The Transrotor TRA Studio 12" tonearm is a high‑precision, medium‑to‑high mass gimbal‑bearing arm designed to extract maximum detail and stability from modern MC and MM cartridges. It combines substantial mechanical rigidity with finely adjustable geometry, making it a strong match for Transrotor’s mass‑loading turntables and other high‑end decks.
Design and construction
The TRA Studio uses a straight, rigid arm tube engineered from carefully selected metal alloys to suppress resonances while maintaining excellent energy transfer from cartridge to armboard. Its bearing system is based on a robust gimbal architecture, executed with the tight tolerances typical of German machining, delivering low friction and precise tracking across the full 12" effective length.
Adjustability and setup
Vertical tracking angle (VTA) is finely adjustable via a pair of screw‑in height adjusters that raise and lower the arm in parallel, allowing accurate optimization for record thickness and cartridge body height. Azimuth is also user‑adjustable, enabling exact stylus alignment in the groove, while interchangeable counterweights support a wide range of cartridge masses and tracking forces.
Anti‑skate and wiring
Anti‑skating is implemented magnetically through a fine‑thread mechanism, giving very granular, repeatable settings with a typical reference point around 1.8 g. Signal wiring uses high‑quality silver or silver‑plated conductors from van den Hul, terminated in low‑loss RCA or XLR connectors depending on version, to preserve low‑level detail and channel integrity from cartridge to phono stage.
12" performance character
With its 12" geometry, the TRA Studio reduces tracking error and distortion compared with shorter arms, particularly toward the inner grooves. On suitably revealing turntables it is known for a solid, weighty, and controlled presentation that combines firm bass, stable imaging, and a polished, grain‑free treble, making it well‑suited to resolving systems that prioritize both authority and refinement.
TRA Studio 12" Tonearm
Material: Aluminum alloy, stainless steel, brass, magnetic material, engineering plastics, silver, anodized, chrome, gold, ruthenium
Counterweight: Stainless steel with screw-on additional weights
Height adjustment: Two screw-in adjustment screws lift the tonearm in parallel
Anti-skating: Magnetic via a fine thread, very precisely adjustable, center setting 1.8 p (gram) (red line)
Cabling: Van den Hul, silver-plated cable lugs
Connection cable: Van den Hul 502
Connectors: Cinch (WBT) or XLR special highly conductive coating
Effective tonearm length: 232.8 mm (9 inches) , 308.2 mm (12 inches)
Tone arm distance: 232.8 mm (9 inches) , 308.2 mm (12 inches)