SORANE TONEARMS

FEATURES

Sorane Tonearms

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Shared Features of Sorane Tonearms

 

Sorane tonearms use gimbal-bearings for excellent bass, dynamics and imaging, as well as unconditional geometric stability.
 

Antiskating.
 

Detachable headshells - except for the new ZA12 - to allow quick changes of cartridges, allowing various mass headshells [to help change the effective mass of the arms and cartridges], and the ability to mount cartridges in a well-lit area, in a safe and convenient manner.  For record collectors, and those looking to change cartridges quickly, Sorane tonearms offer benefits to certain users.  
 

CNC machined, then hand-assembled, by skilled Japanese craftsmen. This highly skilled assembly differentiates Sorane tonearms from similar mass-produced Japanese tonearms. Unlike Sorane, standard high-volume tonearms are produced by die-casting and semi-automatic assembly line processes. Skilled hand assembly does not simply mean “combining the constituent parts by hand". Skilled hand assembly involves measurement, adjustment and hand-fitting to produce optimal interface between machined surfaces.  Once completed, the fit between every part is ideal, satisfying the necessary conditions for vibration-free and noise-free reproduction of analog sound.
 

Most importantly, the key to tonearm quality is low friction, for which the bearings are the determining factor.
 

Concerning the reproduced sound from these models:  The designer is confident you will get precise and clean sound, which can only be had from hand-made tonearms, but at a very reasonable price with these arms.

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Sorane TA-1

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The TA-1 is a 9" tonearm with a pivot-to-spindle mounting distance of 216mm. It is at the shorter end of the 9" family of arms, which include the Linn arms @ 211mm, the Rega-standard arms @ 222mm, and the SME / Schick arms @ 229mm.

 

It employs a miniature radial bearing for horizontal movement and a miniature pivot bearing for vertical movement. The saddle and bearing housing are machine-tooled from billet aluminum, and the arm is formed of high quality tubing. The hand-assembled, tested and adjusted arm-tube and bearing structures guarantee vibration-free and noise-free reproduction.

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The TA1 comes with detachable headshell, phono cable (RCA output plug, or optionally as XLR), screws, washers, wrench and marking pin.

 

Though a conventional arm in appearance, the careful attention to detail produces an arm of outstanding quality. Reproduced sound is precise, focused and clean, without bearing noise and inconsistent movements. Very high performance is achieved at a reasonable price.

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$1,700

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Sorane TA-1 L

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The TA-1 L is a 12" tonearm with a pivot-to-spindle mounting distance of 310mm, so it falls into the longer 12" family of arms, which also includes arms @ 304.75mm and arms @ 290mm.

 

It shares the same design, build parameters, and features as it shorter brother, the TA-1, discussed above.

 

A reviewer's perspective on the TA-1 L 

" If high-end audio is an arms race, then the Sorane TA-1 L tonearm is the weapon system for the value minded audiophile. Nearly thirteen inches of fine-tuned, hand-assembled tonearm, built by Japanese craftsmen who are serious about their business, and winning the tone-arms race.  

 

While a number of tonearms are wrapped in quasi-science and Rococo aesthetics, the 12.7" TA-1 L, and its progenitor, the 9" TA-1, are from the conservative Japanese tradition of 間(Ma), or negative space, best typified by Japanese architecture with a preponderance of open [essentially empty] space.  This idea of minimalism seeks to perfect the basic ingredients, strip away the non-essential, and allow the beholder to interpret the space [or negative space] in a way that personalizes the experience for each beholder.

 

The TA-1 L does not seek to suggest a sound, or to overlay “special sounds” over the pure tones of a good phono cartridge. By choosing a traditional tonearm form, using carefully selected materials, and by employing skilled craftsmen to carefully assemble the components, the Sorane TA-1 L will fill the needs of the music lover "

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$1,900

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Sorane SA-1.2

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The SA-1.2 is a 9" tonearm with a pivot-to-spindle mounting distance of 223mm, so it falls in the middle of the 9" family of arms, which include the Linn arms @ 211mm, the Rega-standard arms @ 222mm, and the SME / Schick arms @ 229mm.

 

The SA-1.2 uses radial ball bearings that permit horizontal movement of the arm This is noteworthy, because, whilst most radial bearings are intended for vertical alignment, as in wheel axles, the SA-1.2's horizontal bearing is designed specifically for an upright column. When loaded by gravity, the angled contact surface of the upper bearing race exerts angular force against the bearing balls, down into and against a similarly angled but larger-diameter lower race. This angular-contact thrust bearing thus self-aligns when in use, to produce less friction, noise, and wear than more conventional bearing types.

