The Sorane TA1L 12.7″ Gimbal Tonearm

Art Dudley’s Review of the TA1L.

If high-end audio is an arms race, then the Sorane TA1L 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 TA1L, and its progenitor, the TA1, 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 TA1L 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 TA1L will fill the needs of the music lover.

The TA1L is ideally suited for two groups of people:

• Value conscious audiophiles, looking for a reliable and trouble-free tonearm, and who want to play their records, not earn an engineering degree;
• Record collectors that want a fantastic sounding arm, that is affordable, and that is flexible.  It will allow them to quickly change from stereo to mono, MM to MC to VR to Strain Gauge, and from 1 mil round, to .7 mil round, to fine line, to Shibata, and to 3 mil round, all in a few minutes (not days).  It has the correct mass to balance the vast majority of cartridges.

If you are looking for a no-nonsense package, with performance to exceed that of much more expensive tonearms, then the TA1L will reward you with years of musical non-interference.  

$1,875 MSRP

Jasmine SME2R10 Tonearm Base Converter

The SME2R10, created by Jasmine, is a very high quality adapter that will allow Sorane tonearms to be adapted to armboards drilled for the SME tonearms. They are made of quality billet aluminum and both finish and machining are excellent.