Clearaudio TT3 Tangential-Tonarm, Silver

The Clearaudio TT3 is a purely mechanical Tangential-Tonarm with patented two-point guidance that leads the stylus exactly parallel to the groove – this version in silver aluminum finish, with RCA jacks and ground terminal.

The cutting stylus moves in a straight line toward the center of the record during mastering. The TT3 imitates it, instead of tracing the groove in an arc like a pivoted tonearm. That eliminates tracking error angle and skating forces – the two reasons why many systems are admired more quietly toward the end of the record.

Why the TT3?

Because the arm consistently manages without auxiliary power. No motor pushes along, no sensor corrects, no pump hums in the background: the carriage runs on dry-running precision ball bearings in a calibrated glass tube and follows only the pull of the groove. Add to that a high-precision carbon arm tube with stainless steel headshell, integrated height adjustment with two adapters for different setup heights, four pre-mounted counterweights for cartridges between 5.5 and 15 grams, and a folding base via which you align the arm tangentially. Silver and black are purely cosmetic variants – technically, both are identical.

What you hear

A deep, calm layering and tracking that stays stable right into the innermost groove. Voices stand freely side by side instead of crowding together toward the end of the side. Once you know the effect, you notice it above all where classical music and long live sides place their greatest moments at the end.

Who is the TT3 suited for?

For ambitious vinyl listeners with a solid turntable who want geometrically clean tracking and see a silver unit visually matching their existing chain. Plain talk: the TT3 tolerates neither tilt nor structure-borne vibration, because nothing moves it except the groove – without an exactly leveled, calm surface, a good part of its potential is left untapped. Anyone who doesn't feel like choosing their own tonearm cable takes a factory direct-wired version with SSW or DSW instead.

Our verdict

Precision mechanics instead of electronics, and with a composure that you'll be reluctant to give up after a few weeks. The silver base version gives you a free hand with the wiring and visually matches turntables in aluminum styling. The specialist press is convinced too: LowBeats rated the TT3 with 4.6 out of 5 points on June 8, 2025, rating "outstanding". Which base your turntable needs for this and which cartridge harmonizes with it, we'll discuss calmly with you at HD Zürisee in Wädenswil.

Technical data

• Type: Tangential-Tonarm with patented two-point tangential guidance
• Drive: purely mechanical and passive – no motor, no servo, no air pump
• Bearings: dry-running precision ball bearings in a calibrated, polished glass tube
• Arm tube / headshell: high-precision carbon arm tube / stainless steel
• Height adjustment (VTA): integrated, fine-adjustable via height adjustment screw; 10 mm height adapter pre-mounted, 14.5 mm included
• Tangential alignment: by rotating the folding base
• Overhang / offset angle: 0 mm / 0° – no anti-skating by design
• Cartridge weight: balance range 5.5–15 g; Clearaudio recommends from 7 g net weight upward, below that with an additional headshell plate
• Counterweights: four pieces, pre-mounted (2.3 g, 2.6 g, 4.3 g, 8 g)
• Effective mass: not stated by Clearaudio
• Connection: pair of RCA jacks with ground terminal, tonearm cable freely selectable
• Factory alternatives available: direct wiring with Sixstream Super Wire (SSW) or Direct Silver Wire (DSW), each in 1.0 or 1.5 m, terminated with MPC RCA
• Material: aluminum (silver), stainless steel, glass
• Dimensions (W × D × H): approx. 275 × 95 × 45 mm (without folding base and height adjustment screw)
• Weight: approx. 690 g (without armboard); armboard approx. 245 g
• Mounting: directly on Clearaudio Performance DC, Ovation and Innovation series; on third-party turntables via the drilling template in the manual (3.3 mm drill, M4 thread)
• Alignment reference: optimal distance from stylus to the center of the headshell carriage 62 mm
• Warranty: 5 years upon registration within 14 days of purchase
• Scope of delivery: tonearm with pre-mounted carriage, carbon arm tube and stainless steel headshell with four pre-mounted counterweights (2.3 / 2.6 / 4.3 / 8 g), aluminum folding base with pre-mounted 10 mm height adapter and M4 × 40 screws, additional 14.5 mm height adapter, three M4 × 30 mounting screws, four hex keys (1.5 / 2 / 2.5 / 3 mm), Clearaudio linear gauge, ground cable, Clearaudio mini spirit level, one pair of white gloves

Frequently asked questions

What does tangential tracking offer over a pivoted tonearm?

It keeps the stylus at the correct angle to the groove everywhere. A pivoted tonearm traces an arc and is therefore exactly right at only two points on the record; in between, tracking error angles and skating forces arise. The TT3 guides the cartridge linearly and avoids both by design, without any compensation mechanism.

Does the silver version technically differ from the black one?

No, the difference is purely cosmetic. Both versions use the same mechanics, the same bearings, the same folding base, and the same scope of delivery. Clearaudio simply offers the aluminum in silver and black so the arm matches the respective turntable and the rest of the chain. The technical data is identical in both cases.

How is the TT3 maintained?

Keep the glass tube dust-free, that's all it takes. A dry, soft microfiber cloth is entirely sufficient. Oils, greases, and lubricants are taboo: the ball bearings deliberately run dry, and any lubricant increases the carriage's resistance, disrupting exactly the smoothness the tracking depends on.

Which turntables does the TT3 fit?

The Clearaudio turntables Performance DC, Ovation, and the Innovation series are directly prepared for it. A drilling template is included in the manual for turntables from other manufacturers; drilling is done with 3.3 millimeters, then threaded to M4. Tell us which turntable you have, and we'll clarify in advance which base is needed.

Does Clearaudio state an effective mass for the TT3?

No, this value isn't published. A tangential arm moves a carriage on a straight line instead of a tube around a bearing, which is why the usual figure can't be meaningfully transferred. Which cartridge with which stylus compliance plays well with it, we clarify from experience rather than from a table.

Why buy the TT3 in silver from HD Zürisee?

Because we know from years of experience which tonearm-turntable combinations prove themselves in everyday use – and which only look good on paper. We align the arm, match the cartridge to it, and handle the warranty as an authorized dealer. Reachable at +41 44 680 22 00 or shop@hdzuerisee.ch.

Goes well with

You choose a matching tonearm cable under Cables & Connectors, the cartridge under Cartridges. Continue with Turntables, Phono Preamps, and everything about Vinyl.