Dear @chris_g : " I’m referring to anyone that started listening to analog after the year 2000. There are true users, and then there are hipsters!!! " The audio world is a complex one and you have in this analog forum gentlemans that listen digital,LP,R2R and even casette and I can tell you that 22 years are a lott of years to learn what to do to improve your MUSIC/audio enjoyment no matters the media. Hipsters exist only in your mind/imagination.
R. |
no, not more distortion. yes; a step forward from my other arms. which are very fine. it’s more like the detail i get from 1/2" 15 ips tape. more life like and greater realism. |
Primary Control also produce a version of the FCL arm with permanent magnets - the Gravity - at a lower price point. With regard to the Phantom - I chose the Naim Aro over it many years ago for several reasons - The Phantom unipivot bearing is upside down - negatively affecting energy transfer. The Aro used only mechanical damping - weight distribution and importantly the self centering sapphire cup and radiused tip actually provide several db of mechanical damping - see Martin Colloms review. The Phantom arm-tube had lossy material inside the arm tube - in my experience with tuning my ET2 arm-tube this does more damage than good - smearing the signal. I have actually heard a couple of Phantoms in a top flight system with a variety of cartridges - they have a fat over exaggerated upper bass that I find detracts form the music. Funnily enough the Aro is very stable for a unipivot - on eccentric records there is no visible roll. And before Mr R runs another diatribe - the Aro is one of many arms I own. No arm is perfect.
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Dear @mikelavigne : As I said is what you like it. " no, not more distortion ", well that you or me don’t know for sure ( the FCL is not a perfect arm but with several critical issues that develops distortions. At the end is an unipivot design and all kind of developed distortions pass trhough the pivot trhough one single " point " with no real opportunity to dissipates it and the developed feedback pass trough that single " point " when in a gimball those distortions pass trhough a bearing with more than one point ( in the EPA 100 are 25 ruby balls. ) that helps to dissipates it and feedback too. That 12" arm wand is not at least tapered so higher distortions down there too.) ), what we know is that in audio almost all is about DISTORTIONS different kind and different levels. Everithing in the system puts its self " colorations " that depending of our MUSIC/sound targets makes that we like it more " this cartridge than the other one " or this TT vs a different one " and the like. I already said twice: an unipivot characteristic is its aliveness that in reality is higher distortion, you can’t do nothing about. At each single link in any audio system are developed distortions no matters what and the best we can do it’s to put at minimum its effects on what we listen or to put where those " colorations " been " better " for our ears/brain. You can name those several kinds of distortions as you want it but at the end its name is DISTORTION and believe me your room/system is not free of that, no one is. Anyway, it’s really good that you not only are satisfied with but you are enjoying the MUSIC as never before, fine ! !
R. |
I have been through a variety of Branded Tonearms over the years and swapped out arms as and when one was discovered that was being perceived to be able to perform without contributing to the sonic and being more transparent. In a nutshell and as a very layman's description when the Tonearm was appearing to have got out of the way of having a influence on the presentation, a decision would be made as to whether this was the most desirable trait and the one to aspire to. This ended up with a SME IV being in use for many years and selected over the V, as I was not able to detect a significant difference between the two on the day I was able to be demonstrated both in use, in the same set up and room. At a later date the Audiomods Series V Micrometer was added to the options for a Tonearm to use on the home system. The above two Tonearms are aligned in similarities in how they present a musical performance. It is a very tough call, but I have kept the Audiomods close at hand and is the most frequent occasionally used Tonearm from a Brand. I have an understanding of the impression a Tonearm has made on the above contributors and how a certain model has stood out and the words to describe the impression being made are not to easy to attain. My understanding is resulting from a Tonearm I use today as my go to Tonearm. It has undergone a complete rethink and design of all the mechanical interfaces, and has been machined to enable the use of parts that are modern and much more fit for the purpose of the selected roles. I have heard this Tonearm originally as an early concept design, in another system being compared to a range of TT's and Tonearms. There was enough detected to trigger my interest. I also heard the Tonearm go through a evolving design, to the point it has become a item that is offered to be produced for an individual. At this stage I have heard it compared to the Audiomods arm in another system and the outcome was my acquiring the redesigned Tonearm. In the home system, this Tonearm has as good as shelved the Audiomods and the SME IV is permanently on the Sub's Bench. There is not a comparison in the transparency perceived between the arms, the Branded arms are coloured and able to produce quite noticeable distortion, which is detected as a rather flat uninspiring presentation, the performance is not free to develop, it is constrained. The alternative to this is a presentation where there there is a shaping to a performance, there is a real sense of a unconstrained presentation, there is also a undeniable resolution created, where the replay is present with a form, there is a new to myself dimension added to shaping an instrument, a vocal or note, the perception being created is very different to a typical separation of a vocalist or instrumentation. I don't know how much it will cost for myself to achieve a presentation that comes close to this from a Branded Tonearm, but I don't feel the need to look for a variant of this any longer, there is great satisfaction in the place I am at. This is all available without the option to use the alternative internal wiring I have been instrumental in encouraging trials with. I know through the demonstrations received the new internal wire has been a very good choice and compliments the precision of the materials and mechanics that are selected for this arm. I am looking on occasion to find a shortcoming in the Tonearms performance, this will be carried out as a very subjective assessment, using many years of experiences of differing equipment to draw on. If I take care with the preparation for such times and follow the disciplines I have developed for the replay of Vinyl in my listening environment, I find it very hard to find a detractor or an element of unwanted influence from the Tonearms usage. |
