EMT tone arms
EMT 929
EMT 997 

EMT tone arms

There are two basic versions of the EMT tone arms: EMT 929 (being used on all EMT turntables except EMT 927) and EMT 997 (being used on EMT 927). Please find here some technical data.

EMT 929

EMT 929 is the standard tone arm par excellence. It was introduced as replacement of the Ortofon arms on EMT 930 and also used on all other turntables. As connection a 7 pole socket was used, but is not longer available today. But also when during manufacturing EMT 948 and EMT 938 a small 5 pole socket was used. The vertical bearing has the same length like at the one used with the EMT 997, but is extended by a tube to mount the socket.
For using on an EMT 930 the arm tube is equipped with a sleeve which sticks on the magnet of the lift bank. At the lift banks of the successive turntables the magnet is missing thus making the sleeve needless.
The tracking force is set by a spring and due to a special balancing of the weights the arm is balanced in a way that the tracking force is also correct with turntables which are not aligned excatly horizontally.
A special version of the arm is a shorter version with another cropping angle to be used with SME compatible pick-up's. This guarantees also the correct geometry with pick-up's longer the EMT TSD15. For this tone arm a lighter counterweight is available.
To balance the arm the counterweight is adjusted on a thread at the rear end of the tone arm. Normally the weight is seated on the thread next to the horizontal bearing. This reduces the pendulum mass.

EMT 997

Like the EMT 929 also the EMT 997 (the Banana) was developed as replacement for the Ortofon arms being used on the EMT 927 in the beginning. Also this tone arm is balanced dynamically and is working independent of the position.
The output is made with open leads which are soldered directly to the input of the equalizer amplifier at the EMT 927. All other features are the same like EMT 929.
After there was no longer a request for large turntables and the EMT 930 was loved more due to needing less space less and less EMT 927 had been in use. Consequently the demand for long tone arms declined. Until one day a request out of the HiFi-scene waked up the EMT 997 again. Not only with the connection for EMT pick-up's but also with the connection for SME compatible pick-up's. The arms are easy to be distinguished by the colour of the scale for the tracking force: The arm with EMT connection has a siver coloured scale and arm with international connection has a black scale with white figures. The vertical bearing vertikal bearingis available on request in several versions: Short bearing with open leads (standard in EMT 927), with extension tube and socket (standard at EMT 929 in all other EMT turntables after the 7 pole socket was not longer available) and a long bearing (developed on request of the HiFi customer). For the long bearing a higher mounting base is available.
A special version is used for the units EMT 927 with optical groove indication and EMT 950 BBC with eletrical groove indication. It es equipped with a small extension tube to mount either the mirror for EMT 927 or the cover elements for EMT 950 BBC.
For the arms with international connection a heavier counterweight was developed for using pick-up's with a higher weight.
As a lift is part of the EMT turntables theoretically there is no need lift for EMT 997for a separate lift. But as the EMT 997 is mostly used on foreign turntabls in our days there is an optional lift available which is mounted at the vertical bearing and needs no modification of the turntable.

There is always a request whether it is possible to mount the EMT 997 on other EMT turntables. But there is only a standard answer: It depends. None of the chassis (except EMT 927) is prepared for a longer arm than then EMT 929. With the exception of EMT 930 the chassis has to be modified. So the owner of the turntable has to make his own decision. For EMT 930 an adaptor is available which allows either to replace the existing EMT 929 or to add the EMT 997 as a second tone arm. Read more ...

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