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Turntables — SteinMusic Arco 40 Anniversary Turntable
Description, images, technical data and specifications
SteinMusic Arco 40 Anniversary Turntable
Image source - © SteinMusic
The Arco 40 Anniversary Turntable is a limited-edition turntable from SteinMusic, the German company established in 1982, made to mark 40 years of the brand. Only 20 units are produced worldwide. Its most unusual feature is a 10 inch unipivot tonearm made from part of a violin bow, and arco is the musical term for playing a string instrument with the bow.
Key specs that matter
Speeds are 33 and 45 rpm, switchable at the motor controller. The platter is a wood and metal sandwich of 2 mm cherry wood veneers reinforced with a 2.5 mm metal plate, weighing 2,000 g in total. The plinth is 19-ply laminated plywood aged for over 25 years. The main bearing is stainless steel in a high-precision double bearing, and SteinMusic states that the platter keeps turning for about four minutes after the motor stops. The motor is a Swiss Maxon precision motor with a dedicated controller, driving through an ultra-thin waxed, silver-plated nylon belt. The tonearm cable is handmade from copper over 50 years old, without plastic insulation.
Engineering and use context
The violin bow wood was chosen for the tonearm tube because SteinMusic found it performed better than carbon or other woods. Bow woods are dense and resonant in a controlled way, and the arm's unipivot bearing rests on a single point, giving very low friction. The sandwich platter combines the damping of wood with the stiffness of a metal plate, so neither material's resonance dominates. The long run-down time shows how little friction the double bearing has. A Maxon motor, a brand used in precision industrial and aerospace applications, runs smoothly, and the controller holds its speed. The thin waxed belt transmits power gently and filters motor vibration. Aged plywood has settled internal stresses, which keeps the plinth dimensionally stable. The uninsulated copper cable avoids plastic dielectric, which SteinMusic considers to affect the signal.
Pairing
The Arco 40 suits low to medium compliance MC cartridges on its unipivot arm, and such cartridges need a phono stage with MC gain. The limited edition is aimed at collectors of SteinMusic products.
Alternatives
SteinMusic currently offers no other turntable besides the Arco 40.
Key specs that matter
Speeds are 33 and 45 rpm, switchable at the motor controller. The platter is a wood and metal sandwich of 2 mm cherry wood veneers reinforced with a 2.5 mm metal plate, weighing 2,000 g in total. The plinth is 19-ply laminated plywood aged for over 25 years. The main bearing is stainless steel in a high-precision double bearing, and SteinMusic states that the platter keeps turning for about four minutes after the motor stops. The motor is a Swiss Maxon precision motor with a dedicated controller, driving through an ultra-thin waxed, silver-plated nylon belt. The tonearm cable is handmade from copper over 50 years old, without plastic insulation.
Engineering and use context
The violin bow wood was chosen for the tonearm tube because SteinMusic found it performed better than carbon or other woods. Bow woods are dense and resonant in a controlled way, and the arm's unipivot bearing rests on a single point, giving very low friction. The sandwich platter combines the damping of wood with the stiffness of a metal plate, so neither material's resonance dominates. The long run-down time shows how little friction the double bearing has. A Maxon motor, a brand used in precision industrial and aerospace applications, runs smoothly, and the controller holds its speed. The thin waxed belt transmits power gently and filters motor vibration. Aged plywood has settled internal stresses, which keeps the plinth dimensionally stable. The uninsulated copper cable avoids plastic dielectric, which SteinMusic considers to affect the signal.
Pairing
The Arco 40 suits low to medium compliance MC cartridges on its unipivot arm, and such cartridges need a phono stage with MC gain. The limited edition is aimed at collectors of SteinMusic products.
Alternatives
SteinMusic currently offers no other turntable besides the Arco 40.
Specifications
Model name
Arco 40 Anniversary Turntable
Speed
33/45
Drive
N/A
Suspension
Fixed
Tonearm preinstalled
Yes
Tonearm model
SteinMusic 10"
Cartridge preinstalled
N/A
Cartridge model
N/A
Platter
wood-metal sandwich with 2 mm cherry wood veneers, and a 2.5 mm metal plate
Motor
N/A
Wow and Flutter (%)
N/A
Signal to Noise (dB)
N/A
Rumble (-dB)
N/A
Dimensions (mm)
N/A
Weight (kg)
N/A
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