Vertere Introduces SG-II PTA Tonearm at Munich High End 2024

looks similar to SG-1 PTA but shares only 3 parts

From the press release:

"Vertere's new high-end tonearm is designated the SG-II PTA, as it looks—at a brief glance—similar to the SG-1 PTA tonearms. However, looks can be deceiving, as the SG-II only shares three parts with its junior siblings: the fine tracking force weight, the lift lower mechanism, and the silicon nitride triple bearing assembly. The SG-II-PTA HB will sell for £13500, €16998, and $16995. It will be available from July.

"Vertere customers worldwide have called for a tonearm they feel more matches the SG-1 and RG-1 record players. Although the words from the launch of the SG-1 PTA tonearms three years ago are still almost correct: 'The Vertere Super Groove Precision Tonearms utilise a combination of quality materials, including roll-wrapped carbon-fibre, stainless steel, aluminium alloys, brass and silicon nitride. Its unique bearing design and versatile anti-skate adjustment make it an ideal partner for the highest quality cartridges and turntables'. The new arm adds Tungsten Carbide and removes brass from the bill of materials but, in the process, changes almost everything. The SG-II must be heard, claims the press release, "It is just massively better than its older siblings".

The overall objective was to optimise the effective mass as seen at the stylus tip. The more optimised, the more the stylus tip moves and the less the tonearm moves, which improves efficiency, dynamics, and information retrieval.

Key Improvements:

• New super-polished, aero-space-precision Silicon Carbide/Tungsten Carbide Tri-pivot bearing with ultra-low friction, stiction and noise

• New Titanium Headshell with improved dynamic mass distribution

• Heavier decoupled dual-axis stainless steel counterweight with adjustable outriders for easy azimuth adjustment

• Austenitic stainless steel central pillar and bearing holder

• Austenitic stainless steel pillar holder and clamp

• VTA adjustment collar for easy adjustment and repeatability

• New Bearing Yoke with bearing more in line with stylus tip

• Improved and stiffer rolled carbon fibre tube to the headshell and bearing yoke joints

• Improved dynamic centre of mass /centre of inertia

• Improved armrest with arm lock for transit

• The ‘Penguin’ transit spacer/lock

  Existing innovations

• Non-resonant, high-rigidity roll-wrapped carbon fibre arm tube.

• Sliding effective mass /arm cartridge resonance/tracking weight fine-tuning adjuster

• Bias-curve adjustable anti-skate mechanism.

• Vertere HB internal wiring

• Machined from solid PTFE Arm DIN connector with precision machined Vertere connectors

• All connections are custom-manufactured and triple gold-plated.

  There's more to it but for the purposes of this news item, that much will have to suffice.