Clearaudio Reference Solution

The cartridge is a pretty good one, but you can do better if you want to spend some more.

If I was planning on a Graham arm, I'd take a real good look at the ZYX R-100 FS Fuji. It is one of the best sounding cartridges around, and it has a compliance that is well suited to a unipivot like a Graham. It is not cheap at about $2k, but it is a very good cartridge, and likely would beat many cartridges costing far more.

If you like a unipivot, the Graham is probably the best one going. It has alot of stability and will outperform just about any other unipivot. I have heard good things about the Schroeder, but I can't comment on it because I have not listened to it myself. I prefer a good gimbal-bearing arm, personally.

Before you buy a Clearaudio, you should really consider the Teres. It is at least just as good, and I would say noticeably better, for about half the money. It looks just as cool, too. To me, getting a TT that sounds better, looks just as cool, and only costs half as much, is a no-brainer. Just trying to make you aware of this before you plunk down your money. If you do consider these Teres TTs, the ones with the wood bases sound better than the acrylic base entry level model. The acrylic base model will sound about the same as the Clearaudio, and the construction, platter size and type, base material, and shape are very similar. The Teres bearing is, IMO, better than the Clearaudio, and that is why it sounds slightly better. When you upgrade to the wood base models, the performance goes way past the Clearaudio. It's your money, but I want you to know about this before you spend it. I don't like to hear people say, "why didn't you tell me about this before I bought?".

I know you can't audition the Teres at your local dealer, because it is factory-direct only. This is why it is so much cheaper. There are quite a few Audiogon members who now have Teres TTs, and they can tell you how they sound, and what they have compared them to. I was one of the earlier guys to "break the ground" on this website, about the Teres, and I told people on the forum about what I found out. It is a great table at low cost.

You can use the Zerodust stylus cleaner. It is like a gel, and will not wick up into the cantilever. I think this is what ZYX recommends. The R-100 FS Fuji is a killer cartridge. Also, alot of other cartridges have hollow cantilevers too, they just don't tell you about them. I never use a liquid stylus cleaner myself. Actually, I use a matchbook striker. Works great, costs nothing. If you have any quality at all in the cartridge, the stylus is not going to come off with this method. A couple of strokes on each side, on a 45 degree angle, like the record groove walls, on the contact sides of the stylus, and you are all set. Draw the striker towards you, just like the record would travel under the stylus. I've used this method for 20 years on all types of good quality cartridges, and have never had any bad effects. Linn recommended this method for years. If this worries you, use the Zerodust.

It's kind of funny to me that people look to me for this knowledge, because 20 years ago, all audiophiles knew all of this stuff. It was common knowledge back then. Now it is almost lost.

Take a look at my Virtual System, and you will see what I felt was the best stuff to buy for the money. I will tell you right now that my analog system really kicks ass.