I've owned all three,but did not have the best table set-up for my Triplanar,yet it is definitely a superb arm.I liked it alot though,and you'll hear from alot of posters liking it too.
The SME was a good arm,but the Phantom is superb,in virtually any catagory....
BTW,there is NOW a NEW series II Phantom,which should be even better than the one we all know about.
Check Graham's web-site for details.
You will have a superb arm,with all these choices,so price could be a factor.
Good luck |
ALL..Trust me!! If you have any properly working arm be happy...Be very,very happy!!
I am "not" alluding to any delay issues either!...
Don't even ask!!
" -:) " I hope) |
Sure the set-up skills of the hobbyist or arm cartridge mating is obviously important,but the actual design of the arm to be used is still paramount....They're not all equal!
Also,I still haven't heard from a hobbyist who previously owned a Walker or Rockport or Forsell or a Kuzma Airline,and felt a pivot was superior...
You can talk until blue in the face,but the fact is that there is less friction in "those" arms' bearings!...
One good reason why they sound SO good!! |
BTW,sorry as I should have added this all on my previous post,but the Phantom is very fussy(in a good way)regarding it's fluid damping in the bearing.This can be very helpful in voicing the arm,once one gets familiar with it.
It is nowhere as critical as the 2.2,but this parameter is most likely a viable reason for those hearing it,and being unimpressed.The Phantom is "fabulous",by any standard and has just gone through a new update(actually a series of improvements.
I may be awaiting my new arm,but I have close friends who own it,and it "IS" special!
Best. |
OOPS!!...I kinda screwed up!...My comment made about the "linear" arm,and impression of it's sound,should have been placed on another thread!!
Can anyone buy the excuse of two glasses of nice Shiraz,being the culprit?
|
I lied!!!I simply messed up...BUT I LOVE the "Rockbare" label from Australia(about 20 dollars),and really amazing!On the cheap,but the amazingly good side is "Tin Dog",I bought three cases of the stuff for Five dollars a bottle,and have been having a glass or two after the gym....Very nice stuff.
I've been saving my daughter's birthday gift to me,a fabulous Barolo,for my "finally" getting my system on track again...it's been sitting in my "cellar wine rack",which is my son's old ping pong table,in basement,for five months.
I HOPE to crack into it in about two weeks....
Best to all |
Downunder,the bottom-most Shiraz,and it's a good price too.
Really worth seeking out!!
Thanks |
The "magnaglide" is also improved...Let's face it,Graham has a great track record with update improvements!! |
First off,Hi Halcro...how are you doing?Best to ya!!Hope all is well...
OK,second(main)point...Dgad,I've been waiting for "this" thoughtful comparison for over two years.A very interesting post,and I have NO reason to doubt your findings,though I DO "hope" my new Series II Phantom is better than the Series I,which I did not own for long,so cannot comment.
The ONLY point of disagreement(I have a feeling you may understand this,and maybe agree in afterthought) I have with you is....
I believe that "Only" a few hours in voicing an arm/cartridge is grossly understated!!It seems that in order to get the best performance,over a wide range of LP's,one MUST spend some "fotzing around time" over a few listening afternoons!..
Of course,once the "audio pals" make their presence felt,the set up parameters sometimes need serious defending....against the one or two "golden eared" contrarians,who always make their superior hearing/knowledge of the LP's "true sound characteristics" known....Like we can't know this(about our own systems) on our own. -:)This IS the one thing that is "consistently" repeated in my little yenta group.Yet,I still love these guys.
Best |
I've got to agree with Raul!The arm/cartridge combination will absolutely be critical.
I've known some to think it blasphemy to feel the Ikeda could be bettered...with the right cartridge choice.However those cartridges were far heavier than the ZYX.The Ikeda will work best with a bit more mass,and fans of the arm give it what "it" wants.
The Titan-I I know very well.Alot heavier than the superb UNI,but I've only heard the Titan on an Air Tangent,and VPI 12.6 arm....A fabulous cartridge in either arm!
The Phantom(I installed one for a friend,and have listened extensively to the "series one" Phantom)is,as mentioned best voiced with alot of experiment with the damping fluid,but not nearly as sensitive to this as the Graham 2.2 was.Both great arms...with the 2.2 a bargain on the used market,as I've mentioned before.
I owned two SME's,but only used them with Koetsus.I remember liking both arms,but the Triplanar that replaced the SME was superior,even though I did not have it perfectly set-up.
All superb arms,and all will benefit greatly with the perfect cartridge match.
Funny thing,a well known dealer and importer of high end tables mentioned to me he felt the Davinci was inferior to many arms,due to "lousey bearings"!His words!!
Based on conversations with him,I don't believe "that" statement for one minute!!
Best |
Dgad,of course I(being the yenta that I am)LOVE this kind of posting,from you!In no way do I doubt your findings,and hope my comments are taken as just hobbyspeak.
The truth is,from my own experience(in my set ups over the years)as well as friends' systems.....there is such a huge chasm of differing performance parameters that we all MUST overcome(individually)that it's hard to make blanket statements.
