Arm tube and wiring of the EVO AS Premium arm

The EVO AS uses an S-shaped aluminum arm tube with internal damping and a bayonet-style universal headshell. The S-shaped arm not only catches the eye on any turntable but also brings technical advantages. The geometry benefits from lower distortion of the groove angle and offers excellent tracking. For cartridge enthusiasts, the user-replaceable headshell allows for easier cartridge swapping available. The arm tube is secured by a single screw allowing easy azimuth adjustment. The internal wiring and headshell wires are flexible, high-purity silver combined with crystal, an ideal conductor for low-level phono signal (especially concerning details!). Each wire is equipped with a gold-plated cartridge connector clip.

Arm bearing

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

Tracking force and VTA adjustment

We supply two counterweights with each arm for broad cartridge compatibility from the outset. The counterweights themselves are more than they appear. They are dampened by TPE, which considerably aids in resonance control. The EVO Premium counterweights completely encase the TPE for a cleaner appearance. Always use the counterweight that can be placed closest to the pivot point with the desired tracking force applied. This ensures maximum stability and keeps arm inertia as low as possible.

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

An overview of Pro-Ject 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 types of bearings, arm materials, and cartridge combinations to achieve the sound quality we were seeking. 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 fruits of our labor, and we are 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 tested numerous arms both by ear and performance measurement with close to 50 cartridges from across the market. Our research conclusively led us to these ten key ideas...

Dampened counterweights and gimbal bearings with heavy mass dampen arm resonance.

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

Low compliance cartridges perform better on arms with high effective mass.

A massive flange (arm) is crucial to securely fasten the arm to the plinth.

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

A tapered arm tube ensures resonance shifts towards the bearing block (away from the cartridge) and also reduces the moving mass of the arm/cartridge combo.

The right match between arm and cartridge and resulting resonance between cartridge and arm are crucial for precise tracking and controlled bass reproduction.

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

A solid and sturdy arm support actually reduces overall arm resonance.

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

We have designed the latest EVO arm series based on these technical insights. The core design concept is using a heavy mass gimbal with a 4-point low friction bearing set made in Switzerland. We have 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 another realm of adjustments. EVO arms are available in lengths of 9, 10, and 12 inches, in standard finishes in black or hand-polished silver. Premium versions use an enhanced stainless steel bearing block design, silver arm wiring, and an improved counterweight design, making it the most comprehensive arm range in 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) must be considered in relation to the mechanical compliance (elasticity) of the cartridge's cantilever system. A correct mechanical match between cartridge and arm is one of the most crucial factors in achieving neutral sound. A mismatch can lead to poor transient behavior (reduced dynamic and micro-dynamic resolution, narrowed 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 5-pin balanced DIN connector, the EVO arms come out the same way and are direct replacements (no soldering required!). If your current arm terminates in a junction box with RCA outputs, soldering will be necessary. For DIY enthusiasts who can perform the advanced work needed to properly install an arm on an external plinth, EVO arms mount according to the Linn standard and come 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 request an arm with a length that is incompatible with your plinth. For example, if you mount a 10" arm on a platform 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.

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DITIONAL INFORMATION

Length

9", 10", 12"

Finish

Black, high gloss

Features:

High-purity silver internal wiring and headshell.

Heavy stainless steel bearing block.

Massive arm internal bearing design (solid ring type)

Swiss quality ABEC 7 inverted bearing

4 stainless steel tips on gimbal bearings.

High precision CNC machining

Counterweight design dampened by TPE (enclosed)

Aluminum arm tube with bayonet-style headshell

Outer ring is open to prevent bell mode resonances.

Hand-polished silver aluminum parts.

Precise azimuth and VTA adjustment

Silicone-damped arm lift can be adjusted to suit arm height

Gold-plated 5-pin DIN output socket

Available as AS Premium Black and AS 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

Compensation angle: 18 / 21.4 / 24°

Overhang: 13.2 / 16 / 18 mm

Cartridge mounting slot pitch: 12.7 mm

Effective mass with headshell: 25.5 / 22 / 20 g

Effective headshell mass: 10 g

Cartridge weight: 7-22 / 6.5-18 / 6.5-16 g

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: 510 / 507 / 506 g