Clearaudio Satisfy Black

The Satisfy Black is Clearaudio’s entry pivoted tonearm — standard-fit on the Concept and Concept Wood turntables and the arm most first-time Clearaudio owners hear before considering a Tracer, Universal, or Unity upgrade. It elevates those turntables to accept genuinely high-performance MM and MC cartridges including Clearaudio’s own Maestro V2, Charisma V2, Talisman V2 Gold, and Essence.

The engineering that makes it work at its price is the bearing. Handmade Swiss vertical and lateral bearings composed of tungsten steel and polished sapphire — the same materials the watch industry uses — give the arm the low-friction consistency listeners usually associate with much more expensive tonearms. The armtube is a low-mass rigid aluminum tube (black or silver), and the two-piece aluminum headshell with adjustable azimuth allows accurate cartridge alignment plus easy in-field replacement when a listener wants to swap cartridges.

Anti-skating is applied by an innovative non-contact magnetic system that acts on the side of the bearing housing — no mechanical linkage. The tonearm is hardwired with Clearaudio’s Direct Wire cable, which ensures signal integrity for all MM and MC cartridges, including low-output moving-coils. Total weight 350 g including counterweight, 9-inch (239 mm) effective length, 17.31 mm overhang, null points at 66 and 120.9 mm.

The Satisfy Black uses the Clearaudio/Linn standard mount, making it compatible with every Clearaudio turntable and an ideal replacement arm on many other decks. Available on order at LMC Scottsdale — walk in during business hours or book ahead if the audition needs a Satisfy Black heard on your specific turntable, or a Satisfy Black-vs-Satisfy CF comparison.