Transrotor and in-akustik: Tonearm Cabling with AIR Technology
"I don’t expect to hear any difference." That was Dirk Räke of Transrotor’s expectation going into the listening test. The result surprised him: "The difference was clearly audible."
What to Expect from This Article
How did the renowned turntable manufacturer Transrotor come to equip its TRA 9 tonearm with in-akustik’s AIR Technology? What role does the tonearm cable play in transmitting the extremely delicate signal from an MM or MC cartridge? And why is AIR Technology particularly well suited to this demanding application?
In this blog article, we take a look behind the scenes of the collaboration. We explain the importance of tonearm cabling in the analog signal chain, why capacitance and shielding are particularly important when handling phono signals, and how AIR Technology addresses these challenges through its air dielectric and unique conductor geometry.
And, of course, we get to the crucial question: What did Dirk Räke hear during the listening test that surprised him himself? In the interview, the Transrotor Managing Director talks about how the collaboration came about, the requirements for high-quality tonearm cabling, and his personal experience with AIR Technology. The images show the TRA 9 fitted with the in-akustik AIR Pure Silver tonearm cable.
How Transrotor and in-akustik Came Together
Transrotor and in-akustik share a similar approach: not only developing technical solutions, but refining them down to the smallest detail.
A few years ago, Transrotor began developing its own line of tonearms. The company builds on a proven mechanical design and continuously refines it. The tonearm uses a classic gimbal bearing system with high-precision Japanese ball bearings, which are individually selected and adjusted. The manufacturing process is equally focused on precision. Design and machining of the components are carried out in-house at Transrotor.
in-akustik’s AIR Technology addresses a different part of the analog signal chain: the electrical connection between the cartridge and the phono preamplifier. It therefore made sense to bring the two approaches together.
A Tonearm Directly Connected to the in-akustik AIR Cable
For this joint solution, the Transrotor tonearm is directly wired with the in-akustik Reference AIR Pure Silver. The signal path does not begin at a connector. Instead, the AIR cabling is integrated directly into the tonearm and routed through to the external connections. This creates a continuous signal path without an additional connector within the tonearm.
For this purpose, the tonearm is brought to in-akustik, where it is fitted with the specially designed AIR cabling. The result is a combination of the mechanically precise Transrotor tonearm and in-akustik’s AIR Technology.
The continuous cabling and sophisticated AIR construction are not ends in themselves. Their purpose is to carry the highly sensitive phono signal to the phono preamplifier with minimal interference and the lowest possible additional electrical load.
Precision Doesn’t End at the Tonearm
The collaboration between Transrotor and in-akustik is based on a shared philosophy: when the individual components of an analog playback chain are designed for precision, the connection between them should be engineered to the same exacting standards.
For Transrotor, this means the precise mechanical guidance of the cartridge. For in-akustik, it means the accurate electrical transmission of the resulting signal. Integrating the AIR cabling directly into the tonearm brings these two approaches together.
Handcrafted for a Special Connection
Directly wiring a tonearm is not a conventional cable assembly. The fine conductors have to be routed through the tonearm and then integrated into the AIR structure. Shielding, connectors and other components are assembled by hand and carefully tested.
This level of craftsmanship is necessary to implement the design characteristics of AIR Technology within the tonearm itself. The result is a connection individually tailored to the tonearm – from the cartridge all the way to the external connection.
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Two Manufactories. One Standard.
Handcrafted Down to the Finest Detail
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Every Tonearm Is Handcrafted
Precision You Can Hear
"The Difference Was Clearly Audible"
Technical considerations were the starting point, but the listening test proved decisive. Dirk Räke of Transrotor approached the comparison with a deliberately skeptical mindset. In the following interview, he explains how the collaboration with in-akustik came about and why AIR Technology ultimately convinced him.
Mr. Räke, Transrotor is best known for its turntables. Why did the company decide to develop its own tonearms as well?
We have worked with different tonearms and tonearm designs for many years. In the process, we gained a great deal of experience – with what works, with what we like, but also with what we would do differently. A few years ago, we therefore decided to take development into our own hands.
Our approach was never to develop an exotic concept at any cost. We prefer proven mechanical principles and refine them to what we consider the optimum through a great deal of attention to detail. That is why the TRA 9 uses a classic two-axis gimbal bearing system with high-precision Japanese ball bearings. These are individually selected and carefully adjusted to ensure that the tonearm moves freely while being guided securely and precisely.
How important is the cabling in such a precisely engineered tonearm design?
Very important. The cartridge generates an extremely small and sensitive signal. That is why the signal path from the cartridge to the phono preamplifier should be implemented as consistently and with as little interference as possible. For us, it was crucial not to regard the cabling as an add-on, but as an integral part of the overall tonearm design. The mechanical precision of the tonearm and the quality of the electrical signal transmission go hand in hand.
How did the collaboration with in-akustik come about?
We had, of course, been familiar with in-akustik and AIR Technology for some time. At some point, the idea emerged to take a closer look at the tonearm cabling. With a phono signal in particular, we are dealing with a very low-level and therefore sensitive signal. Factors such as the cable’s electrical characteristics, capacitance, inductance and, above all, shielding play an important role. We therefore wanted to find out what could be achieved by consistently tailoring the cabling to this particular application.
What particularly convinced you about AIR Technology?
It is not simply a matter of using air as a dielectric somewhere in the cable. What matters is the overall construction: the geometry, the way the conductors are routed and, above all, the defined, consistent distance between the conductors along the entire length. We visited in-akustik to see the manufacturing process for ourselves. That is when you really understand the effort involved. This structure is assembled by hand because it cannot simply be produced using a conventional machine. We found this consistency in both the design and the manufacturing process particularly convincing.
