Gmorris,please don't get me wrong.I know nothing more about the Phantom than you or anyone else.I, personally,don't like the loss of damping capability on the newer arm.I know it still has the fluid,but as I understand it,the 2.2 damping is more critical.A disadvantage?Possibly,yet after all I have learned about the tuneability of the 2.2,I don't want to give that up.
Also,if you look at many of the popular cartridges reviewed,and favored,in the mainstream mags(dreck as they are,the mags,not the cartridges)you have a shift towards higher mass designs.EX:Myabi-appx.13 gms/Dynavector XV-1s-14 gms.Koetsus 12 gms./Titan 12 gms.Graham's own cartridge 14.5 gms.NOW I most likely am wrong here,and admit to it,however,in looking at a Capitolistic market, Graham stands to sell a hell of alot more arms by being more universally acceptable,hence a much more massive design,like the Phantom.
I have mentioned in the past that van den Hul feels a much lower mass over the record groove yields better results.So does the Air Tangent people.Who ever said that the 2.2 is overtly resonant in design,once you know how to tune into the fluid's signature traits?Who wants a Graham/Sme-5 hybrid,which is what the Phantom seems to be,to me.Does adding the cute "magna-glide" lock-in capability really afford one the "UNIQUE" sound of a true uni-pivot?A true uni-pivot should NOT be restricted in movement,IMO!There is a real advantage to that "SOUND".I could see where one would NOT want the sideways(not the movie,which was great BTW)flexure,if you had a fairly heavy cartridge,but my cart. is only 7 gms.Anyway,the 2.2, in structural rigidity, is Extremely Rigid,on it's own.The way my mindset works(not very well,actually,if I have to go on, like this),I would have "LOVED" and had "HOPED" the Phantom was going to be much more like the UNIQUE,but RARER than a rare orchid species,Shroder Reference.NO BEARING FRICTION AT ALL.NO DAMPING FLUID TO FOTZ AROUND WITH!That is what I had hoped for,with all the delays and all.Instead what I see is a 2.2 on STEROIDS.I got rid of my SME-5 some years back.I'll bet the difference between those two arms is not that great!!Before I offend anyone,let me admit that I'm sure some of my comments are just rationalization,though I do feel this way.It's just that I'd really hoped for Graham to REALLY do something GREAT after all the hoopla,regarding his BRILLIANT marketing of the PHANTOM.I expected,and would have gotten in line,to see an arm that ELIMINATED ANY FLUID,through the use of what a TRUE magnaglide design(vertically and horizontally)would have aforded us!
To really let myself off the hook(so I don't feel guilt when I get WACKED,by responses),if I had a significantly heavier cart. I'd probably consider a Phantom,if I did not LOVE Air Bearings so much.Any more money spent by me,on arms, would take me there!!
