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12" bokrand ortofon basic banana tonearm mounting distance 309 mm overhang 12.65 Mm tonearm fits headshells ortofon spu-g/sme tonearm comes in wooden box with all my patented tools for minutes qu
Condition is unknown, so the €985 ask has to stand on price alone, and against your database it lands well above the €594 75th percentile. That makes it an ambitious listing rather than a fair-market buy, unless the seller can show unusually strong provenance, a complete package, or a very specific sought-after version.
A 12-inch Ortofon tonearm can be a serious piece: long arms like this are prized for low tracking error, strong build quality, and the ability to suit high-end tables and cartridges. If it’s complete, unmolested, and includes the right mounting parts and hardware, it can still be worth chasing — but at this level, buyers should verify bearings, wiring, counterweight parts, arm wand straightness, and any missing accessories before treating it as a safe buy.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Ortofon: A Century of Precision Sound
Ortofon traces its lineage to October 9, 1918, when Danish engineers Axel Petersen and Arnold Poulsen founded the Electrical Phono Film Company in Copenhagen. The name itself derives from Greek, meaning "correct sound"—a philosophy that has guided the company's trajectory for over a century. Initially focused on synchronized sound film technology, Ortofon pivoted to audio reproduction after 1945, when the superior recording quality of new cutting equipment revealed the inadequacy of existing playback systems. This gap sparked the development of the pioneering Ortofon mono pickup in 1948, establishing the foundation for the company's future dominance.
Today, Ortofon is the world's largest manufacturer of magnetic cartridges for phonograph turntables, producing approximately 500,000 units annually. The company's product portfolio centers exclusively on phono cartridges—both moving magnet and moving coil designs—with over 300 distinct models developed since 1948. This singular focus reflects deep specialization rather than diversification, positioning Ortofon as a micro-mechanical specialist rather than a broad-based audio manufacturer.
Ortofon occupies the high-end segment of the audio market, commanding respect among vinyl enthusiasts and professional studios alike. The brand benefits from Denmark's established reputation for acoustic engineering and industrial design, supported by in-house research and development. For discerning turntable owners, Ortofon cartridges represent the gold standard—a heritage brand whose century-long commitment to cartridge excellence remains unmatched in the industry.
See all Ortofon listings on RADAR.
