The Bool Audio Blog

June 2023 — Into production 

June marked a significant milestone — the tonearm moved out of the prototype phase and into its first proper production run of ten units. It's the moment every small manufacturer works towards, and it brought its own set of challenges.

The arm mounting collar is one of the most complex components in the Clear Wave. It has to do several things at once — route the arm wiring through internal channels, hold the arm support pipe in a precisely reamed bore, and provide a VTA locking mechanism that works from above using a hex key rather than a sideways grub screw. That last detail matters more than it sounds. Tightening from above means less torque is needed, there's no risk of the screw marring the support pipe, and the whole adjustment feels more considered and deliberate. The clamp locates against the pipe with a matching radius rather than a point contact, which distributes the load cleanly and makes the adjustment repeatable.

The main body presented its own design decision. Aluminium was the natural choice for its low mass, but in a unipivot the distribution of mass matters as much as the total amount. A section of nickel silver was incorporated into the lower third of the body — secured with Loctite after anodising — which adds mass exactly where it helps and also serves as the grounding point for the main ground wire connecting to the micro DIN plug.