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Transfi Owners Ideas

I am a long time happy TransFi Terminator arm/Salvation TT owner and have added all of the modifications Vic has offered through the years. I am starting this thread in hopes that Transfi owners will share the tweaks and modifications they have made to further improve the performance. For example I understand that dgarretson has fabricated a carbon fiber sled to reduce the horizontal mass of the arm, I also understand that Terry9 has added weight to the wand to increase the vertical mass, I think, to create a better match for low compliance cartridges. I also understand that Harroldinthe barrel has worked with Andrey to create a brass manifold and a carbon fiber wand, again I think, to reduce the horizontal mass of the arm. I hope this thread will provide a central place where Transfi owners can share ideas.


PLEASE DON'T HIJACK THIS THREAD TO DEBATE THE BENEFITS OF PIVOT VERSUS LINEAR TRACKING OR TO DEBATE THE TERMINATOR VERSUS OTHER LINEAR TRACKERS. THANK YOU
sgunther
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
A couple great tweaks that will improve that arm. First get some fo.Q tape https://www.ebay.com/p/1074648791 Thin is perfect for tone arms, thick is perfect for speakers. One sheet is pre-cut. I like to maintain a stock appearance. So I put one thin strip on the underside of the arm tube where its hidden but still works great. But if you're worried about adding mass, which you won't be after you hear this but if you are, then use it anywhere around the arm base or plinth. 

The adhesive is amazing, sticks instantly yet the tape pulls back up without leaving any residue. One square inch of the stuff is enough to hear obvious improvement in presence and low level detail, and there's about 100 square inches in the two sheets. So a bargain in price/performance.

Then what makes fo.Q a whole lot better is a thin layer of Total Contact. Especially along the arm tube, where it also benefits the signal. 

Finally put some Synergistic PHT on the cartridge, and some ECT on the arm base. 

The total improvement from all these tweaks is not subtle. It will be like an entire arm upgrade. For a fraction of the cost. Yet they will leave your arm looking almost completely stock. Look closely at the images and see what I mean. 

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367
slaw's avatar
slaw
20,401 posts
 
@millercarbon,

I appreciate your journey and your knowledge. Having said this, please don’t add your opinions to others’ posts without (first-hand) knowledge of said tweeks and how they might work with the specific product, without personally owning them. Thank you.
dentdog's avatar
dentdog
469 posts
 
Well Miller, as far as I know total contact is no longer available but have ordered the fo.Q. 
And Steve, I have yet to put my carbon arm into action. But if you say the improvement is there, I have the free time on my hands may lead me to do just that. I have a cartridge that's apparently very sensitive to azimuth and once getting it right have been reluctant to change anything. 
ledoux1238
276 posts
 
Please follow this link:
https://darklanternforowen.wordpress.com/2017/04/15/terminator-tonearm-new-arm-mount/

The arm mount developed by Owen is a must upgrade.
sgunther OP
187 posts
 
I am having a little trouble installing the carbon fiber wand in that I have a very early Terminator and the horizontal bar to raise and lower the arm is further back which puts it at the seam where the two pieces of the wand are glued together. I think I have a solution. I did purchase the arm mount from Owen and Darklantern which increased the stability of the arm, highly recommended. 
I am still very curious about the impact of adding or deleting mass to the arm. There seems to be two schools of thought. I would like to get some thought from those who understand it better than I do. Perhaps even Vic or Andrey. 
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