WILSON BENESCH ACT 0.5

Pre owned. Without original packaging.

The Wilson Benesch ACT 0.5 represents an extraordinary evolution in the world of tonearms, the result of the experience and technological research of one of the UK’s most innovative high-end audio companies. Since the early 1990s, Wilson Benesch has pushed the boundaries of audio design with cutting-edge carbon fiber solutions, and the ACT 0.5 perfectly embodies this philosophy, combining advanced materials and carefully engineered geometries to maximize precision and musicality.

The ACT 0.5 tonearm is made from a single piece of triple-layer carbon fiber with an integrated headshell, using an almost hyperbolic curve of the tube to reduce narrow-band resonances and improve signal transmission. Inside the tube, several foam-like inserts help minimize airborne vibrations, while the choice of carbon fiber shifts resonances to higher frequencies, allowing for extremely controlled damping. The result is an incredibly pure signal path, capable of ignoring common external vibrations, such as small knocks on the turntable base or accidental bumps, delivering natural and detailed musicality.

The uni-pivot design requires some practice for first-time users: the arm may feel unstable when lifted and can drop quickly if not properly supported, but the lift/lower mechanism facilitates safe operation of the cartridge. The arm features a locking system to keep it stable when not in use, while azimuth and VTA can be easily adjusted using the supplied tools. The anti-skate is simple to set, and the arm can accommodate cartridges with a mass between 5 g and 16 g, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of models.

Installation requires care: the arm comes with a dedicated cable that must be connected to the base, and sometimes the turntable plinth must be modified to allow the cable to pass through. Once installed, however, the ACT 0.5 mounts securely to the turntable, with two outriggers that stabilize the mass laterally near the bearing, ensuring excellent mechanical stability.

Sonically, the ACT 0.5 stands out for its immediacy and naturalness. The soundstage opens up in depth and width, voices and instruments gain remarkable three-dimensionality, and every detail emerges with clarity and realism. Listening across different genres, from jazz to pop, confirms its unique ability to convey the emotion of the recording, capturing every nuance with a musicality that few other tonearms in the same class can match.

The ACT 0.5 elevates any turntable to a higher level without requiring prohibitive investment. With its advanced technology, carbon fiber construction, and exceptional sonic performance, this tonearm is an essential choice for anyone looking to fully realize the potential of vinyl and upgrade their audio system for the future, offering a unique combination of precision, detail, and musicality.

Technical Specifications:

• Effective Mass: approximately 9 g
• Effective Length: approximately 235 mm
• Overhang: 18 mm
• Mounting Distance (spindle → pivot): approximately 217 mm
• Total Weight: approximately 340 g
• Supported Cartridge Mass: 5 g to 16 g (assuming maximum tracking force ~2 g)
• Arm Tube/Headshell: triple-layer carbon fiber, injection-molded
• Internal Wiring: silk-covered Litz wire
• External Wiring: Star Quad 4 × 96 × 0.05 shielded cable, core-to-core capacitance ~70 pF, resistance 0.108 Ω