 

Also of note is its distinctive armtube of rectangular cross section, in which four distinct, precision-milled aluminum structures are fastened together in a manner aimed at controlling resonances without resorting to the use of silicone, or other energy-storing materials. Of further not is the SA-1.2's unique static downforce system, with a sliding weight calibrated up to 3gm, and a removable ancillary weight that adds another 1.5gm when needed. As such, the user who has a good-quality stylus-force gauge can get a greater range of downforce simply by adjusting the counterweight's position - an approach aided by the inclusion the of a counterweight-stem extension.

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A reviewer's perspectives on the SA-1.2 

"I cued up my 1960 copy of Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster (LP, Verve MCV-8343) and settled in for "Chelsea Bridge." I was astonished by timbral colors that were much more vivid than with the SA-1, and similarly shocking levels of touch, presence, and blessed drive.

 

In particular, "Woe-Is-Uh-Me-Bop" sounded brilliant, the sounds of marimba and, especially, Rockette Morton's bass leaping from the groove at every unpredictable turn. Surprisingly, the combination of TD 124, Abis SA-1.2, and Denon 103 sounded a little darker than my usual combo of Garrard 301, EMT 997, and EMT TSD 15; the latter maintained an edge in impact and drive, but the Abis brought the Thorens closer to that reference than I've ever heard. It was satisfying in the extreme.

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On Babbacombe Lee, which one can rightly call the first Brit-folk-rock operetta , the note attacks from Simon Nicol's electric guitar and Dave Swarbrick's electric mandolin fairly leapt from the groove. Dave Pegg's masterfully played electric bass was colorful and likewise forceful, again with solid senses of momentum and rhythm ... but, more importantly, the music throughout was as intellectually and physically involving as I've ever heard it.

 

The SA-1.2 tonearm deserves my strongest recommendation. For LP enthusiasts who prize tone, touch, and timing above all else, I'd put the combination of Sorane SA-1.2 and Denon DL-103 up against all but their priciest competitors; and for delivering the most of those performance characteristics for the least amount of money, it has few competitors" 

Art Dudley | Stereophile

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$1,900

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Sorane ZA-12 Transcription Arm

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The ZA-12 is a 12" tonearm with a pivot-to-spindle mounting distance of 310mm, so it falls into the longer 12" family of arms, which also includes arms @ 304.75mm and arms @ 290mm.

 

The ZA12 Transcription Arm takes the strengths of the Sorane SA1.2 tonearm [already recognized as a Class A component], and marries these strengths into a purist 'no compromise' purist tonearm, at a fair price.  

 

No compromise meant giving up detachable headshells, and lengthening the arm for lower tracking error. While the ZA12 is 3″ longer than the SA1.2, the total mass of the ZA12 is lower, guaranteeing that the new arm will be compatible with a broader range of high quality cartridges. And if you want more mass for very low compliance cartridges, you can easily add it ... Also, there is an optional counter-weight accessory for balancing out very heavy cartridges.

 

The ZA-12 tone arm is an ideal alternative for purists

It is a non-tapered tone arm design, with a rectangular dimension that has been cut from the ground. The arm's wiring is separate to preserve the integrity of the analogue signal that passes through the separate channels.

It's an arm that gives your medium to low compliance phono cell everything it needs for good performance.

 

Dual Pivot Suspension for exceptional sound quality !

The quality of a tone arm is measured by its sensitivity and stability in recovering delicate signals. The bearings play a crucial role in this. The ZA12 is equipped with a double-pivot suspension, which advantageously replaces two sets of thin radial bearings. This ultra-fine and precise suspension allows extended sound reproduction up to high frequencies without limits, even for very low sounds. The sound is clear and detailed, for an unforgettable listening experience.

 

Counterbalance shaft damping for vibration-free listening

To dampen tone arm movements, the counterbalance shaft consists of two tubes: a brass tube on the inside and a Delrin tube on the outside. The two are connected by an outer rubber ring, fixed with rubber adhesive.

 

Designed and Engineered for Musicality

The rectangular arm is machined from a solid block of anodized aluminum, which gives it excellent stability and a good inertia. This, combined with a low resonant frequency, results in excellent rich, tight bass reproduction.

Further, the tonearm wires are separated for maximum stereo separation.

