I received the arm for a try-out at the beginning of the year, and also reported briefly on it. Since then it has undergone two modifications: I already mentioned that the name has been changed from "VERO" to "Thiele TA01" with the addition "ZERO Tracking Error Tonearm" for reasons of trademark protection, and also that Helmut Thiele has developed a turntable to match the arm - which I will probably be able to introduce to you in autumn. In this combo, the tonearm cables lead to XLR sockets on the back of the chassis. But how does a TA01 mounted on an "alien" turntable make electrical contact with its companions? Since the designer has a fully equipped precision mechanics workshop at his comand, he was able to respond to the author's request in this case and to implement a so-called SME connector on the underside of the arm. For the series models, however, there will be two terminals available: the TM01 with XLR sockets and the TM02 with SME as well as Cinch connectors, so that no changes have to be made to the turntable below the mounting plate of the arm. By the way, if everything works out as planned, the review on the Thiele turntable will include not only another TA01 but also a very high-quality, new Ortofon cartridge as well as a Blue Amp Model 42 MK III.

But let’s go back to the Thiele TA01 installed to my Brinkmann LaGrange: As could be already seen during the initial presentation of the tonearm, the rather large-scaled mounting plate of the pivoted tangential tonearm does not fit completely on one of the interchangeable base plates. Helmut Thiele therefore made a special adapter to suit the LaGrange base plate to enable me to mount his arm effortlessly and also align it exactly on the turntable thanks to the template provided. The adjustment of the tonearm height, its locking and the height of the tonearm lift can be easily performed with one and the same screwdriver. The counterweight, which is also responsible for adjusting the tracking force, is smoothly brought into position by means of a screw. The handling and workmanship of the TA01 are excellent - except for a small restriction in the azimuth adjustment. An aluminum elbow with an adjustable tip is included for aligning the overhang. The elbow is held onto the headshell and the cartridge is moved in the elongated holes until the stylus faces the tip: This is innovative, unusual and at the same time extremely simple, at the latest after having changed the cartridge for the third time.

The first cartridge I installed to the headshell, which was still labelled "Vero" at the time, was Einstein's The Pickup, which copes well with medium to heavy arms. This is also the case in the TA01: It demonstrates its special skills in regard to dynamics and spatial imaging, spoils with rich timbres and, although the tonearm cables have not yet been burnt in even a single bit, one is able to trace sustaining tones for a very long time: The rendition of details is just as convincing. Even at first audition it’s clear that the Thiele TA01 classifies for one of the top tonearms. But the delight was not to last very long: The arm had to make its way back to the manufacturer to get an ebony plate carrying the correct name.