New Transrotor TRA9 tonearm coming soon

Yes, I did in fact deliberate on this decision for quite some time. Although I love the SME Vs and V12s, they lacked the ability to make azimuth adjustments. I could live with the set and forget form factor and design of the SMEs as they have simply became to me very easy to operate without much fuss. This made it a not so hectic task when installing cartridges on the SMEs and even mounting and dismounting the arms themselves.

But, I am also continuing my audio journey and would like to explore another arm that offers azimuth adjustment, “AND” has some function and familiarity with the SME Vs and above. The TRA 9 has these traits. I am starting to explore other more expensive cartridges and want to ensure that I capture the essence of these cartridges…not leave anything in the groove.

Why a Transrotor TRA 9 tonearm? Short story; when SME stopped selling tonearms to vendors or individuals, Transrotor had to come up with a solution to cover the tonearm gap that would occur when they sold turntables bundled with Transrotor/SME tonearms. It was quite the bargain. Transrotor was already working on their own tonearm before they were no longer able to obtain SME arms anymore.

Back to adding more to other reasons I opted for this particular tonearm. The TRA9 besides offering four different finishes (I ordered gold finish) also has adjustable VTA on the fly. Not that I ever thought that that was a “I have to have it thing”, it’s just part of the arm, along with this “The first thing that catches the eye is the two-piece arm-tube composed of sleeves of different aluminum alloys, which is supposed to be virtually resonance-free. Not to forget the stable bearing bell, milled from a solid block, which sits on a gimbal-mounted frame that moves in three highly precise, exactly adjusted steel and ceramic ball bearings.”

It also has some type of magnetic antiskating mechanism. Overall, it has the DNA of an SME V, but also has features that add more functionality. Whether that functionality is a distraction or hindrance to my experiences, will be determined once I start interacting with the new tonearm. It weighs 18grams.

Finally, I like the looks, and that it includes various weights to suit a wide variety of cartridge making it an easy pick for me as I increase my cartridge inventory. I was frazzled trying to pick the next arm, my inclination was to go for an AMG tonearm because I believed it met most of the criteria I was looking for. However, Transrotor being the new tonearm kid on the block, and with their vast experiences in building absolute quiet turntables, leads me to believe this new TRA9 tonearm will be quite a contender compared to other higher priced arms with similar functions.

TRA9

@mijostyn 

Yes, that tonearm deserves a turntable that will match with its character. The Oracle sure has the looks, but, so does my Transrotor. I think it will be a perfect match with the Apollon TMD. I am glad you highlighted those specs because I did not think about those aspects. Anthony Cordesman called the Oracle a work of art in the 2000s when he reviewed one of the early models. 

Transrotor says they created a variety of coatings to suit different tastes. This arm comes in matte, chrome, gold, or rheudium (spelling) some form of rhodium. Supposedly Transrotor created the gold version due to a high interest from the  Asian market. Transrotor always had some gold options for some of their previous SME arms and some turntables. They get pretty pricey. I opted for the gold because I think it matches my systems aesthetic with the giant polished 135 pound turntable and Clearaudio Mont Blanc stand. 
 

@lewm 

I agree, Transrotor was in a bind by not having SME tonearm/turntable bundles anymore. I am not sure if Transrotor baselined and tested their turntables with  SME arms. It would only make sense if they did. I know when I purchased my Transrotor Apollon turntable, the dealer said opting to get a Transrotor SME arm was a bargain. You get a real SME arm of your choice that is labeled as a “Transrotor SME”. Talk about close working arrangements and partnerships, it was great for all. Too bad SME is no longer in the individual tonearm market. Perhaps, they wanted to reign in tonearm sales to increase SME turntable sales. I do not know the reason, but I think it was not great for us hobbyists. 
 

I would also agree that SME may have worked with Transrotor to assist somewhat in the development of their own tonearm. I read somewhere that Transrotor looked at the Ikeda tonearm to see if any of the design parameters of that type of arm would be something they could add to their arm. I will try and find the article, maybe it is in German. 

Hmmm, that’s interesting. I have the latest catalog but did not look at the tonearm section. I already own two SME Vs, but this would be good news for anyone wanting to purchase a new in box SME. I did a quick search on the Music Direct web site and found no SME arms, only turntables. 
 

@mijostyn 

I tend to agree with that logic with regards to SME perhaps restarting their tonearm business. One can hope:) The vinyl resurgence is tremendous and manufacturers who are well rounded will be/ are able to capitalize on customer demand for their products. 

I am not sure what the sales volume of SMEs turntables is, but, they may be just satisfied with selling turntables only. Too bad we can’t get anyone from the factory or leadership to give some insight on where SME is going with the business. 

Finally, the Transrotor TRA9 tonearm is here. I will install later this weekend, but, I have a hard decision to make. I need to decide which cartridge to use with this new tonearm first. either the new Air Tight Opus 1 or the Soundsmith Hyperion. I have the Opus 1 dialed in and just enjoy listening to music. It is mesmerizing every time I listen resulting in a few hours marathon listening session and me telling my wife to leave the food in the microwave for supper. When compared to the Opus 1, the Hyperion seems a little less refined in clarity and details, but it is no slouch....just does not compare to the sheer overall dynamism and detail retrieval of the Opus 1. Both are mounted on SME V arms and I use the same Analysis Plus Siler Apex XLR into the Aesthetix Eclipse.  

Decisions, decisions...hmmm. Link to updated pics of the tonearm. 

https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/new-transrotor-tra-9-tonearm.31976/#post-780544

@pindac, 

Thank you. Yes I agree, that tonearm is quite impressive. 

@tomic601 , 

I was sort of leaning that way.. go full bore and see how it will sound with a top performing cartridge, but, I am also rationalizing that if the TRA 9 is actually a better performing arm than the SME V (my hypothesis...Mathew Bode, German reviewer says if you have an SME V, you probably don't need to change out), perhaps, the performance of the Hyperion might increase combined with the TRA9 arm. That is why I am leaning to Hyperion/TRA9 combination first. Would like to evaluate the performance and convey to others since I have both cartridges. 

I have to get past the tonearm installation procedure first, oh joy. 

@mijostyn 

I understand your point, but, I do have a chance to test and compare both side by side and have already made inference that the Hyperion is no slouch. It has brought me plenty of listening pleasure, that’s for sure.  However, when compared directly to the Opus 1 and listened to on my system, it is no longer a subjective belief, but more so objective. Hearing them on my system confirms my belief and what I am saying. Regardless of the Hyperions lower effective mass, my ears tell me otherwise, that the Opus 1 is better all around. Albeit, it is nuanced in this overall performance gain. One can easily live happily ever after just by owning the Hyperion. I am going through a phase of exploration and the Opus 1 seemed to check all the boxes. I suspect I will go through the same ordeal ,after this year when I finally get either a Koetsu Jade Or Onxy. 
 

I had previously posted about the costs of Uber expensive cartridges and the value of keeping them when your faced with a slightly less than half price to retip or remanufacture them. The Hyperion is a bargain in this sense. I will always keep the Hyperion on the ready to spin on one of my other mounted tonearms, it’s that good, I was in love with the voicing and delicate instrument portrayal. The Opus 1 does it better, like Carly Simon says:) I am going to enjoy both.