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Trans-Fi Terminator Tonearm: 2019 Update

In reading a few related posts on linear tracking tonearm, in general,  and Trans-Fi Terminator , in particular, I thought I would give a brief update of the Terminator.

I purchased the arm directly from Andrey in Moscow two months ago. From what I understand, Andrey has taken over production after Vic's retirement. What I received is the most up-to-date version of the arm with the carbon fibre wand and brass counterweights, the direct wire leads from cartridge to  phono amp, and a new brass manifold ( not evident from the main web-site). Both the wand and the new manifold are Andrey's contribution to the continued refinement of the Terminator.

Also,  please visit this site: https://darklanternforowen.wordpress.com/2017/04/15/terminator-tonearm-new-arm-mount/. This gentlemen from NZ has developed a new arm mount for the Terminator which advanced the arm's sonics even further. It was reading through the the development of this new arm mount that convinced me to order the Terminator after much prior research. I did not purchase the arm mount from NZ as it would not readily fit my Verdier La Platine, instead Andrey made a custom arm mount. It is in essence a two point support mount rather than a single point support rod that is commonly used. 

My previous arm was a SME V of 1990's vintage mounted with a ZYX airy. The Terminator is several notch above the SME V. All the accolades given to the Terminator seem justified. My main point in writing is that the new developments by Andrey, i.e. the carbon fibre wand and the newest brass manifold, seem to improve upon the Terminator even more ( see link above ). This is the news that I wanted to share with existing Terminator owners. I asked Andrey to start a blog on all the new stuff that is happening with the arm, but it seems that he is busy making 'things'!




ledoux1238
ledoux1238 OP
280 posts
 
@terry9  Perforated hose..... Brilliant! That I'll try. 
Where to source a precision regulator?

@jtsnead  In reading many of the comments from early adopters of the Terminator comparing its  recent performances with upgrades in manifold, arm ward..etc, I believe you will be pleasantly surprised as to how far it has come.  But given where you have landed in your tonearm quest, I probably would want to trade places with you :)0  The Thales Simplicity is a beautiful arm with such unique technology. I especially enjoyed the factory tour video by Fremer of HiFiction, the parent company of Thales. 

Can / Do you adjust VTA on the fly?
dgarretson
2,598 posts
 
My Terminator is not currently set up, but I like the idea of a second surge tank made of stiff material like a capped PVC tube and placed close to the tonearm. I suspect the underlying issue is that a long, soft silicone hose modulates in sync with the pump. It’s likely better to have a short length of hose near the arm, or a stiffer hose material such as automotive hose inside steel braid.

To get an idea of the level of bearing turbulence, place the stylus on a stationary record with the pump running and listen to the speakers with preamp volume turned high.

BTW it’s a great arm. I modified it extensively with a lightweight carbon fiber slider formed over a foam core, and various custom wands and detachable headshells. However, some vintage MM/MI cartridges had tracking issues with it and were better served with an SME 3012R or Kuzma 4P. But the TFT’s general performance is up in that league.
jtsnead's avatar
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jtsnead
217 posts
 
See the link below to my photos you can see the PVC tube with end caps I designed for my Terminator over 15 years ago, it worked very well I had the filter after the surge tank before the arm. I never had issues with pulsing.

I was one of the first people to ask for Eichman rca’s and direct line cables for the T3. I had Vic make silver leads with silver Eichman’s

I do feel you have to take the arm off and clean it every year or so to keep it running optimally.

@ledoux1238 yeas The new T3 is intriguing and I would of gotten one to live with again but the Thales does everything the T3 does and it is so much easier to swap cartridges.

I will give a shout out to @dgarretson he helped me with a custom brass base for my T3 which helped in getting a firm foundation for the arm see below

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/3585#&gid=1&pid=5
terry9
2,333 posts
 
Ledoux, I use a precision regulator from Fairchild. Talk to one of the industrial air mail-order outlets for advice. I ended up with a model 10 if I remember correctly, but that was years ago, and now would probably specify a M4100A for the Terminator.

I second the need for a solid foundation. A simple pillar of 2" aluminum rod works wonders. And for cleaning. 99% isopropanol and a cotton ball is ideal.
ledoux1238 OP
280 posts
 
I am coming around to the idea of using a PVC type 'filter'. Perhaps as @dgarretson indicated, the silicone tubes may be in sync with the modulated air flow, and a stiffer material may break it up. This 'filter' should probably be used in tandem with other surge tanks, each performing a slightly different function in modulating air flow. And it be placed close to the arm as the last filtration piece before air enters the manifold. Nice!


@jtsnead 


I will give a shout out to @dgarretson he helped me with a custom brass base for my T3 which helped in getting a firm foundation for the arm see below

Please see link below. A fellow Terminator user's exploit into a better arm base, for Salvation TT and others. The key is a two point fastening connection.
https://darklanternforowen.wordpress.com/2017/04/15/terminator-tonearm-new-arm-mount/


@terry9 

Thanks for the info. I'll look into it.


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