Howdy all! It has been a while since I last reported about the Transrotor TRA-9 tonearm compared to the SME V and my use of the Soundsmith Hyperion (now Hyperion MKII) and Air-Tight Opus 1 MC cartridges.
A lot has happened over this time; we moved to a different state, I put equipment in storage, built a new home, recovered from some surgeries, dog passed away, and last year resigned from a consulting job to come home to our new house.
I finally had some time to experiment with the two tonearms and the cartridges after unboxing and setting up the stereo system. I also, over this time, acquired a new Hyperion MKII. I now own two versions of the Soundsmith Hyperion’s.
With all that said…the TRA-9 works amazingly well with both the Opus 1 and both Hyperion versions. After all my experiments, I ended up with the Opus 1 on the SME V tonearm and the Hyperion MKII on the TRA-9 tonearm. I will rationalize that in the following paragraphs. To me, it seems that those pairings were more harmonious. This is because during my listening tests, I was actively listening for differences, good or bad, and trying to ascertain which tonearm / cartridge combination sounded best to me. The listening sessions included experimenting with various loading values along with fine tuning tracking forces. I used Wally Tools instruments, Cardas Test LP, and Fozgometer to help dial in; however, nothing beats a set of ears for listening to what sounds best to you.
So here are the condensed results of my testing.
The TRA-9 (Gold edition) / Air-Tight Opus 1 combination was extremely detailed and had a noticeable lift in the mid-frequencies and higher frequencies. To the point where I played around with loading to see if I could balance it out some. Yes, it seemed to be more uplifted in midfrequency and high frequency, at least to me, some others might like it. It is not something I am used to since I own a few Benz LP’s, a few Benz LP-S’s, a Soundsmith Sussaro, a few Hyperion (two variants), and Goldring Elite. I experimented with a Koetsu Rosewood over the years but never kept it. The overall sound characteristics of the Rosewood is akin to my type of flavor of a cartridge…smooth, holographic, and balanced details.
When I paired the TRA-9 with both Hyperion’s, Gen 1, and MKII, the combination seemed less detailed in the mid-frequencies and high-frequencies and a little more balanced compared to the Opus-1 pairing. My wife liked the Hyperion MKII in the TRA-9 better than the Opus 1 in the TRA-9 and so did I. The TRA-9 seemed to pair better with the Hyperion MKII and presented a very well balanced and nice holographic presentation. The TRA-9 offers itself, paired with the Hyperion MKII, in a dynamic and pleasant-sounding presentation that you can just sit back and enjoy for hours. This could be a final combination for many analog lovers!
Now, as stated, I had to further analyze the Opus-1 with the SME V tonearm. The notes I took about the Opus-1 mated to the TRA-9 with an uplifted mid and high frequency sense, well, throw those away for the SME V and Opus-1 pairing. It was more evenly balanced, as one, or at least me, would expect from such a great cartridge. It is more detailed and presents a touch more humanization of vocals with this pairing; albeit, without the uplifted mid-frequencies and high-frequencies I noted in the other TRA-9 combination. Perhaps, this may be due to the differing construction materials of the TRA-9 (aluminum) versus the SM V (one piece cast magnesium).
According to online research, yes, AI generated, the sound profiles of each vary but they equal what I heard without knowing what other online sources had posted about the TRA-9. Yes, the TRA-9 tonearm is a little more etched and transparent compared to the SME V. You will need to find a cartridge that suits your tastes to go along with the excitement of the TRA-9 tonearm. I think the Hyperion MKII is a fine cartridge, but doing A/B comparisons against the Opus 1 mated with the SME V, the Opus 1 / SME V is a better sounding combination for sure. The details of the Opus-1 are more pronounced and match better with the SME V than with the TRA-9 in our findings. My wife says the Opus-1 has better resolution and sounds better on the SME V…she can hear better than me.
The TRA-9, matched with the Hyperion MKII offers a different, and better sounding combination than with the Opus-1, at least to us, and a more pleasant presentation that you can listen to all day long. If you were to hear the Opus-1 against the Hyperion MKII, at least on my system, with either TRA-9 or SME V, you would still hear additional details, regardless of an uplifted mid-frequency or high-frequency presentation…the Opus-1 has that sound characteristic, at least on my system, and to my ears. It provides more up-front details while the Hyperion MKII provides a more balanced approach. I dialed in the Opus-1 and Hyperion MKII according to manufactures specs and deviated some (loading) to match my system. For the most part, both cartridges are loaded closer to 47K, with the lowest tested 475, 1K, 4.75K, or 10K, after experimentation. I have surpassed break-in on both cartridges and enjoy hours of each on the different tonearms. I think the TRA-9 is a great jazz, percussion, drum, and vocal tonearm. The SME V is the same but with different sound characteristics. Both are great in their own way. Just match cartridge and sail away.
I guess what I am trying to convey here is if you were to obtain the TRA-9, you need to make sure that you mate it with a cartridge that will balance out the TRA-9’s dynamic speed. It is a sound characteristic that my wife and I picked up after a few short listens with the Opus-1 connected to the TRA-9. For some, this will be a great sound, but the wife and I like a more gemutlich type of sound. I think the TRA-9 gives someone the opportunity to experiment with a variety of cartridges given its ability to fine tune and dial in most aspects of the cartridge. When matched with the right cartridge, it is an absolute performer that makes it the default playback tonearm on your system if you have multiple arms. While I like the SME V / Opus-1 combination, there is something magical about the TRA-9 and Hyperion MKII that allows for long extended listening sessions with sheer enjoyment. It is gemutlich!
I can’t comment on the Graham tonearms as I have never tested them personally but have heard them and seen them in action. They are wonderful masterpieces and would make a worthy addition to almost any turntable.
Feature
Transrotor TRA-9
Tonearm Tube Two-part, nested aluminum alloys
Bearings Hybrid (steel and ceramic)
VTA Adjustment Parallel lifting with two screws
Anti-Skate Magnetic with fine thread
Damping Silicone tubing for cable damping
Effective Mass 18 grams (medium-heavy)
Sound Profile Dynamic, fast, transparent, and big
Aesthetics Modern, clean lines
Cartridge Match Good for medium-to-low compliance MC cartridges
SME V
Tonearm Tube One-piece die-cast magnesium
Bearings ABEC 7 ball bearings
VTA Adjustment Fine-threaded vertical adjustment
Anti-Skate Tension spring and filament
Damping Optional subsonic lateral mode fluid damper
Effective Mass 10-11 grams (low-to-medium)
Sound Profile Neutral, uncolored, detailed, and dynamic
Aesthetics Classic, iconic "precision instrument" look
Cartridge Match Ideal for high-to-medium compliance MC cartridges
