A tonearm is the movable part of a phonograph or record player. It carries the pickup and permits the needle to follow the record groove. Its function is to support the cartridge in the correct position over the record and allow it to move inward to the centre while maintaining this position. A premium quality tonearm will allow you to get the best sound from a phono cartridge and a turntable, so a good tonearm design is essential in having the cartridge track move uniformly through all the grooves of a vinyl record.
