Graham Phantom vs Triplaner

Sirspeedy, I don't think its been mentioned before, but the bearings in the Tri-Planar are a special super-polished super-hardened variety that have to be special ordered. Here in the US Tri tells me that there is only one manufacturer left who can even build them.

Calibrating the arm (setting the bearings) takes him several hours for each arm. In the end the wiring is by far the more important issue, not the bearings- something that is in common with the Phantom. IOW, the bearing type has no 'bearing' (heh heh) on the matter insofar as friction is concerned. I just had to say that :)

How the bearings *do* help is in maintaining absolute azimuth- especially important with record warp, extreme bass passages and if the table is not perfectly level. Azimuth is adjusted by a worm screw adjustment at the bearing end of the arm wand, so you can get it exact at all times.

Atmosphere,I had a Triplanar,and know how good(really so)it is for setting azimuth.In my post,I specifically stated all was "only my opinion".Also,the issue of bearing stability,as how it pertains to maintaining azimuth,with the Phantom/Magna Glide feature,is as good as it gets,IMO!Dead perfect,regardles of warps,AND on those warps the VTF IS maintained,where-as my other Unipivot(I don't know about a ball race bearing,but wonder if vtf is maintained on a warp there)would not do this!
Also,what I was alluding to was the number of contact points in the "all important bearing area"(to have "none" would certainly trump a very good one,no?).The Phantom has only "one",stabilized differently than all other unipivots!Logic would dictate that no matter how good a ball race design is,if it has more contact points than an equally well designed arm with fewer contact points,like the Phantom,"IT" would not sound as good.Also,obviously all other parameters are important,and I mentioned this,but alot of the best arms address the "bearing resonance issue",which attributes,big time,to the ultimate cost of that product.
I must assume all ball race gimballs have more than that,so the potential for resonances would seem more likely with those types.One reason I feel the other arms,like the Schroders/Linear-air line types sound so good.I'd put them above the Phantom.
This is all not to dismiss the fact that many(including me)like arms like the Triplanar,so there is no point looking at my post as some kind of "knock" to those types of arms.I was just killing time,as I was home sick. I felt I gave a "relatively decent" arguement in favor of some other type of bearing systems(other than a ball race,multi contact point,which IS still very good,btw)that have the potential to lower an arm's noise floor.That's it!Just my own logic(whether it is favored by some or not).

My ONLY concern is to actually view the arm as a NON FACTOR(sort of)!...Let it allow the cartridge to do it's thing,and be invisible(if that were only possible)!

It is,in reality,only about the cartridge!Yet,it must be attached to something...Something with as little resonance as possible.As few(stable) contacts as possible.
Who even cares about my choice of a Phantom,as I will readily admit that based on my arguement the Schroder,or better yet,the Kuzma airline would be taking it to the max!
Please don't view my post as provocative,but just some hobbyist's opinion.
Also,I could easily end up with a Triplanar,some day,and would be thrilled!!!....I just want to get back to spinning my records again!!
Best.

Hi Sirspeedy, I certainly don't regard anything about the Phantom/Tri-planar question provacative- really, you can't go wrong either way. As far as I'm concerned, the more vinyl the better :)

I'm not certain that the 'one bearing'vs'four bearing' issue is real though. It seems that a logical fallacy might be operating there. Its certainly worth investigation...

>>My ONLY concern is to actually view the arm as a NON FACTOR(sort of)!...Let it allow the cartridge to do it's thing,and be invisible(if that were only possible)!
It is,in reality,only about the cartridge!<<

Totally disagree.

First, it is impossible to view the arm as a "non factor". Not even sort of. A very myopic view.

Second, the cartridge can no more "do it's thing" invisibly than the tonearm can "do it's thing" without error and in total neutrality.

Lastly, the tonearm's impact on accurate playback is far more important than the cartridge in my experience and opinion. I'm not dismissing the cartridge's role but given the choice of an excellent tonearm OR cartridge, sign me up for the tonearm every time.

Atmosphere,point well taken!Also,I'm certainly no mechanical engineer,but I have my own way of viewing things.Based on my wife's observations,they are usually wrong -:)
BTW,if I actually find that the Phantom is unavailable for an inordinately long time(I've been waiting for over two months,and I do understand the "why" of the delay),which I hope is not the case (and I certainly will wait a very,very long time before losing hope of obtaining one),I could be singing the virtues of a Triplanar."IT" would be my next logical choice!!I could always make a few bucks on my IC-70,and put that money towards a disc flattener -:)
My perspective on the disc flattener,btw,is more for the advantage of obtaining lower prices on the number of not perfectly flat LP's that appear at my local used LP source.Those are priced very cheaply,so it could be a nice investment.....Who am I kidding?I just want one!!!
See what I mean?I have my own silly way of viewing things.Just ask my wife-:)
Best.