I don't accuse you,or anyone of this,but "BOY"....I've been to friends' homes whose systems literally did an about-face in specific performance areas,when someting as supposedly insignificant as a "fuse" was changed for a better one....A slight azimuth change,a tube change,a cable change,a speaker placement change,sub roll off change,on and on!I went into withdrawal when a friend sold his Air Tangent arm,and originally got far lower performance from the unipivot replacement.Months later,the UNI got a much better set-up(from another hobbyist/friend),and BOOM.... "fabulosity"!!...Yet...
The truth is,even the "cute and popular" little stylus force pressure guage many of us now use(I do),which has become so popular,and is advertised by Acoustic Sounds as "The Accutech"(over priced "there" btw)is NOT accurate,from the latest info I've come across.
The VTF guage is inaccurate to about .05 gms,and though many folks do/should voice this by ear,there are those who simply set to a "desired" vtf,if it falls into some kind of sefety zone,and "is good enough sounding"!...There are alot of folks where "good enough" is the FINAL STOP!
What can I say?Even I have no clue(as of now)if my series two arm is any better than the series one,and in truth I don't care...Why?Because we get far too "into" the techno crap,and forget that ALL the answers to our sonic questions lie on the LP's!We talk far too little about the great software,and how to approach great LP's differently,other than throwing new toys at them.Do we "really" know how the best discs sound...at their "best"?Only one way to approch this,from my perspective.
If we know what they "should" sound like,we are way ahead of the game.....There exists a useful alternative to hobbyspeak by "us",as well as industry folks/reviewers opinions!You've really got to take these discs over to some very good/reliable outside set-ups,to learn how well we "do" these individualy....
Sometimes it gets ugly!I've done this like a zillion times.Often not being so pleased with what I thought was "good enough" in my own set up.Spent serious moola too.
If we know what truly accurately reproduced music sounds like on many of our reference discs(which comes into focus quite well,once you start to drag these LP's over to other set-ups...to learn something interesting,and I hope this makes sense),the better LP's will tell us everything we need to know,and this business(though I admit to loving it)of the newest comparison componentry/gadget revealing the "N'th degree" of "some" kind of parameter will be rather insignificant.
Just my 2 cents |
Firstly,very good point Halcro.Fuel for thought.
Secondly,Downunder "THAT" scares me!!!...
You of all people know (I assume) of the problems I had been having(if I was totaly honest,and actually named names, and was more specific as to the problems which developed from "amazing" lack of concern,many would be shocked,but I'm not going there.....even though the "ineptitude" and lack of caring still peeves me)...
I've been "guaranteed" that this weekend my "final piece" of my audio system will come from the West Coast.I need it to finish off my set-up,and "should" have a far superior "rig" than before(I've made quite a few improvements/mods while awaiting some things to work out)....BUT...I am absolutely paranoid that something will go wrong AGAIN!!
The industry has demonstrated to me,it is not close to where it was just a few years ago,with regards to competence,and customer support....At THESE prices,it is a shame!!!
SHEEESH!!!
So...I've got my new Phantom Series II completely set-up,but without actually hearing it!...I set up the original Phantom I,for a friend,and know it very well.It was superb,and he too is upgrading to the series II!Basically because he's competitive,and likes to keep abreast of the latest stuff.
In my case,it was circumstances that got me to the Series II.I've only got 12 hours on my Orpheus.All on my long since missed Graham 2.2 BUT....
I've had numerous conversations with Bob Graham,over the last few months.He knows what he is doing!!He has demonstrated to me that he is a concerned mfgr,and I'd be shocked if it worked out the way you describe.I'd have to down a case of Rock Bare Shiraz if so -:)
Originally HP of TAS was enthusiastic about the Titanium wand,but there are other changes to the arm which should/could put it over the series I.The wand is only one change.
I do find the newer arm to "appear" more finely made in some areas.Especially the better precision of the bearing screw cap teethe,which allow for much more precision when screwing in the bearing cap.I was not crazy about the older tolerences here.
Also,the cue lift bar seems to magnetically "lock" into place,in the downward position.This is "cute",and could very well allow for les "rattle"/noise(if any) during play.
The inner cabling has supposedly been improved,and I "think" the magna-glide feature is improved.
I'll definitely find out "very soon",but.... WHATEVER I POST IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS....take with a healthy grain of salt,because I will be "SO HAPPY" to listen to all my fabulous(the "one" thing I am certain of)Lp's again,that virtually "anything" resembling music will be great...to my ears!!
Take my comments more seriously around December or January,when I start to realize I have issues again -:)
Get it? -:) |
Larryi,Larryi,Larryi -:)
Your first paragraph I absolutely agree,word for word with.Spot on!!....As usual.
Trust me,your Phantom "HATING" friend has a problem in his set-up......Period!!!Maybe fluid distribution,or another set-up parameter.I'm sure you'll help him here.Btw,make sure to get a nice bottle of wine as repay.-:)
The 2.2 I TOTALLY miss,because I "had" LP replay back then.I'll soon have LP replay again,but...
The Phantom beats the pants off the 2.2 in virtually any meaningful area!!It's not close,and I spent over a year rationalizing the "closeness" of the performance between the two....Not close!!I wish it were different,because I'd have more money,and LP replay if I still had my 2.2.
To be continued----
Best |
