Hello everyone, first-time poster, long-time lurker etc etc. I work for a hifi shop that is a TechDAS dealer. Ever since my initial visits to the store as a customer, I have longed for an Air Force turntable. This year, to commemorate a new decade of my life, I have decided to make that dream a reality. The AF3 and then AF3PS are the only tables I could hope to afford, so my sights have been firmly planted on the AF3PS. However, one of our clients has decided to go a different direction with his system and we have taken his Air Force Two in on trade.
When the AF2 was at our store, it was right when I was beginning my career. So, other than thinking it sounded "awesome!" I don't have any detailed notes from that era. My coworkers remember thinking that it sounded awfully close to the AF1 we had in that system previously.
The question of which table is "better" has vexed me for months. We've collectively decided that the two tables probably offer very similar performance levels. However, my impending birthday, combined with actually receiving the AF2, has gotten it to such a fever pitch that I am turning to strangers on the internet for additional advice. I've looked at the specs from every conceivable angle, combed through what feels like every mention of either of those tables on the internet, asked my coworkers, asked the distributor, and no one has first-hand impressions to answer the question definitively. I assume that must be because the AF2 is fairly rare. My gut tells me that the considerably heavier platter on the AF3PS outweighs the considerably heavier chassis on the AF2. Still, I can't shake the feeling that the AF2 has some kind of x-factor that makes it superior. My opinion seems to change every 12 hours.
Does anyone care to chime in who has experience with both? For my personal system, the table will sit on an HRS M3X2 and SXR stand if that influences any thinking. Let's also say that the acquisition cost is identical for the sake of argument. The arm will be a Phantom Elite. The only thing I know for certain is I like the black/gold finish of the AF3PS more than the hammer finish of the AF2, but I could definitely learn to love it
When the AF2 was at our store, it was right when I was beginning my career. So, other than thinking it sounded "awesome!" I don't have any detailed notes from that era. My coworkers remember thinking that it sounded awfully close to the AF1 we had in that system previously.
The question of which table is "better" has vexed me for months. We've collectively decided that the two tables probably offer very similar performance levels. However, my impending birthday, combined with actually receiving the AF2, has gotten it to such a fever pitch that I am turning to strangers on the internet for additional advice. I've looked at the specs from every conceivable angle, combed through what feels like every mention of either of those tables on the internet, asked my coworkers, asked the distributor, and no one has first-hand impressions to answer the question definitively. I assume that must be because the AF2 is fairly rare. My gut tells me that the considerably heavier platter on the AF3PS outweighs the considerably heavier chassis on the AF2. Still, I can't shake the feeling that the AF2 has some kind of x-factor that makes it superior. My opinion seems to change every 12 hours.
Does anyone care to chime in who has experience with both? For my personal system, the table will sit on an HRS M3X2 and SXR stand if that influences any thinking. Let's also say that the acquisition cost is identical for the sake of argument. The arm will be a Phantom Elite. The only thing I know for certain is I like the black/gold finish of the AF3PS more than the hammer finish of the AF2, but I could definitely learn to love it
