My journey to Zero

[CKKeung]

Great great setup!

Can you tell us how the DS Audio Cart compares to Atlas Lambda and Etsuro Gold?

Thanks

There were several confounding factors :

The Master One was installed on the SAT.
The Koetsu/Atlas SL Lambda/Etsuro Gold were on Phantom Elite.

Phonoamps were diff too. These latter three paired with ARC Phono Ref whereas Master One was with the DreamMaster phono equalizer.

Even so, we audio vaterans could still understand their diff with not much difficulty, particularly because Thomas and I auditioned a similar comparison between Etsuro Gold vs DreamMaster on another home system.

Amongst conventional cartridges, Etsuro Gold is the overall champion IMHO. Atlas SL Lambda is very allrounded but Etsuro Gold got the extra magic.

On that other home system, the DreamMaster combo bettered Etsuro Gold, particularly in terms of bass quality and authority.
However the latter was paired with a FM222 phono and without SUT. I think the gain of 222 is suboptimal for the low output of Etsuro Gold.
I am looking for another comparison with more suitable phonoamp/SUT.

 

[CKKeung]

Another Air Force Zero installation youtube, this time posted by the famous Taiwan audiophile webzine

MY-HiEND

High End Audio Online Magazine

tw.my-hiend.com

:

 

[CKKeung]

TLi told me just now that the installation process in the Taiwan youtube seemed to be incomplete.
We will try to get their complete version.

 

[TLi]

I think they stacked the major components together just for the video taking. The drive bent and air pipes were not fitted.

It is fairly difficult to install Air Force Zero with supporting rack right against the back wall. There are many air pipes and electric connections at the back of the platter base and the plinth. With the back of Zero against the wall makes it difficult to make the connections. Some space is needed to work on.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Absolutely gorgious piece of engineering.

What i sometimes wonder however is what would happen if a company with this level of know how would design a tape machine from the ground up .
As in " better recording quality would lift all boats"

 

[cuntigh]

That’s impressive : about 5 men for installing this TT, and how many hours needed ? Imagine when you change to another home… do they come back from Japan for re-installation ? Ouch…

 

[spiritofmusic]

No, they just build a new, bigger house around the tt.

 

[Gardener]

Stunning , I wonder what the 2nd arm and cartridges are going to be ?