Clearaudio Statement TT1 MI Tangential-Tonarm, Black

The Clearaudio Statement TT1 MI is a patented Tangential-Tonarm for the Innovation and Master Innovation series turntables – here in an all-black finish with Panzerholz and black aluminum parts.

Tangential means: over the entire side of the record, the stylus sits in the groove exactly the way the cutting stylus cut it. No tracking error angle, no skating force, nothing that needs to be compensated for afterwards. The rest is precision mechanics – and plenty of it.

Why the Statement TT1 MI?

Because it brings the principle of the big Statement arm to turntables that actually fit in a living room. The drive is purely mechanical and passive: dry-running ball bearings work in a calibrated, polished glass tube, and the carriage follows the cartridge on its own. No motor, no pump, no hose in the rack. The low-resonance chassis of Panzerholz, aluminum, stainless steel and glass slides on rails into the playback position and is locked there magnetically. The arm comes wired from the factory with two meters of Super Sixstream, terminated in RCA.

What you hear

Mostly: nothing. No hissing towards the end of the record, no distortion in the tight inner grooves, where pivoted tonearms are, for technical reasons, furthest from the ideal angle. Voices stay as clean in the last bar as in the first, piano stays piano instead of smearing. Plus a background quiet that, honestly, you only notice once you switch to something else.

Who is the Statement TT1 MI for?

For owners of an Innovation or Master Innovation turntable who want to leave nothing to chance in tracking. The adjustment range of 5.5 to 15.0 grams covers practically every cartridge played in this class. Plain talk: this arm doesn't belong on a foreign turntable – it's calculated too precisely for its own base. And honestly: anyone who wants to try setup and alignment themselves is saving in the wrong place.

Our verdict

Tangential without an air bearing, without a compressor, without a running motor: the TT1 MI solves the toughest task in turntable engineering purely mechanically – and makes no noise in daily use, neither acoustically nor in upkeep. The black finish steps back visually altogether and leaves the stage to the turntable. Which cartridge really makes sense on your Innovation, we'll discuss at HD Zürisee in Wädenswil before you order.

Technical data

• Type: patented Tangential-Tonarm (linear tracking)
• Design principle: purely mechanical, passive drive via dry-running ball bearings in a calibrated, polished glass tube
• Bearings: ball bearings in the glass tube – no air bearing, no compressor, no motor
• Material: Panzerholz, aluminum, stainless steel, glass
• Finish: Panzerholz black, aluminum parts black
• Adjustable cartridges: 5.5 g – 15.0 g
• Suitable turntables: Clearaudio Innovation and Master Innovation
• Armboard mounting hole: on request
• Signal cable: 2 m Super Sixstream, terminated in RCA
• Dimensions (W × H × D): approx. 540 × 195 × 210 mm (width incl. lift)
• Weight: approx. 8.2 kg
• Manufacturer's warranty: 5 years

Frequently asked questions

Does the Statement TT1 MI need an air pump or a compressor?

No. The TT1 MI works purely mechanically and passively: dry-running ball bearings guide the carriage in a calibrated, polished glass tube. Unlike air-bearing Tangential-Tonarme, there's no pump, no hose and no operating noise in the listening room – and nothing that needs maintaining or refilling.

Which cartridges fit the TT1 MI?

Cartridges with a weight of 5.5 to 15.0 grams – this range can be adjusted on the arm and covers practically everything that's relevant in this class. In the end, more important than raw weight is the match between stylus profile, compliance and turntable; we're happy to help you with that.

What's the difference between the TT1 MI and the Statement TT1?

The turntable base. The Statement TT1 was developed for the Statement turntable, while the TT1 MI extends the same tangential principle to the Innovation and Master Innovation series. The two also differ in height and weight: the MI is lower at around 195 millimeters and weighs about 8.2 kilograms.

Does the black finish sound different from the wood version?

No. Clearaudio states the same technical data for all finishes – design principle, material mix, adjustment range, dimensions and weight are identical. The difference is purely visual: here black Panzerholz with black aluminum parts, elsewhere natural wood or silver parts. So you choose by eye, not by ear.

Why buy the Statement TT1 MI from HD Zürisee?

Because an arm in this class needs to be set up together with the turntable, otherwise you're giving away its potential. We deliver, install and align it with measuring tools – Mauri has been doing this for years. We clarify cartridge and system questions beforehand: +41 44 680 22 00, WhatsApp 076 534 22 00 (text only, no calls), or shop@hdzuerisee.ch.

Goes well with

You'll find the matching cartridge under Cartridges, and the base for it under Turntables. More arms are found under Tonearms, small parts for the turntable under Turntable Accessories.