clearaudio Clarify Tonearm User Manual
- June 9, 2024
- clearaudio
Table of Contents
Clarify Tonearm
User Manual
Dear Clearaudio customer,
Thank you for purchasing the Clearaudio Clarify radial tonearm.
The innovative Clarify tonearm features friction-free magnetic bearing
technology, a micrometerstyle adjustable counter weight and an azimuth
adjustable headshell, which is especially designed to allow easy and accurate
alignment of the phono cartridge.
Clearaudio recommend the Clarify tonearm in combination with the “Ovation”
turntable and any of the Clearaudio MC cartridges.
Made in Germany by true expert craftsmen, the latest Clearaudio technology and
a timeless design combine to ensure the best possible sound enjoyment.
Please read this instruction manual carefully, to avoid any damage or loss of
warranty.
This manual will help you achieve an easy setup and guarantees the highest
pleasure for a long time.
We wish you a lot of listening pleasure with your new Clearaudio Clarify
tonearm.
Clearaudio electronic GmbH
Safety instructions
-
General information
Check the tonearm for any damage before using it. Do not connect the tonearm if damaged! Never connect the tonearm if it has been dropped or gotten wet, contact your dealer to have the tonearm checked.
Never expose the tonearm to rain or moisture.
The inside of the tonearm is maintenance free. Never open the case or attempt to repair the unit yourself, since this can lead to loss of warranty!
Before using the tonearm for the first time or after a long period of inactivity the lift must be operated approx. 4-5 times to loosen the grease in the tonearm lift to lower the lift bar evenly again. -
Intended use
The Clarify is a tonearm for playing music and is intended exclusively for use on turntables.
Only use the Clarify tonearm in accordance with the information provided in the user manual. -
Location of installation
Avoid locations with direct sunlight, temperature fluctuations and high humidity. Likewise, avoid placing electronic devices near heaters, heat lamps, or other devices that produce heat.
The device is designed for operation at room temperature.
No objects with an open flame may be placed on or near the device (burning candles or similar). -
Maintenance
We recommend that you move the tonearm lift at regular intervals to keep the bearing grease supple and to prevent the tonearm from getting stuck during playback if you do not use your Clearaudio tonearm for a longer period.
Never use aggressive cleaning agents.
Do not use dry cloths for cleaning as this generates static electricity. Suitable cleaning and care products from Clearaudio are available at www.analogshop.de or from specialist retailers.
Only use a soft cloth with a smooth surface or a soft brush for cleaning. -
Health information
Permanently high volume can lead to various types of hearing damage. Use high volume responsibly! -
Service
The Clarify tonearm should be repaired during the guarantee period by the manufacturer only, otherwise the warranty claim expires. All Clearaudio products should only be serviced by specialist retailer.
If, despite the high production standard, a service is necessary, the Clarify tonearm must be send to Clearaudio through your dealer. -
Transport
Use the original packing material for further transportation of the Clarify tonearm, otherwise serious damage could occur.
Be sure to pack the device exactly as it was shipped.
Safe transport is only guaranteed in the original packaging.
Proceed in reverse as described for assembly when packing. -
Disposal
Do not dispose this product together with other waste.
WEEE Reg. No.: DE26004446 -
CE Marking
This electronic product corresponds to the applicable guidelines for obtaining the CE mark.
List of components
The Clear audio Clarify tonearm is delivered in a customized packing to ensure
its safe transport.
Please retain the original packaging for any future transportation and
shipping.
Please see the list below to check the contents of your Clear audio Clarify
tonearm.
1.| Clari4/ carbon fibre tonearm| 5.| Without picture:
Additional counterweight: 35.75 g – flat head screw M3 x 8
---|---|---|---
2.| Clamping base| 6.| Without picture:
Warranty card, Clear audio Quality Card, user manual, return delivery note
3.| Hex wrench (#2 /3) Screw driver| 7.| Without picture:
Tonearm alignment gauge
4.| Screws.
– 3x hex screws M4 x 10 (stainless steel)
– lx grub screw M6 x 8 (stainless steel)| |
Recommended Tools:
- Clearaudio Cartridge alignment gauge (Art. No. AC005/IEC)
- Clearaudio Weight Watcher touch (Art. No. AC163)
- Clearaudio Mini Level Gauge (Art. No. AK001)
This items and more accessories are available through your dealer or at www.analogshop.de.
