Graham Phantom Elite vs. AS Aquilar

@wrm57 : Yes, it’s of the same kind of cantilever ADC used with its Astrion cartridge that I owned too.

R.

@wrm57  : Then you own the original, latter on ADC improved the cartridge with a better cantilever: berylium that was the latest TRX2.

 I never heard this one.

R.

Dear @wrm57  The one you own comes with berylium or sphire/ruby cantilever?

R.

@mijostyn  : 1980? so what?  " antiquated "?

What is " antiquated " is your tube amps technology, only saying nothing against it.

R.

@mijostyn  : I posted: " Theory is just that theory and is good   " and I'm not against theory but things are what they are.

"  a few design issues that make it antiquated. "  so what? if what you mount on it performs just fabolous, you need to give a try before your kind of comments about when we are in the most imperfect audio existent world: analog.

R.

Dear @mijostyn  :  With wich cartridges did you already tested the EPA 100 and compared against wich tonearms?

Theory is just that theory and is good but it's not all down there. As the EPA 100 other vintage tonearms as the MAX 237 or the GST 801 were and are great tonearms even if goes against that theory and in the past almost all great tonearms came with removable headshell, yes a trade-off but if you have several cartridges then that´s a welcomed trade-off because we can mate each cartroidge to its best headshell " couple ".

Nothing is perfect and you already know that.

R.

R.

Dear @wrm57  :  What certainly will improves the EPA 100 quality performance is a internal wiring change and other that your own observation/listen to it the only way to be sure is in good condition is to send not for modification other that the internal wiring but to check if it's in good operation condition and especially its bearing mechanism.

My sample was in pristine condition as it was too the EPA 100MK2 too.

Some owners like to make a change at the bearing for steeel balls instead the stock ruby and even with ceramic balls: not recomended.

In those times some EPA 100 came with the EPA100MK2 headshell ( boron alloy. ) that's truly good but the advantage is that the design is a removable headshell one and you can mount the cartridges with the one that mates the better to each cartridge.

Btw, in that link a USA gentleman with at least same technical level than theOP posted:

" I’ve had more than a dozen through here and have seen two with the issue, both fixed as I described. Unless you have one that’s out of tolerance, if you disassemble the base you’ll realize that backlash isn’t in the picture.

I appreciate your efforts and your work looks quite nice. I’d only wish meaningful data was shared as it’d help a lot in understanding performance. A plot of a single frequency doesn’t tell us much, and before and after plots of compound changes coupled with those plots being at two very different scales obfuscate even further. If the audible differences are so great how about some needle drops? "

and seems that those gentlemans love the MM designs ( nothing wrong with that ) but the tonearm works really fine with MC too.

Here you will find a gentleman from Germany that is an specialist and who in case you have a doubt of the tonearm operation can makes a check up and obviously the internal wiring change:

[Review] Technics EPA-100 tonearm listening test (tnt-audio.com)

For the gentlemans that do not seen before the EPA 100 here any one can see it through the Technics brochure:

Technics EPA 100 Variable Dynamic Damping Universal Tonearm Manual | Vinyl Engine

It's a beautiful design that still today fulfill cartridge compliance needs. It's unique to Technics.

R.

Dear @wrm57  : "  I’m excited. In the end, my addiction to Graham ergonomics was too hard to break.  "

This is all about, the Grham is the one you like and no one can argue against it. Good.

R.

Dear @wrm57  : "  the Phantom Supreme on the same same ’table--actually the same two ’tables--over the course of several years. I found the Phantom Supreme to be better--more resolving, more energetic, less colored--so I sold the Triplanar and bought a second Graham, a Phantom III. "

More resolving?, well normally the ideal tonearm must has not any " coloration "/sound by it self and are the cartridges mated with the ones with what we like it.

Certainly that your Graham tonearms and your cartridges mated very well to even your MUSIC reproduction targets and no one but you in your room/system can know if the other tonearm could be a good mates too.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.