Auris Audio W-9a Tonearm

Why Choose the Auris Hawk W-9a Tonearm for Vinyl Playback

What Makes the Hawk W-9a Tonearm Different from Standard 9-Inch Arms?

The W-9a Tonearm is a 9-inch tonearm built around three specific features: an antiskating mechanism, a low-friction bearing arrangement, and a VTA (vertical tracking angle) adjustment range of 10mm. The antiskating system counteracts the inward pull a stylus experiences as it tracks a rotating record, keeping the cartridge centred in the groove rather than drifting toward the inner wall. Low friction in the bearing assembly reduces the resistance the stylus has to overcome to follow groove modulations, which keeps tracking force consistent across a side rather than varying as the record plays. The 10mm VTA adjustment lets you raise or lower the back of the arm to match different cartridge body heights and record thicknesses, so the stylus sits at the correct rake angle instead of a fixed compromise position.

Which Cartridges Will Match This Tonearm?

The W-9a Tonearm is specified with an effective mass of 12 grams and is built to work with cartridges in the 6-14 gram compliance range. Effective mass and cartridge compliance need to sit within a compatible window, because together they set the resonant frequency of the arm-and-cartridge system at the stylus tip. Pairing a 12-gram effective mass arm with cartridges in this compliance band keeps that resonance within the range needed for stable tracking; a cartridge falling outside this window would push the resonant frequency too close to record warps at the low end or audible content at the high end. This compliance figure is the starting point for choosing a compatible cartridge for the W-9a.

How Is the W-9a Tonearm Mounted to a Turntable?

The W-9a Tonearm is mounted using 3 x M4 screws through a 30mm mounting hole, with a raster diameter of 43mm at the base. Mounting distance is set at 211mm, with an overhang of 18mm and a tilt angle of 24 degrees once fitted; together these figures define the arc the stylus traces across the record surface, so they need to match the geometry of the plinth or arm board the W-9a is being fitted to. An effective length of 229mm completes this geometry, setting the dimension from pivot to stylus tip that governs tracking error across the record.

Who Is the Hawk W-9a Suited To?

The Hawk W-9a is suited to a vinyl listener who plays records for extended periods and wants tracking behaviour that stays consistent from the outer groove through to the run-out. Its antiskating system and low-friction bearing reduce the variation in tracking force across a side, which is the mechanical basis for sustained listening sessions without the arm working against the record. Finished in black, the W-9a is supplied as a standalone arm rather than part of a complete turntable package, making it suited to an owner who is assembling or upgrading a turntable system around an existing plinth.

How Is the Arm Tube Engineered for Tracking Accuracy?

The W-9a's arm tube is built from carbon fibre with a 1mm wall thickness. Carbon fibre offers a high stiffness-to-weight ratio, so a thin-walled tube can be made rigid without adding excess mass to the arm, keeping the tube's own contribution to effective mass low relative to its length. A rigid, low-mass tube transmits stylus movement through to the cartridge generator with less flex of its own, which is the engineering basis for the tracking precision the arm is designed to deliver.

What Wiring and Connection Options Does the W-9a Tonearm Use?

The W-9a Tonearm is wired with Auris copper cable, described in the product listing as Van den Hull® wire, and terminates in a DIN 5 male connector. A DIN 5 connector is a standard analogue tonearm interface, so the W-9a can connect to turntable plinths or phono stage inputs built to accept this connector type without an adaptor. At 347 grams complete, the arm is light enough to suit a typical 9-inch arm board without demanding a non-standard counterweight.

Tonearm Guides

• Understanding VTA, Azimuth and Anti-Skate
• Tonearm Geometry: Effective Length, Overhang, Offset Angle