Next TT

I ended up with a Montana it has not arrived yet. The Typhoon I got had a problem with the speed switch which still after 2 months AS has not fixed so the dealer gave me a pretty decent deal on a Montana to make up for the nightmare the entire transaction was.

AS is sending me a programmer to program the speed controller so we will see what happens. 

I have to admit that the process has been a nightmare, and I ended not buying a Invictus Junior for my home in Spain because all this back and forth. The rep for AS in the USA, Rutherford, has not been very responsive and kept misleading me with dates.

If anyone buys a AS should not buy a AS tonearm. Just adjusting the VTA is a nightmare, there is absolutely no finetuning, marks, anything to take a reference. All there is in their arms, even the $17K T7000 and $28K T9000, is a hex bolt that tightens a collar. Yes VTA is "adjustable", but forget about finetuning it, same with azimuth.  When I read MF review I kind of lost trust on his reviews, how can MF not mention that tuning the tonearm is so incredibly brute. He is, after all, followed my many people, and failing to mention this is like writing a review for a Ferrari and forget to mention that it comes with a panzer's (the WWII German tank) transmission. Yes it has a gearbox, but each time you change gears you lose a tooth.

@astolfor sorry to hear about your troubles with the AS products. Just curious why did you not buy something that was supported locally in your own Country?

He did, he lives in different countries. I appreciate the input on the arm….. and difficulty w USA support.

Jim

Kenner was my first TT. Why wouldn't you try a step up in the VPI line?

@rsf507 I live in Spain, and I am half German, half Basque. I do not think the problem with support is a general problem. I think it is more of a USA, kind of thing. 

I bought the Acoustic Signature because I have a good friend with an Ascona, with SAT and Kuzma tonearms and LOVE the combination. I just could not justify an Ascona for the USA so I bought a Typhoon and then ended with a Montana. 

For Xmas I got my partner another  TechDas Air Force One Premium, two things happened, I was really upset that Acoustic Signature did not have a Kuzma armbase in stock and took a long time, a little more than a month, to get one. I understand that they can't have all armbases in stock, but a Kuzma or a SAT? Also the speed issue, I was lead to believe that it was normal to have to turn off and on the TT to make the speed change despite my instance.  The distributor insisted, finally I reached out to AS in Germany because I just could not believe this. Their answer was a resounding "absolutely NOT", and as half German that works with German engineers all the time, such answers are not that common. This also still pending, now I am almost 3 months(?) in and the table still not working as designed.

Then TechDas, learned I was buying an AS and they reached out to me with an incredible good deal. So between my misplaced frustration with AS and the Air Force One Premium + a 4point Kuzma + a SAT CF1-09 deal I got, I decided to got with TechDas.

@4krowme I have a VPI in the USA, I did a bunch of upgrades and still not liked it. Granted that coming from $50k+ TTs to a VPI was not a fair step, I could not get to enjoy it despite upgrading the tonearm to a FatBoy, putting a motor of the avenger, a platter from their high end. I ended spending a lot of money on a table I decided it was not for me. I listened to their high end and still carried the same character so I decided to go with what I think it was the next step closer to what I like. At the end I was torn between the ClearAudio and Acoustic Signature and AMG for my house in the USA.

I was able to return the Avenger motor, and now I have the VPI for sale here through the dealer that sold me the AS. 

Hopefully when I get back to the USA to get my Pathos Heritage, ROSr racks and my Montana I will be able to enjoy and forget the transaction with the AS and VPI.

I am not saying the VPI is a bad table, because it is very nice, sounds great too, but it misses something I like and can't put my finger on.