Tube and wiring of the EVO CA Premium arm.

We employ a hybrid solution for the EVO Premium CA arm tube. The outer tube is made from a single piece of carbon fiber, a lightweight and durable material. Inside the carbon fiber tube, a second aluminum tube is utilized, adding mass and aiding in vibration damping. This leverages the strengths of both materials. Upon close inspection, you'll notice the arm tube is conically shaped, meaning its diameter tapers towards the cartridge and headshell. This design prevents reflections of standing waves. The arm tube is secured by a single screw allowing easy azimuth adjustment. Internal wiring is flexible, high-purity silver combined with crystal, an ideal conductor for low-level phono signals (especially concerning detail!). Each cable is equipped with a gold-plated cartridge connector.

Arm bearing.

The arm rotates on a quality ABEC 7 inverted gimbal bearing with 4 stainless steel tips. This type of bearing is highly stable and low-friction, ensuring clean tracking. This results in a detailed and open soundstage where all the micro-information of the record's rhythm is preserved. The bearing is housed in a stainless steel casing of substantial mass providing necessary stability. Its mass isolates vibration and resonance from the cartridge and critical arm parts. The large outer ring of the gimbal is open to prevent bell-mode resonance. Due to the arm's design, the bearing requires no maintenance but is straightforward to adjust if necessary.

Tracking force and VTA adjustment.

We supply two counterweights with each arm for broad cartridge compatibility from the get-go. The counterweights themselves are more than meets the eye. They're dampened with TPE, which significantly aids in resonance control. The EVO Premium counterweights fully enclose the TPE for a cleaner appearance. Always use the counterweight that can be positioned closest to the pivot point with the desired tracking force applied. This ensures maximum stability and keeps arm inertia as low as possible.

Arm height can be continuously adjusted by loosening and tightening the two set screws on the armrest. This allows the arm to be perfectly adjusted according to your VTA requirements. Experimenting with VTA and azimuth is crucial to extracting every last bit of performance from your phono cartridges.

An overview of Pro-Ject's arm design philosophy.

The arm is one of the most important parts of a turntable and can have a significant impact on the overall sound quality. That's why we conducted in-depth listening tests with various bearing types, arm materials, and cartridge combinations to achieve the sound quality we were aiming for. About 15 years ago, we designed and launched the revolutionary range of EVO CC arms in 9", 10", and 12" lengths with one-piece carbon fiber tubes. They were a great success and propelled us forward in our research and testing, leading to our latest and greatest arms. The EVO and EVO Premium arm ranges are the fruit of our labor, and we're proud to offer them in new finishes and with many additional improvements.

Ten key ideas from our research and development.

Pro-Ject has been designing arms for over three decades. We've tested numerous arms both by ear and with performance measurement with nearly 50 cartridges from across the market. Our research conclusively led us to these ten key ideas...

1. Damped counterweights and gimbals with massive bearings dampen arm resonance.

2. A one-piece arm tube increases rigidity while reducing mass at the arm's end, enhancing transparency.

3. Low-compliance cartridges perform best on arms with high effective mass.

4. A heavy flange (arm) is crucial for securely fastening the arm to the base.

5. A variety of counterweights is optimal so that weight itself can be placed as close as possible to the pivot for greater stability and low arm inertia.

6. A conical arm tube ensures resonance is shifted towards the bearing block (away from the cartridge) and also reduces the moving mass of the arm/cartridge combo.

7. The proper combination between arm and cartridge and the resulting resonance between cartridge and arm are crucial for precise tracking and controlled bass reproduction.

8. Good conductors have a significant and positive influence on low-level cartridge signals, so we use the highest purity copper (EVO arms) and silver (EVO Premium arms) to carry your phono cartridge's signal.

9. A sturdy, solid arm support actually reduces overall arm resonance.

10. A precision arm must be manufactured to the highest level of diamond blade machinery, allowing it to work within tolerances within 1/1000 of a millimeter.

