Tonearm

The tonearm is amongst the most prominent and easily recognisable components of a turntable. The role of the tonearm is to house the cartridge (the needle (stylus) which is placed upon the vinyl) and ensure that the cartridge is held on a vinyl record with precision. A tonearm is an intricately engineered piece of equipment, and requires a high level of workmanship to ensure it functions to a premium standard. There are some key ingredients in a high quality tonearm, first of which is that the primary shaft of metal is fashioned from a single piece of metal. A good quality tonearm is usually manufactured from a light based metal, such as aluminum, whereas a poor quality tonearm is usually made from plastic. The cable which is threaded through the primary shaft of metal should be a quality material such as copper, and, likewise, the bearing should be of a similar quality.