You subsequently listened to the new cabling yourself. What were your expectations going into the listening test?
I am generally very critical when it comes to listening tests like this, and I went into it with the mindset: “I’m not going to hear any difference.” After all, I was already completely satisfied with the existing tonearm. It sounded excellent. There was no obvious shortcoming that we needed to address.
And what did you actually hear?
There was a very clear difference. I had the impression that there was an even greater sense of calm. At the same time, the setup seemed to be less susceptible to external sources of interference. You could move a source of interference past it without anything happening. That surprised me because I had not initially expected to hear a difference at all. After that, it was actually clear to us that we wanted to continue the collaboration.
What makes this collaboration special for you?
With a tonearm, it is about precision in the mechanics. With the cable, it is about precision in the electrical signal path. These are different areas, but the underlying approach is similar: you look at every detail and consistently try to minimize unnecessary influences. When two companies share this level of commitment, the result is a collaboration that does not feel contrived, but makes technical sense.
FAQ: Tonearm Cables
The good old record sounds more vibrant than ever. The demand is astonishing, even for experts. The figures for records sold are increasing just as surprisingly as the number of record players. It’s a real boom. But how to improve the sound? One way is to use a new, better cable between the tonearm and the phono amplifier. The Phono-1205 AIR is a cable created to deliver top sound. What sets it apart is an absolutely unique air insulation, called the Air Helix. We have developed a special clip for this technology. It separates the two cable bundles, keeps them apart, and virtually embeds them in air. Using a large number of these clips, it is possible to route earth and signal extremely stably over longer distances. Why the effort? With this approach it is possible to pass on the sensitive signals without slowing them down - the result is fast and high-resolution sound. The Super Speed waveguides are threaded by hand and the clips are fitted with great care in the company's own factory. After this, the resulting Air Helix is also shielded and fitted with the PE network jacket by hand. Finally, the rhodium-plated connectors are fitted and cable functionality is tested. Because it's all about the most important, smallest signals: There is nowhere in the audio world where smaller currents flow that need to be passed on perfectly. The signal level of an MM or MC system is extremely sensitive, at just a few thousandths of a volt. In addition to this, the systems have an inductive character. In combination with the cable capacitance, they form what is known as an oscillating circuit, which favors specific frequencies. If these frequencies are unfavorable due to excessively high capacitance, this has a major effect on the harmony of the sound. Extremely low capacitance and dielectric losses are just two advantages of the Referenz Phono -1205 AIR. They form the basis for unadulterated enjoyment of your vinyl jewels. The sound of good records can hardly be resolved in a finer way than this. Click here and discover the exciting details
The good old record sounds more vibrant than ever. The demand is astonishing, even for experts. The figures for records sold are increasing just as surprisingly as the number of record players. It’s a real boom. But how to improve the sound? One way is to use a new, better cable between the tonearm and the phono amplifier. The Phono-2405 AIR is a cable created to deliver top sound. What sets it apart is an absolutely unique air insulation, called the Air Helix. We have developed a special clip for this technology. It separates the two cable bundles, keeps them apart, and virtually embeds them in air. Using a large number of these clips, it is possible to route earth and signal extremely stably over longer distances. Why the effort? With this approach it is possible to pass on the sensitive signals without slowing them down - the result is fast and high-resolution sound. The Super Speed waveguides are threaded by hand and the clips are fitted with great care in the company's own factory. After this, the resulting Air Helix is also shielded and fitted with the PE network jacket by hand. Finally, the rhodium-plated connectors are fitted and cable functionality is tested. Because it's all about the most important, smallest signals: There is nowhere in the audio world where smaller currents flow that need to be passed on perfectly. The signal level of an MM or MC system is extremely sensitive, at just a few thousandths of a volt. In addition to this, the systems have an inductive character. In combination with the cable capacitance, they form what is known as an oscillating circuit, which favors specific frequencies. If these frequencies are unfavorable due to excessively high capacitance, this has a major effect on the harmony of the sound. Extremely low capacitance and dielectric losses are just two advantages of the Referenz Phono -2405 AIR. They form the basis for unadulterated enjoyment of your vinyl jewels. The sound of good records can hardly be resolved in a finer way than this. Click here and discover the exciting details
Phono signals are among the most delicate signals in the entire hi-fi chain: The output levels of MM and MC systems are in the millivolt and microvolt range, respectively — and are correspondingly sensitive to any interference in the signal path. The S25 phono cable is designed precisely for this requirement: It transmits these delicate signals with neutral sound and technical precision—from the record player to the phono stage, without loss, without coloration, and without compromise. At the heart of the S25 phono cable are signal conductors made of high-purity, oxygen-free copper (OFC), insulated with foamed polyethylene—a dielectric with a particularly low dielectric constant for low-loss signal transmission. The balanced dual-mono structure carries the positive and negative signals via separate conductors—this reduces crossover interference and ensures stable, low-noise signal transmission from the record player to the phono preamp. A dense shielding braid made of 186 fine copper wires protects against external interference sources such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth devices. A separate ground wire reliably dissipates any remaining interference from the record player—for a quiet, hum-free soundstage. The gold-plated solid-metal connectors ensure consistently reliable contact with low contact resistance and high mechanical stability. The highly flexible construction and understated design blend seamlessly into any existing system. Like all cables in the S25 series, the phono cable is manufactured entirely in our cable factory in Ballrechten-Dottingen—assembled by hand and individually tested for flawless signal transmission. Made in Germany. No frills. Just clean engineering. Click here to discover exciting details
Transrotor & in-akustik: AIR Technology for the Tonearm
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