Mounting the tonearm base
2.1 Mounting the tonearm base on the Clearaudio Performance DC or Ovation
turntable
Please check if the correct tonearm base is mounted on your turntable (Pic.
2).
If the wrong tonearm base is mounted place the turntable on the edge of a
table or similar surface to gain access to the tonearm base from below.
Remove the tonearm base by loosening the six M4 x 35mm screws with a hex
wrench on the bottom side of the clamping ring.
Exchange the tonearm base and loosely tighten the screws to keep the tonearm
base rotatable.
Please ensure the perfect location of the base.
Pic. 2: Tonearm base for Performance DC & Ovation (Art. No. AC031-4)
2.2 Mounting the clamping ring on a other manufacturers’ turntables
Drill three holes into the turntable chassis to mount the aluminium clamping
ring.
Use the measurements given in the drawing template below to ensure the correct
position of the three holes (Pic. 3).
Use a 3.3mm drill for this step. After you have drilled the three holes,
thread the holes using an appropriate tap cutter. If the material of the
turntable chassis is not suitable for threading, please use a 4.5mm drill for
the holes. In this case, you will need longer screws with nuts to fit the
tonearm base.
Please note that this image is not true to scale.
Pic. 3: Drilling template for mounting the tonearm base on a other manufacturers‘ turntable
Mounting the Clarify tonearm
Take the clamping ring and place it on the recess in the tonearm base.
Now you can attach the clamping ring to the tonearm base with the 3 supplied
M4 x 10 screws.
Make sure that the side hole of the clamping ring remains accessible (see Pic.
4).
First insert the tonearm cable and then the tonearm foot of the Clarify tonearm into the hole of the clamping ring (Pic. 5).
Now fix the tonearm with the screws and the hex wrench. Do not over-tighten for later adjustments (Pic. 6)!
Adjustment of the distance between spindle and pivot point
We recommend to use the Clearaudio alignment gauge (Art. No. AC005/IEC, also
available from www.analogshop.de) for the exact
setting of the tonearm pivot point.
Make sure that the distance between spindle and the pivot point of the tonearm
is exactly 222mm.
You can adjust the distance by rotating the tonearm base.
Please tighten the tonearm base and check the measurement again after
adjustment.
Adjustment of the tonearm
The following settings require to mount the cartridge on the headshell.
Always follow the cartridge manufacturer’s instructions.
Leave the stylus protector on your cartridge to avoid any damages!
Now you can connect the respective signal cable with the matching color pins
of the cartridge.
Please note the following colour coding:
Red: right channel / R+
Green: right channel / R
White: left channel / L+
Blue: left channel / L
Connect the pins of your cartridge to the jacks of the headshell or tonearm
cable, taking care not to use too much force.
Use suitable precision pliers or tweezers for assistance if necessary.
5.1 Adjustment of the VTA
The tonearm remains loose in the clamping ring and is not screwed tight. Now
place a record or the Clearaudio alignment gauge (Art. No. AC005/IEC) on the
turntable and remove the stylus protector from your cartridge.
Make sure the tracking force is roughly adjusted to avoid damage to the
cartridge.
Please be extremely careful during the following steps!
Never move the cartridge in the alignment gauge while it is lowered.
Use the lift to lower the tonearm and check if the tonearm tube is parallel to
the platter.
The tonearm tube should not touch the lift bracket, but the needle must rest
on the record or the alignment gauge.
Put the tonearm tube back in the rest position if the tonearm tube is not
parallel and shows a slight incline.
Now carefully lower/raise the entire tonearm in the clamping ring until the
tonearm tube is parallel to the platter.
Hand-tighten the clamping ring while the tonearm is in this position.
Put the tonearm back in the rest position holder and add the stylus protector
if the position is still correct.
5.2 Alignment and adjustment of the cartridge
Use the adjustment template, included in the scope of the delivery for the
final tonearm and cartridge adjustment.
Place it directly on the turntable (without record) and align it with the
arrow pointing toward the tonearm pivot point (Pic. 10).
Take the tonearm out of the rest position and align it in the area of the
cross lines.
Lower the tonearm and check the alignment.
The cartridge body must be aligned in the template grid and the needle tip
should be located in the cross lines.
Also, the side and front edges of the housing have to be parallel to the grid
lines.
