The Transrotor TRA Studio 9" tonearm is a precision-engineered, medium‑mass arm designed to unlock the full potential of high‑end cartridges while offering meticulous setup flexibility. Built on the mechanical architecture of the TRA‑9, it employs a double‑walled aluminum arm tube made from two different alloys nested together, a construction that maximizes rigidity while pushing resonances well outside the audio band for a clean, uncolored presentation. A finely machined bearing block with Japanese steel bearings for horizontal movement and ceramic bearings for vertical guidance ensures ultra‑low friction tracking, allowing the stylus to follow the groove with exceptional stability and freedom from chatter.
Height (VTA) is adjusted via two external threaded posts that raise or lower the arm in a perfectly parallel plane, and the azimuth‑adjustable headshell lets the user dial in precise cartridge alignment for optimal channel balance and soundstage focus. Tracking force can be set with high resolution using a centrally threaded counterweight, supplemented by interchangeable brass weight inserts so the TRA Studio comfortably accommodates a wide range of modern moving‑coil and moving‑magnet cartridges. Anti‑skating is applied magnetically through a fine‑thread mechanism with a clearly marked reference point, enabling repeatable, precise compensation that matches the chosen tracking force.
Signal integrity is supported by internal wiring made from pure silver van den Hul Seven Stream conductors with oxygen‑free silicone damping, carried through to an external silver cable terminated in high‑conductivity RCA or XLR plugs, minimizing losses from the cartridge pins all the way to the phono preamplifier. With an effective length of approximately 232.8 mm and an effective mass around 18 g, the TRA Studio 9" behaves as a medium‑heavy arm, making it an excellent match for most low‑to‑medium compliance cartridges favored in contemporary high‑end analog systems. Visually, it is finished to the same luxurious standard as Transrotor’s reference turntables, with options such as matte black, black‑chrome, black‑gold, or ruthenium accents, allowing the arm to function as both a sonic and aesthetic centerpiece on a suitably matched deck.
TRA Studio 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)