tracking angle and the oil damping in the arm, offering unprecedented fine-tuning for your best acoustic s?ance.

As far as the availability is concerned, the Goldmund T8 tonearm still has to wait: the prototype has been crafted and the attached picture shows how will it look when mounted on the Reference 2 turntable; yet the arm-driving software seems to be a job far more complex than expected as the Goldmund specialists have declared that "the software development is a huge task that may need a few months to be completed."

Now, regarding the most painful aspect of all this, namely the financial aspect, since the Reference 2 price tag runs around $300,000, I don't expect you could buy the new T8 with a month's wage...unless you are really well-paid and again, you have really, really strong bank accounts.

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