To correct the adjustment, loosen the screws of the cartridge to move the
cartridge in the headshell.
Re-check the setting again after you have tightened the screws.
5.3 Adjustment of the tracking force
Turn the counter weight at the end of the tonearm to increase or lower the
tracking force.
Caution: Please hold the tonearm tube while rotating the counterweight to
avoid any damages.
red arrow (to the end of the tonearm) = lower tracking force -> turn the knob
clockwise
green arrow (to the beginning of the tonearm) = more tracking force -> turn
the knob anti-clockwise
Please follow the instructions of the respective cartridge manufacturer.
We recommend using the Clearaudio „Weight Watcher touch“ digital cartridge
scale (Art. No. AC163, also available at
www.analogshop.de) for the correct setting.
5.4 Adjustment of the azimuth
The azimuth is the angle of the cartridge stylus to the record surface. Viewed
from the front, the cartridge needle has to be vertical to the record.
Please note: The azimuth is already set at the factory. Lower the cartridge
onto the record surface and check the position of the needle if you still want
to optimize the azimuth.
Please proceed as following to change the azimuth:
Loosen the screw (hex wrench #2) on the bottom side of the tonearm tube near
the headshell.
Now you can adjust the azimuth by turning the headshell in the tonearm tube.
Carefully tighten the small hex screw again without changing the previously
selected position.
We recommend the “Mini Level Gauge” from Clearaudio (Art.No.: AK001; also
available from www.analogshop.de) to check the
adjustment.
5.5 Adjustment of the anti-skating
The anti-skating is already preset by Clearaudio.
Use the adjusting screw on the underside of the tonearm to adjust the anti-
skating.
This setting is marked with a line on your tonearm (viewed from below).
You can change the anti-skating as follows:
Turn clockwise (max. 5 turns)= stronger anti-skating
Turn counterclockwise (max. 5 turns)= less anti-skating
We recommend the Clearaudio Trackablity Test Record available from
www.analogshop.de or from your specialist retailer
for a professional and perfect anti-skating setting.
The tonearm adjustment is now complete.
We recommend to re-check all settings again and correct them if necessary
before connecting the tonearm to your phono pre-amplifier.
We hope you enjoy your new Clarify tonearm.
Your Clearaudio team
Troubleshooting
First check the possible causes to rule out incorrect operation if you have a
problem with your Clarify tonearm.
Please contact your dealer if the error persists!
Never try to open the unit and/or repair it yourself, this will void the
warranty!
| Error | Cause | Measure |
|---|
Needle bounces
or slides across
record| Is the record or the stylus dirty or damaged?| Clean the record / or
the cartridge. Clearaudio offers many helpful accessories for care and
cleaning. In the event of damage, we recommend an assessment by a specialist
and, if necessary, an exchange.
Has the tracking force been set too high?| Adjust the tracking force.
Use only a suitable gauge! For example Clearaudio „Weight Watcher touch“ or
„Smart Stylus Gauge“.
Is the record deformed or scratched?| Use a record clamp or replace the
record.
Is the turntable leveled?| Check the alignment of the turntable and adjust if
necessary.
Tonearm lift does not lower or lowers very slowly| The tonearm has not been
used for a long time, which means that the greas in the tonearm lift can
harden and lower with difficulty.| Operate the lift about 4-5 times to loosen
the grease in the tonearm lift and the lift bar will lower evenly again.
Technical data
Construction details:| Radial tonearm
With friction free magnetic bearing technology
---|---
Material:| Aluminium (silver), stainless steel,
carbon tonearm tube (silver)
Cartridge balance range:| 2.5g – 17.0g
Overhang:| 17.33mm
Total length:| 330.00mm
Effective length:| 239.25mm
Mounting distance
(tonearm pivot to spindle):| 222.00mm
Offset angle:| 25.45°
Wiring:| 1.1m Clearaudio Direct Wire PLUS terminated with RCA
Weight:| Approx. 410g (incl. counterweight)
Manufacturer’s warranty:| 2 years*
- Provided that the warranty card is correctly completed and returned to Clearaudio, or your product is registered online at https://clearaudio.de/en/service/registration.php, within 14 days of purchase.
References
- clearaudio analogshop
- art.no
- clearaudio analogshop
- clearaudio electronic GmbH | High End - made in Germany