Trans-fi Terminator T3PRO opinions please...

Congrats on your wise decision. I´ve been enjoying the
Trans-Fi linear arm since the early days. I was so convinced
of its audio quality that I never wanted any other arm. To
my surprise I found that the setup is easier than with
pivoted arms. But everything must be PERFECTLY leveled, no
exceptions. Just follow the instructions literally and you
´ll make it easily. Once setup´s completed, it maintains its
perfection. After all work´s done you just enjoy music.
The best tonearm ever designed and works like a dream.

The same with the Reso-Mat. Makes record float off platter
and thus allowing mechanical resonances vanish into air and
not reflect back to record to smear sound. Simple thing.
Basically no clamping is needed either but according to some
owners sound benefits from moderate clamping, Dave the
Messenger will enlighten you...

And I have this tonearm, and I want to tell you is excellent.
At first, when I bought it, I was not very satisfied with Tonearm and that was because I never adjusted VERY PRECISELY turntable horizontality and also the tonearm.
But now I did Tonearm perfect horizontality and works like a dream.
Something very important is that the air pump to be as far from the place where the phono cartridge, if not, you will have definitely hum.
I think it would be good if you have VTA digital display that would help a lot in tuning VTA and especially you to remember how to call a particular VTA because it is difficult to read accurately the scale arm. I do not have the digital display VTA and now I'm sorry.

I bought this tonearm nearly three years ago, mounted on Nottingham Analogue's second best table from a dozen years before: 20Kg platter, upgraded bearing, upgraded plinth. Terminator's improvement over the $1500 NA tonearm was significant.

The combination now sports a high end Koetsu, and friends with Schroeder arms find the combination pleasing. Speakers are modified new Quad ESL's and electronics are to match.

I agree that set-up is CRITICAL. It's not too hard, but you need to take your time and get it right. I have sited the pump in another room.

My first pump was an aquarium pump, Rena Air 400, but I am in the process of upgrading to a Hiblow with a precision pressure regulator. I have found that the exact air pressure affects the sound substantially, with more pressure changing the sound from soft and mellow to harder and more precise. Basically, air pressure can act as a tone control. The Rena gives a neutral sound.

One great thing about the T3 is that the air is problem-free and noiseless, because it is low pressure. Another great thing is the fact that it is easy to put brass weights onto the arm wand to change its mass. That too affects the sound dramatically, and so I can use a high compliance MM when I wish (no weights), and low compliance MC (with up to 14g) when I wish. Weights too can act as a tone control.

I suggest silver wire and ETI plugs, and an extra arm wand. Go for the latest, with weighted pivots. I also prefer an aluminum tower to the Delrin tower that Vic supplies, but your mileage etc.

I think that the T3 is a superb bargain. Not least, Vic seemed to be on a mission to improve my system, and HE LISTENED to what I wanted. Rave review from this quarter.

Go4vinyl, I've moved through several iterations of Terminator to what is essentially a modified T3Pro. My version includes a custom pivot with a built-in socket that accomodates standard removable headshells. Vic has on occasion offered this set-up.

The optional uninterrupted screened silver RCA wiring sounds great and eliminates multiple solder points and metal contacts. The outer screen is also effective in eliminating cartridge hum.

The Rena pump is fine when smoothed through a 1 gal. tank as described on Vic's web site. I built an insulated plywood enclosure to reduce pump noise, but ideally the pump belongs in a closet or adjacent room.

As noted by others, working with this arm becomes straight-forward after the somewhat painstaking journey toward precise zenith and level. I've been able to deal with any remaining tracking problem by weighting the headshell to manipulate vertical effective mass.

Terminator easily surpassed Graham 1.5TC and SME IV in my system. Others I know had similar results vs. VPI 12.X arms. However most owners of hi-zoot pivot arms won't give it a chance for whatever reason.