Or even; would you prefer the AF10 or the Kuzma Sapphire?What about the Techdas AF10 arm? Or is this an overkill for the AF3? But with the top TD dia cartridge?
Or even; would you prefer the AF10 or the Kuzma Sapphire?What about the Techdas AF10 arm? Or is this an overkill for the AF3? But with the top TD dia cartridge?
Graham have titanium arrmwand too, but its really expensive.Kuzma Safir is a much better arm and sounds very good when matched with Techdas cartridge IMHO. You can upgrade Graham armwand to titanium Techdas version, rest is the same. Azimuth assembly is the same for both versions and obviously problem applies to both Graham Elite and Techdas.
I shall be back to Munich and Tokyo this year. We can have a gathering and some good time together.If you are going back to the Tokyo show this year, let's meet up![]()
No, a mono ZYX cartridge was installed on the Thales arm. The real star of the setup was the Kharma Veyron 2D speakers. I listened to those speakers with:What a set up - incl a great front end. Did you have the time to listen = compare the AF10 with the Thales Statement arm?
I don’t think I can visit Japan this year, it’s too far, but I hope we can meet in the future.If you are going back to the Tokyo show this year, let's meet up![]()
OT, but, in your opinion, which amplification setup suited best the Kharmas?No, a mono ZYX cartridge was installed on the Thales arm. The real star of the setup was the Kharma Veyron 2D speakers. I listened to those speakers with:
• Full CH electronics, including double M1.1 amplifiers
• Full Kondo electronics and cables, with Gakuoh II amplifiers
• Full Luxman electronics, 10 series
• Epsilon preamp and mono amplifiers
Each session was one week apart, and I listened for longer than two hours each time, playing whatever I wanted. Unfortunately, the source was digital except for the last session.
In my opinion, there’s no question that those Kharma speakers are the best I’ve ever heard—they’re simply too darn good. The downside is the price; they’re ridiculously expensive. Simply put, it’s oligarch audio.
There can be many variables in play but if I limit my opinion for this specific room and situation I enjoyed them with Epsilon amplification most.OT, but, in your opinion, which amplification setup suited best the Kharmas?
I also liked the Ypsilon/Kharma combo.There can be many variables in play but if I limit my opinion for this specific room and situation I enjoyed them with Epsilon amplification most.
I use the same TechDas AF3 with the DIA cartridge but on the Graham Elite tonearm. With GoldNote PH1000 phonostage. The rest is TAD reference line equipment and speakers. Very happy with it.No, a mono ZYX cartridge was installed on the Thales arm. The real star of the setup was the Kharma Veyron 2D speakers. I listened to those speakers with:
• Full CH electronics, including double M1.1 amplifiers
• Full Kondo electronics and cables, with Gakuoh II amplifiers
• Full Luxman electronics, 10 series
• Epsilon preamp and mono amplifiers
Each session was one week apart, and I listened for longer than two hours each time, playing whatever I wanted. Unfortunately, the source was digital except for the last session.
In my opinion, there’s no question that those Kharma speakers are the best I’ve ever heard—they’re simply too darn good. The downside is the price; they’re ridiculously expensive. Simply put, it’s oligarch audio.
I shall be back to Munich and Tokyo this year. We can have a gathering and some good time together.
In my system, TechDAS Dia cartridge sounds better with 12" wand. I have both 10" and 12" wands. The armboard can be used to mount both lengths, just turn it over, it is a very clever design. TechDAS Dia is too sharp with 10" wand and 12" is just right. Vinyl playback requires matching of all parameters, it may sound better with 10" in your system.
What wand lengths have you installed? I find 10" wand is very detailed and 12" wand is more relaxed. The difference is quite obvious.I installed two different AF10 tonearms for my friends—one with the latest TechDAS DIA cartridge (diamond cantilever) and the other with a Kondo cartridge. I’ll provide pictures later.
IMHO/IME, the overall sound of the AF10 is extremely detailed, silky smooth, and distortion-free. Simply put, it’s an amazing tonearm. But there’s one caveat: impact. The bass kick and overall impact feel a bit laid-back. This was exactly what we heard in Tokyo last year, but the solution is very simple—the power supply/compressor unit MUST sit on the floor on its own feet. Do not place it on a rack. Additionally, the power cord used to connect the unit is EXTREMELY important. I cannot stress enough how critical these two factors are. Once you provide the unit with a high-quality power cord, like the Kondo Avocado, and place it on the floor, the bass becomes incredibly detailed with proper weight. The impact becomes noticeable. Human voices, piano, and strings sound incredibly organic—I haven’t heard any tonearm come close.
My previous reference, the Axiom, cannot compete with the AF10 in terms of distortion-free reproduction and the organic character of instruments. The SAT CF1or Kuzma Safir cannot compete with the Axiom in this regard.
What I Didn’t Like
The anti-skating and VTF adjustments could be better. Both are set by shifting the top plate, which also shifts the balance of the tonearm as it is lifted by air. As far as I understand they’re set by air and there is no conventional VTF or anti-skating mechanisms. Kudos to TechDas engineers for that but they can be easier. For example there’s no fixing mechanism for VTF, meaning it can easily change with a simple touch. Since it’s a dynamically balanced tonearm, you can always set the VTF lever to zero and align VTF statically using the rear weight. I chose not to align VTF statically because either way the top plate has to shift due to anti-skating. Anti-skating is also tricky—it doesn’t seem to have any effect up to a certain point, and more importantly, it affects VTF significantly—by as much as 1 or 2g.
The Bottom Line
You must set it up precisely, just like any high-end tonearm. In my experience, it’s the hardest tonearm to adjust after the Axiom, but if you enjoy fine-tuning as much as I do, it’s the most fun. It’s by far the best I heard by a large margin.
Both are 10" arm wands -which is original design length. Personally I prefer original design over other lengths ex. 9" SAT, 9" SME V, 12" Acoustical Systems (Axiom) etc.What wand lengths have you installed? I find 10" wand is very detailed and 12" wand is more relaxed. The difference is quite obvious.
I also found the pump is very sensitive to footers, ie vibration. I can hear the difference with different footers place under it. Now I settled with an active isolation platform (Seismion) under the pump. It enhanced the performance, particularly in the bass.
The dynamic balance tracking force is very tricky to adjust and is also very VTA depended. One has to make sure the tracking force is measured with the correct VTA. Since most record scales tend to rise the cartridge a little more than actual record play, the tracking work will not be right when it is lowered in play.
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