It’s in the medium-to-high mass category, with an effective mass of 12g, thus it’ll work with most MCs and MMs. Low capacitance and inductance copper cabling terminates in Linn phono plugs with gold plating. Hard rubber bushes disconnect the sliding brass counterweight from the rear end stub, and thumbwheels control the spring-applied tracking force and bias. These bearings are very accurately aligned and provide a single rigid coupling all the way to the arm pillar with its three point fastening. The arm is made up of a large bore alloy arm tube attached to a perforated aluminium alloy headshell, as well as a sturdy bearing assembly with standard ballraces and a stainless tool steel central shaft. As a result, the Ekos is the first 100% Scottish Ittok. The Ekos’ name alluded to this by sounding like the French term for Scotland, Ecosse, which some Scottish nationalists like to put on their cars instead of a GB sticker when driving abroad. Shortly after, the production was relocated to Scotland. They were supposed to have a greater sound, and they quickly became collectible cult objects. Rumors of the so-called ‘Scottish Ittok,’ a variant of the arm finished in black and produced to even tighter specifications in the Linn facility, circulated several years into the Ittok production run, around 1980. Indeed, Mr Ito, the arm’s creator, is said to have given it its name.
What’s the story behind the name? The Denon Parts Company of Japan manufactured the first Ittoks. Actually, it wasn’t all that different from Linn’s original ‘direct coupled transcribing tonearm,’ but minor design and manufacturing process alterations were significant enough to warrant the arm’s rebranding. Around a decade ago, the first Ittok began to appear in circulation, and now it was finally replaced. Linn’s fans were both astonished and pleased. Linn followed suit, releasing its Ekos just a few months later. Then there was the Naim ARO, which was almost the polar opposite – to this day, many people swear by it and refuse to use any other arm. It sounds fantastically energetic, tight, tense, and all-of-a-piece, but it falls short rhythmically. The first was the SME Series V, which has gotten a lot of press many consider it to be “the finest” arm in some ways, but not in others. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, not one, but two then three buses arrived at the same moment. Tonearm enthusiasts had a fantastic year in 1987.
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