AI-generated approximation — not official manufacturer imagery.
About the Talea II
The Durand Talea II tonearm is a meticulously crafted unipivot design developed by Joel Durand, a music professor at the University of Washington. It features a 263 mm effective length with Loefgren A geometry, an overhang of 15.66 mm, and an offset angle of 20.81 degrees. The armwand is made from carefully selected exotic hardwood, specifically Bolivian Rosewood, shaped and finished through an 11-step sanding and staining process inspired by violin bow craftsmanship. The tonearm assembly weighs approximately 2.3 lbs (1.04 kg) and uses a Swiss-made non-corrosive, non-magnetic stainless steel pivot in a sapphire jewel bearing, ensuring ideal dynamic balance without the need for outrigger weights. It offers on-the-fly fine VTA adjustment with a precise 50 TPI thread knob allowing 0.5 mm height changes per turn and a maximum range of 23 mm. Azimuth is also adjustable on the fly. The arm includes a progressive anti-skating mechanism that can be disabled if desired. Cartridge mounting is via a 1/2" mount with a cartridge plate allowing fine effective length adjustment. The Talea II is praised for its extremely quiet noise floor, wide frequency range, dynamic bandwidth, and tonal realism, making it a benchmark in high-end tonearms. It is hand-assembled and individually tuned to achieve its remarkable transparency and dynamic sound quality.
Specifications
Full structured specifications are available to members.
Sign up to see full specificationsSee the full picture as a member
Create a free account to see where to buy, full structured specifications, similar components, and the systems that pair this with other gear.
Sign up free