Breuer Type 8 - black finish (GBP 2500.00)

The Swiss made Breuer tonearm is a bit of a hifi legend, which stretches right back to the dear ol' 70's. It was never widely available, and only a few people had seen and heard one. Then, some time in the late 80's it apparently disappeared off the market, or rather, nobody but a very small handful of people knew how to contact the manufacturer. This only added to the mystique. Through patient research, we have been able to bring it back again. This is especially poignant for Walrus's Les, who used to import the arm to the UK years ago when he ran his own hifi importing and distribution company.

Has it been worth the wait? You bet! The latest version, the Type 8, comes only in Black, contrary to our picture, and it's quite an amazing arm. Everything about it seems so minimal - it is light weight, and apparently undamped. The bearing housing (with precision Swiss bearings) is small but very rigid, and the headshell is full of holes! The general standard of engineering is very satisfying, as you would expect from the Swiss.

Sound quality reflects the minimal build (which is why I said it was amazing - a lot of thought has obviously gone into the design without it necessarily being visible). The arm really shines in it's speed of response. The music is very quick, precise, and almost totally lacking overhang of any sort. The top and mid are really open, and don't have that *sat-on* quality which some arms exhibit. Bass is fine and taut - very rhythmic. The overall result is to sound musical in a very engaging fashion. Most arms seem to inpose much more of their own character on the music - not so the Breuer.

So, those folk, nearly 20 years ago, who used to mutter about the Breuer being the finest arm built, weren't far off the mark. At the start of the 21st Century, it still holds it's head up with pride (somebody stop me right now before the words run away with me ...!).