Kuzma 4Point Tri-Planar

I've read that review. I was more interested in hearing what people who have heard both Kuzma and T-P in their own systems think of these tonearms and so far comments mirror my own experience but I just love that smoothness that T-P brings.
It would certainly be interesting to hear comments from Graham (now Supreme) and Talea users but also from people, if there are any, who have also heard 10" and 12" Grahams and would care to comment what did those bring to the table that 9" didn't... There is a thread like that already but it talks about other sorts of instruments :)

Dear Amater, wonder if that review really did the Kuzma any good .....

I would love to mount a Phantom on my Galibier and do a comparison. Unfortunately, Bob insists on that stupid cable out the base mount. That precludes the use of the same armboard and so cannot be compared apples to apples. I really hate not being able to give a world class arm a fair chance.

Galibier and Talea dealer disclaimer

Dear Mgerhardt, Syntax has had the Phantom II in all 3 length - 9", 10" and 12". Guess there are very few out there with as wide experience regarding the Phantom.

Reverb here (echoing Mike Lavigne's echo). Our comparisons were also with the Talea 1. The Talea 2 is reportedly a sonic improvement, which would only increase its advantage over the TriPlanar and Airline.

With regard to why some arm designers choose wood, I've spoken at length with two (Frank Schroeder, Joel Durand) and neither is seeking "warmth" or any sort of coloration. The idea that wood adds warmth (other than visually) is a myth. (Proof: the Talea is not particularly warm sounding. Schroeders are but that's due to the mobility in the "bearing", not the wood in the armtube.)

Wood is a chaotic material comprised of millions of random grain boundaries at varying angles surrounding cells with differing sizes, shapes and densities. Such a structure tends NOT to allow standing waves (resonances) to propagate or reinforce each other. Acoustic energies which flow into wood tend to be repeatedly scattered into disorganized packets with randomized frequencies and amplitudes. This makes it easier for the arm and armboard to dissipate them, rather than reflecting organized energy back toward the cartridge. Result? An armtube that adds LESS color to the signal than one made of (say) an organized (crystalline) material like most metals.

Of course there are ways around this for the maker of metal armtubes. For example, one could make a tube of sintered metal. Expensive, no doubt, but probably effective in similar ways to wood. I don't know if any metal armtubes are actually made with this in mind or not, just sayin'...