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Korf Audio TA-SF9 Series II 9” Armtube Tonearm

Korf Audio TA-SF9 Series II 9” Armtube Tonearm

Korf Audio TA-SF9 Series II 9” Armtube Tonearm

Reference:

2828a

Condition:

New

Korf Audio TA-SF9

TA-SF9R is a complete rethink of what a tonearm should be.
The revolutionary design in a familiar easy to use shape.

- Improved Series II Model

- Affordable super quick worldwide delivery

- Now with 3 year warranty

- Choose between round compact JIS-type mounting base or a sliding SME-type base. Or get both!

Hey, what's the deal with the Series II? What changed?

We are always looking for ways to improve. Through three years of production, we have learned enough to take the performance of our tonearms to the next level. The sonic difference is really audible on full-range systems. Here's what we have done:

Stainless steel vertical column, giving a more solid foundation to the whole tonearm
Steel vertical shaft for deeper and more defined bass
Internal redesign for even more rigidity
Simpler, cleaner, more premium look
Completely new azimuth adjustment mechanism for smoother setting
Warranty extended to 3 years now
We used this opportunity to completely rid the tonearm of all structural set screws. Now the only one left is the one holding the arm lift

Features

Excellent rigidity and quality of motion
Zero-stiction flexure bearing
Drop-in replacement for 9" Linn and Jelco tonearms
Unique ceramic Korf HS-A02 headshell included

The Korf tonearms are a clean sheet rethink of what a tonearm should be. We focused on our audio priorities: quality of motion, rigidity, low energy storage, signal integrity, stability and longevity.

Korf tonearms are the only ones in the world to use aerospace-grade, zero stiction flexure bearings
Korf Audio is the world's only maker of fully ceramic headshells
Stainless steel arm tube is 3x stronger than aluminium, 2x stronger than titanium

SPECIFICATIONS

Length	9"
Effective length	229 mm
Pivot to spindle distance	214 mm
Removable Headshell	–
Effective mass	19 g
With included HS-A03 headshell	–
Arm tube material	Stainless Steel
Horizontal bearing	Flexure
Vertical bearing	Hybrid ceramic
Internal wiring	OFC Litz
Antiskating	Magnetic
Azimuth Adjustment	✔
Fine VTA Adjustment	✔

Not included, but needed for operation:

5-pin MDIN cable to connect your tonearm to your amplifier
Pickup cartridge. If you are curious about compliance and effective mass compatibility, please use our calculator.
An electronic downforce scale

If you are mounting the tonearm on a wooden plinth, suitable wood screws should be sourced separately.

Flexure Pivot Horizontal Bearing

Monolithic flexure pivots are almost a hundred times more expensive than the usual rolling bearings. For that, you get amazing advantages:

Zero starting torque/no stiction
No bearing chatter
Great tracking of warps
Less inner groove distortion
Lasts forever — no servicing, no lubrication
Not influenced by temperature/humidity/dust/age
Easy to replace if broken

What does a flexure bearing sound like? Smooth! Once you experience a tonearm that is free of bearing chatter, you will recognize the chatter's sonic signature in other designs.

Steel Arm Tube

Based on a large study of arm tube materials, we chose a steel tube with 0.5mm wall thickness.

High bending resistance: 3 times higher than aluminium, 2 times higher than titanium of the same mass
Low energy storage

Why is steel seldom used in today's tonearms? It's not possible to simply replace an aluminium or titanium arm tube with a steel one. A whole new design is called for.

Widely Spaced Vertical Hybrid Ceramic Bearings

We did a study of vertical bearings's influence on sound, and chose hybrid ceramic rolling bearings for the task:

Better strength and precision
Less chatter compared to closely spaced bearings
Low starting torque/stiction
Better resolution
Sharper dynamics
Better sibilance control
Less inner groove distortion
Need no servicing or lubrication

Clamping Plinth Mounts

For tightest plinth attachment possible. They give:

Better mounting precision
Ease of adjustment
Better plinth coupling

Magnetic Antiskating

Magnetic antiskating has zero stiction.

It would be a real shame to spend so much effort (and money) on our beautiful bearings, and then ruin their performance with a weight on a pulley. Or with a sliding lever.

Our magnetic antiskating is calibrated and uniform—the biasing force remains the same from the outer to the inner grooves.

Custom Headshell Connector

To fully preserve the mechanical performance of both our unique ceramic headshell and the armtube, we designed our own connector:

Steel load-bearing part; aluminium alloy locking collar
Press-fitted into an armtube
Spring loaded, gold plated contact pins
Nylon isolator

Simple and Effective Alignment Gauge

To align your cartridge, with most other tonearms you need a protractor. It is fiddly, imprecise, hard to use, and puts your valuable cartridge or stylus at risk of damage.

TA-SF9R comes with a precise alignment gauge. It's easy to set up your cartridge exactly right in minutes. Even away from your turntable, at a comfortable well lit desk.

What Makes Korf Tonearms Special?

Korf tonearms use aerospace-grade, zero stiction flexure bearings
Korf Audio is the world's only maker of fully ceramic headshells
Stainless steel arm tube is 3x stronger than aluminium, 2x stronger than titanium
There is a lot more—click the button below to discover!

You will immediately hear the sonic benefit: Korf tonearms offer unmatched clarity, holographic imaging, real life dynamics, true tonality, sparkling highs and a really deep bass.