Clearaudio Clarify 9-Inch Tonearm

The Clearaudio Clarify is a 9-inch radial tonearm that guides its armtube in a friction-free magnetic bearing instead of a mechanical one.

Two magnets face each other with like poles and hold the arm suspended. No breakaway torque, no bearing play, nothing that slows the stylus down or sets it rattling. What comes off the groove goes into the cartridge – not into a bearing.

Why the Clarify?

Because three sources of friction disappear here all at once. The bearing works magnetically, the anti-skating is likewise contactless, and the signal cable runs as a continuous Clearaudio Direct Wire Plus from the cartridge all the way to the RCA plug – without the solder joint and connector that would otherwise sit between the armtube and the phono stage. Add to that an armtube made of carbon in silver, stiff enough to keep self-resonance short and light enough not to make life harder for the cartridge. Anti-skating comes pre-set from the factory; it can be fine-tuned on the underside if your cartridge calls for it.

What you'll hear

First, what you don't hear: no baseline noise from the mechanics, no smearing on quiet passages. On top of that sits an image that stays cleanly sorted even when a lot is happening at once. Fine attacks from strings and cymbals come through completely, without anyone having brightened the treble. The Clarify doesn't sound spectacular – it simply stops taking things away.

Who is the Clarify for?

For listeners who want to squeeze the last bit of resolution out of a good turntable and are willing to align it precisely for it. Cartridges from 2.5 to 17 grams can be balanced, which covers almost everything fitted in this class. Plain talk: a magnetic bearing doesn't like a shaky foundation. If your turntable sits on a springy floorboard, you need a stable base or a wall mount first – otherwise you're paying for precision that the floor eats straight back up. And if you want to mount the arm once and never look at it again, you'll have a more relaxed time with a rugged gimbal bearing.

Our verdict

A consistently thought-through nine-incher: magnetic bearing, magnetic anti-skating, continuous signal cable – wherever other arms make a small compromise, Clearaudio has left it out. The Clarify rewards a solid foundation and exact setup with a calm you'd otherwise look for a class higher up. Whether it suits your turntable and your cartridge is something we'll work out at HD Zürisee in Wädenswil, in a short conversation.

Specifications

• Type: radial tonearm, 9 inch, with friction-free magnetic bearing technology
• Armtube: carbon, silver
• Material: aluminium (silver), stainless steel
• Anti-skating: magnetic, contactless, pre-set from the factory and adjustable on the underside
• Effective length: 239.25 mm
• Mounting distance (pivot to spindle): 222.00 mm
• Overhang: 17.33 mm
• Offset angle: 25.45°
• Overall length: 330.00 mm
• Adjustable cartridge weight: 2.5–17.0 g
• Effective mass: not stated by Clearaudio
• Signal cable: Clearaudio Direct Wire Plus (1.1 m), fixed wiring, terminated with RCA
• Weight: approx. 410 g (incl. counterweight)
• Model no.: TA037
• Warranty: 2-year manufacturer's warranty from registration
• What's included: tonearm with fixed signal cable, arm base, counterweight and auxiliary counterweight (35.75 g), Allen key, screws, alignment template, warranty card, instruction manual; cartridge not included

FAQ

Will the Clarify fit my turntable?

What matters is the 222.00 mm mounting distance between the pivot and the platter spindle. If your turntable meets this distance, or the arm base can be positioned accordingly, the Clarify will fit. Send us your turntable's make and model and we'll check the drilling and the required distance for you.

Which cartridges can I mount?

Cartridges with a weight of 2.5 to 17.0 grams. Besides the normal counterweight, an additional one weighing 35.75 grams is included, which lets you balance heavier cartridges cleanly too. Clearaudio doesn't state the arm's effective mass – so we advise you on stylus compliance based on practical experience.

How is the anti-skating set?

Magnetically and without contact, with no thread or spring. Clearaudio ships it pre-set from the factory, and for most cartridges you can leave it as is. It can be fine-tuned via a screw on the underside of the bearing, within tight limits – the arm should stay free, not run against a force.

Why is the signal cable fixed in place?

Because every connector is a weak point. The Clearaudio Direct Wire Plus runs uninterrupted from the cartridge connection to the RCA plug, 1.1 metres long. That saves contact resistance and solder joints. The downside: you can't simply swap the cable for another one, you take it as it comes.

Why buy the Clarify from HD Zürisee?

Because a tonearm of this design lives or dies by its setup, not by its data sheet. Our technician Mauri mounts and aligns the Clarify for you – overhang, azimuth, VTA, tracking force – and beforehand we look together at whether the turntable, cartridge and foundation actually go together. Call us on +41 44 680 22 00, message us on WhatsApp at 076 534 22 00 (text only, no calls) or write to shop@hdzuerisee.ch.

Goes well with

You'll find the matching cartridge under cartridges, and the turntable to go under it under turntables. For amplification, check out our phono preamps, and for scales, templates and brushes, our turntable accessories.