Thales Simplicity II Tonearm

Simplicity II At A Glance

• Reference-class pivoted tonearm with Tetragon tracking geometry
• Maximum tracking error of 0.006° across the record surface
• TTF-bearing technology: micro-ball bearings arranged in a tension-free setup
• Effective mass 18 g, compatible cartridge weight 7–23 g
• Tuned-resonance tonearm tubes for improved damping behaviour
• Internal wiring of purest copper
• Removable headshell for off-arm cartridge alignment
• Three counterweights supplied (covering the full cartridge weight range)
• VTA via thread; azimuth via spring-loaded thread; precision installation tool included
• Mounting distance 230 mm
• Available in Black, Grey, or Bronze anodized finish
• 5-pin DIN signal output standard; direct-wire option available
• Designed and manufactured by Thales in Winterthur, Switzerland

The Simplicity II is the Tetragon tonearm the dedicated analog listener can actually live with. It carries the same patented linkage geometry as the Statement — the four-sided pivot system that holds the cartridge almost exactly tangent to the groove from lead-in to lead-out — and reaches the same 0.006° maximum tracking error. Where the Statement is the no-trade-off Reference statement, the Simplicity II is the engineering settled into a working arm: lighter, more compatible, and tuned to partner the broadest range of high-end cartridges Thales considers worthy of the geometry.

Tetragon tracking, at 0.006°. Conventional pivoted tonearms can hold the cartridge perfectly tangent to the groove at only two points across the record. Everywhere else, the stylus sits at a small angle to the groove, and that angle is what the audiophile hears as a loss of inner-groove resolution. Thales's patented Tetragon linkage continuously corrects the headshell angle as the arm sweeps across the record; the result is a maximum tracking error of 0.006° — the same figure the Reference-class Statement achieves — in an arm designed for the broader range of cartridges and platters serious analog systems are built around.

TTF bearings, tension-free. The Tetragon linkage is only as good as the bearings that carry it. Thales's TTF-bearing technology arranges micro-ball bearings in a tension-free setup — a geometry that eliminates the play and the binding that compromise pivoted-arm performance over time. The tonearm tubes themselves are tuned for resonance behaviour; the internal wiring is purest copper, run from the cartridge clips through to the DIN outlet without intermediate solder joints.

Effective mass 18 g, cartridge window 7–23 g. The Simplicity II is sized to partner the Elegance turntable and any gimbal-bearing platform of comparable resolution. Three counterweights are supplied, covering the full cartridge weight range without compromise at either end. The headshell is removable for off-arm alignment, and a precision installation tool ships with every arm so the geometry the customer sets up at home matches what Thales intended when they wound the bearings.

Finishes and outputs. Available in Black, Grey, and Bronze anodized finishes. Signal output is via 5-pin DIN as standard; the customer who prefers a direct connection to the phono stage can specify a direct-wired RCA or XLR cable from the arm pillar.

Click here for more information!