 

The geometry of the ZA-12 has been chosen to deliver the best of all musical styles, from the oldest to the newest. Its shape allows it to find the right balance between the Stevenson geometry, perfect for classical music, and the Lofgren geometry, optimal for modern audiophile recordings.

 

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A reviewer's perspectives on the ZA-12 

"The ZA-12 resembles no other contemporary tonearm I've seen; if anything, it brings to mind the arms produced in the 1950s and '60s by the now-defunct Gray Research Co., most of whose products were unapologetically big and blocky instead of lissome and lean. Viewed from above, from its bearing housing forward, the ZA-12 is a single, long, continuous rectangle of aluminum, unbroken by even a headshell: Two slots for cartridge-mount bolts are machined at an angle of precisely 16.5° to the arm's axis, thus creating the necessary offset, and a slender finger lift is neatly fitted with a machine screw.

 

The bearing housing is no less simple in appearance, its top cover an aluminum pillbox whose plainness is interrupted only by a dimple at dead center: a boon for such alignment protractors as the Denessen SoundTraktor and the Acoustical Systems SmarTractor. Within are what the manufacturer describes as double bearings for vertical movement: left and right angular-contact, point-in-cup bearings that are themselves free to rotate within simple sleeve bearings. Lateral movement is governed by ball-and-race bearings of the usual sort. Downforce is static, applied by positioning a pair of cylindrical counterweights on a threaded rod—to keep them from vibrating, the user tightens them in place by turning them in toward one another. Antiskating is applied by a thread-and-spring mechanism, adjusted with a calibrated knob.

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I began with my EMT TSD 15 N SPH cartridge -- essentially a TSD 15 pickup head, spherical stylus and all, minus the headshell and made with standard (0.5") bolt-hole spacing. Downforce was the EMT-recommended 2.5gm.

 

In "Opus 57," from The David Grisman Quintet, Grisman's second mandolin solo in particular fairly leaped from the speaker—a sound not only spatially forward, but one that carried with it a generous suggestion of the player's force and sheer attitude. Bill Amatneek's double bass could not have been temporally tighter, clearer of pitch, or, again, more naturally forceful, its level in perfect balance with the other instruments. With the Sorane arm in my system, it was also easy to hear and enjoy the chording of second mandolinist Todd Phillips (who would go on to become a noted bassist), and Tony Rice's guitar solo in the same album's "Blue Midnite" sounded especially tactile—at one point, he pauses in his line of notes and rakes his pick across the strings to produce a subtly stunning effect that through this tonearm sounded all the more so.

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Good overall tonal balance -- great tonal balance, really -- was also the order of the day when I played my nice original copy of Doc Watson's third album, from 1966: Southbound. Double bass, played here by Russ Savakus, again sounded just right: tonally richer and more plummy than on the Grisman record, but no less tight and quick, with superb pitch definition and in fine balance with everything else. Watson's guitar lines—especially his quick runs in "Call of the Road" -- sounded wonderful, as did his gorgeous baritone voice: spatially front and center, and imbued with just the right amount of natural texture. Perfect playback of a perfect record, one that I did not want to end.

 

Finally, I fitted the Sorane's plain-Jane mounting plane with my review sample of the MusiKraft Denon DL-103. For those just joining us, this is a Denon DL-103 moving-coil cartridge -- like the horseshoe crab and the coelacanth, it is a living fossil, having survived unchanged since the early 1960 -- whose plastic body has been shed, also crablike, in favor of a fancy machined-aluminum body. I wound up liking this combination better than the Koetsu-Sorane pairing, but it still wasn't as effective as the EMT-Sorane combo.

 

The sound of this combination was wonderful, and almost as good as that with the EMT: lots of impact, color, texture, and musical momentum, with a forward sound that at times skated right up to the limit of my tolerance for forwardness without ever crossing it. "Venus," from Television's Marquee Moon, was riveting: Tom Verlaine's lead vocal, a bit bright on the recording itself, had enough substance not to sound spitty, and his and Richard Lloyd's electric guitars were thoroughly engaging, while Billy Ficca's electric bass was both deft and forceful. An indispensably important record, reproduced brilliantly. This time around, Message from the Country, also indispensable, sounded so good I had to play the whole thing through.

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In all, the Sorane ZA-12 is a lot like the Sorane SA-1.2, only more ... : more effective length, more mass, and more of the up-front, colorful, substantial, impactful, downright chunky playback qualities that endeared to me this company's earlier products. And the ZA-12 is beautifully built, with bearings that exhibit among the lowest friction I've observed in a tonearm of any price"

Art Dudley | Stereophile

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$2,500

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