Glanz MH-900S, MH-1000S and MH-1200S Tonearms

Description

The latest Glanz S Series tonearms, consisting of the 9″ MH-900S, 10″ MH-1000S, and 12″ MH-1200S are high effective mass tonearms with quite exquisite build quality.  Glanz increased the price on 31 December 2022, mirroring pretty much everything else at the moment – sadly this is the world that we live in at the moment, and this price increase is actually less steep than other makers have imposed.  Still worth the money, though, since these are by far the best sounding, most beautifully made tonearms that we have used here.

These new arms replace the old MH-94/104/124S models, which are no longer available.  The main differences concern the counterweight arrangement, which is now much shorter, meaning the the counterweight mass can generally be placed closer to the pivot, thereby reducing the effective mass of the arm, compared to the old S-Series.  The arm tubes, main structures and bearings are not changed – there was no need to do that, but very slight tweaks to arm geometry have been made (see the technical specifications table below).

You simply will not find a similar tonearm that is so well constructed, and even the headshell collet is machined by Glanz in stainless steel with an interference fit to the arm tube, so no movement, and no loss as with almost every other removable headshell tonearm.  The arms are approximately 30g effective mass so are very well suited to low compliance cartridges such as Miyajima, Koetsu and Ortofon SPU.  The Glanz arms have a lovely synergy with Ortofon SPUs and even a lowly SPU#1S sounds much more ‘expensive’ when paired with the Glanz.  We have, quite honestly, not yet heard any tonearm that sounds as sublimely musical as these Glanz arms.  They are certainly quite expensive, but they are built like battleships and a Glanz could well be your last tonearm.

This is the premium arm that UK HiFi luminaries have said “it’s the best tonearm I have ever heard” it certainly outruns the industry standard pick-up arms we have used in the past !  Available in 9″ version for European and USA turntables, also in a 10″ version for the Japanese super-decks and a 12″ version for the ultimate turntable.

• To eliminate reverberating sound, we do not use springs in the anti skate bias section. (Springs create an echo).
• We have blocked out reverberating sound with a powerful vibration absorbing/damping structure inside the arm tube and other structures.
• Various parts are joined/connected across the surface, not just at points. The four fulcrums that support the sound quality are supported by four large bearings. In particular, the lower bearing in the direction of the vertical axis utilises high precision thrust bearings; it has a strut structure that allows heavy arms to move with high sensitivity.
• The headshell structure is integrated with the plug section in one single piece, enabling the sound to rise well, resulting in crisp sound quality.
• There are several layers of vibration absorbing/damping structure around the weight, delivering a clear, deep sound quality with little lingering sound.

• Tone Audio review click here
• Six Moons review click here
• HiFi News March 2018 review click here

Design

The material of the main body is made of hard stainless steel. The process of machining has been extremely difficult, but as a result, but we are proud to say that the sound quality has reached an unparalleled level. If the fulcrum, which is essential for sound quality, is a weak structure, it will reverberate and directly impact the overall sound quality. In this design, the four large bearings are firmly supported, preventing resonance and shake, and enhancing tracing ability.  In particular, the lower bearing in the vertical axis uses a high-precision thrust bearing, giving a strut structure which allows the heavy arms to move with high sensitivity, greatly enhancing the tracking capability.

At the most important section of the arm tube with regards to impact on sound quality, vibration is controlled firstly with a layer of carbon fibre on the inside of the arm, followed by a layer of poly fibre on the inside of that. Next, the wire that transmits the electric signal is wrapped in silk thread using low resistance silver wire, and around all of this is the poly fibre, doubly ensuring that it is vibration-proof (for model SD).  The points where each part joins another are designed to be in tight surface contact to avoid using adhesive as much as possible. In particular, the assembly of the bearings requires meticulous sensitivity.

We took pains to ensure that the curvature of the arm did not exert any additional force. This is easier to understand if you imagine how an extra twisting force is applied by your hand when you manipulate an L-shaped rod rather than a straight one. On top of that, we placed “vibration absorbing structures” in the most suitable place, thereby effectively damping the resonance.

For the weight section we use different damper materials in 1, 2, 3 and 4 (for model SD), and these are constructed to absorb vibration over a wide area. The rubber material in 1 is firmly held in place by long screws, thus eliminating anxiety that it will become slack as it ages.  Heavy tungsten is embedded in the stainless steel material on the main weight so that the centre of gravity is closer to the fulcrum, and the stainless steel material and tungsten are closely bound with rubber material, which also absorbs vibration. (for model SD)

By making the headshell into a single structure through the scraping process, we were able to greatly reduce vibration loss. Moreover, by trimming away unnecessary material as much as possible, we have devised a weight reduction similar to that of aluminium (although the material is actually stainless steel), resulting in an extremely light structure that can firmly support the entire cartridge. Rubber in the S Model and carbon in the SD Model both absorb unnecessary signals in the upper part of the structure.  Because this slim design (just 10 mm in width, that can be supported near the very centre of the cartridge), can be connected directly to the centre point, the vibration loss is reduced and the sound quality is further improved.

Specifications:

(*1) : From counter weight shaft end headshell terminal.
(*2) : From centre of tonearm Base to stylus tip.
(*3) : From centre of tonearm Base to centre of turntable)
(*4) : From plinth surface to horizontal height of arm tube
(*5) : Measurement calculated after moving the weight 10mm down from the weight axis.

• MH-900S 9″ price including 20% VAT £7995.00 Including high quality interconnect cable & MH-4S headshell
• MH-100S 10″ price including 20% VAT £7995.00 Including high quality interconnect cable & MH-4S headshell
• MH-1200S 12″ price including 20% VAT £7995.00 Including high quality interconnect cable & MH-4S headshell
• Spare MH-4S headshell 13gm  £650.00