Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

Driven via a single ‘Konstant Eins’ AC motor pod, Transrotor’s Massimo Nero TMD achieves stable speed within six seconds. As supplied, our sample was running +1.6% fast but with (very) careful adjustment of the controller’s hidden screwhead – see instructions! – it was possible to pull the absolute speed down to ±0.03%. With great care taken over motor positioning and belt tension, the Massimo Nero can achieve a very low peak-wtd wow of just 0.025% [see Graph 1, below] while the 0.04% flutter includes sidebands at ±32Hz that also appear as a peak on the unwtd, through-bearing rumble spectrum [not shown here]. Otherwise, the magnetically-assisted ‘TMD’ bearing achieves a low –69.8dB noise (DIN-B wtd, re. 5cm/sec). Transmission of mechanical noise up through the POM (polyoxymethylene – an engineering thermoplastic) main platter looks to be well damped, the Massimo Nero TMD achieving an excellent –73.0dB through-groove noise (this increases to –71.3dB if the supplied record weight is used to better couple the vinyl to the platter).

The partnering TRA-9S (Studio) tonearm is a solidly-built design with a gimbal bearing, straight black-anodised alloy tonearm offering a 9in effective length and, in part because of the chunky detachable alloy headshell, an above-average 18g effective mass. The main bearing housing shows some slight play although friction remains low at <15mg (vertical). Otherwise, the high-ish effective mass suggests the TRA-9S is best suited for use with medium/low-compliance MC pick-ups as does the generally well-damped behaviour of the arm as a whole [see CSD waterfall, Graph 2]. The rigid main beam has its primary bending mode deferred to 110Hz with a torsional or harmonic mode at 240Hz and minor modes at 400Hz, 480Hz and 760Hz. PM