We've designed the latest series of EVO arms based on this technical knowledge. The core design concept is that a massive gimbal is used with a set of 4-point low-friction bearings made in Switzerland. We've implemented the best 4-point gimbal bearings to ensure precise tracking and expansive sound staging.

The EVO range is a complete family of arms. It allows you to select the ideal arm for your favorite cartridge or an arm that can accommodate a collection of cartridges. We offer lower mass arms (carbon fiber), slightly heavier carbon/aluminum arms, as well as higher mass S-shaped aluminum arms with bayonet-style universal headshells. Of course, replaceable headshells allow for another realm of adjustments. EVO arms are available in 9, 10, and 12-inch lengths, in standard finishes in black or hand-polished silver. Premium versions utilize an upgraded stainless steel bearing block design, silver arm wiring, and an improved counterweight design, making it the most comprehensive arm range on the current market.

Considerations for cartridge resonance frequency.

When selecting a cartridge for your turntable, the total effective mass of the arm (arm and headshell effective mass + cartridge and hardware mass) in relation to the mechanical compliance (compliance) of the cartridge's cantilever system should be considered. A correct mechanical match between the cartridge and arm is one of the most important factors in achieving a neutral sound. A mismatch can result in poor impulse behavior (lower dynamic and microdynamic resolution, a narrowing of the soundstage, bloated or thin bass). A resonance frequency between 7 and 12 Hz is optimal for any arm/cartridge system.

Overview of turntable and arm compatibility.

Compatibility between Pro-Ject turntables and EVO arms is straightforward. In summary, if your current or future turntable has a 9″ arm, any of these 9″ variants will work perfectly: EVO 9 CC (included), EVO 9 CA Premium, EVO 9 AS, EVO 9 AS Premium. If your current arm uses a balanced 5-pin DIN connector, EVO arms come out the same way and are direct replacements (no soldering needed!). If your current arm terminates in a junction box with RCA outputs, soldering will be required. For DIY enthusiasts who can perform the advanced work necessary to properly install an arm on an external plinth, EVO arms are mounted according to the Linn standard and are shipped with mounting templates. Here's a quick summary of arm length compatibility with our current turntables:

9-inch arms

Xtension 9, X8 Evolution, RPM 9 Carbon, 6PerspeX*, X2 B*, RPM 5 Carbon*, The Classic EVO* (*soldering required)

10-inch arms

Xtension 10, RPM 10 Carbon

12-inch arms

Xtension 12

Do not order an arm with a length that is incompatible with your plinth. For example, if you mount a 10″ arm on a plinth designed for a 9″ arm, you won't be able to align your phono cartridge correctly. Also note that Signature 10 and 12 arms are not interchangeable with the EVO range.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Length

9", 10", 12"

Finish

Black, high gloss

Features:

Internal and headshell wiring of high-purity silver.

Heavy stainless steel bearing block.

Massive arm internal bearing design (solid ring type)

Swiss-made ABEC 7 inverted bearings.

4 stainless steel tips on gimbal bearings.

High precision CNC machining.

TPE-damped counterweight design (enclosed)

One-piece carbon/aluminum arm tube.

Outer ring is open to prevent bell-mode resonances.

Hand-polished silver aluminum and steel parts.

Precise azimuth and VTA adjustment.

Silicone-damped arm lifter can be adjusted to suit arm height.

Gold-plated 5-pin DIN output socket.

Available as CA Premium Black and CA Premium HG in 9, 10, and 12″

Made in Europe

Specifications (12 / 10 / 9")

Effective arm length: 304.8 / 254 / 230 mm

Mounting distance: 291.6 / 238 / 212 mm

Offset angle: 18 / 21.4 / 24°

Overhang: 13.2 / 16 / 18 mm

Cartridge mounting slots pitch: 12.7 mm

Effective arm mass: 24/19.5/16 g

Cartridge weight: 7-20 / 5-18 / 7-18g

Tracking force range: 0-3g

Minimum null point: 125 / 126.8 / 130.6 mm

Maximum null point: 251.7 / 248.2 / 243.7 mm

Arm weight: 520 / 512 / 506 g