Stepping Up From A Graham 2.2 On A Basis Audio Debut Deck


Hello,

I’ve a Basis Audio Debut Gold Standard with the acrylic armboard, and a Graham 2.2 installed.

I’d like to try a new arm in the $5K price range but I need something that’s drop-in compatible with the Graham, as I can’t/won’t drill any holes in the armboard.

I thought there’d be a database of compatible arms, perhaps on Vinyl Engine, but I couldn’t find anything. I’d like to use an Origin Live, but I haven’t heard back from Mark and David yet as I think they’re busy at the UK show. Looking at one of their manuals it doesn’t look like it’s going to be feasible without some kind of bracket.

I’m not married to the OL idea, I just want a step up from the 2.2 without a lot of hassle, and I’ve used their Illustrious arm on a previous deck and liked it a lot.

Has anyone gone down this path? What arm did you use? Was it a worthwhile improvement? Was it easy to install and set up?

(I do have the Dr. Feickert jig).

Thanks in advance for any tips.

Rooze

 

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@solypsa the P2S on the 2.2 is 218mm, 9" effective length (pivot to stylus).

A constraint is that the arm assembly can protrude from the underside of the armboard a max of 1 1/4" before it hits the suspended plinth or sub-chasis. The dia of the hole in the armboard is 1 7/8".

I believe I'm going to need to have a disc/plate made that sits over the large diameter hole in the armboard. If I can find an arm that's secured only by a locking nut and doesn't require smaller drilled holes offset from the main hole, then I'm good as long is it doesn't exceed 3.25" from the top side of the disc/plate. And the outside diameter of the locking nut mustn't exceed 1 7/8".

As @lewm ​​​​​@jwei @wrm57 have suggested, a Phantom might be a good choice. But I'm not sure that I can take for granted the idea that it will be a drop-in replacement for the 2.2 

My next step is to find a detailed drawing for the Phantom!

 

May be too large but check the AudioCreative rotary lift, they have some drawings online. It might allow you to use larger variety of arms.

 

 

 

 

Well I took people’s advice and picked up a Phantom B44 along with a Walker motor controller. This possibly won’t be as big a step up as I was hoping for but it sure makes things simple on the installation side of things.

Thanks for the input.

If you have never had the benefit of a motor controller before, you will be very pleased with the Walker, whether or not the Phantom is a revelation, though I suspect that it too will make you happy.  I would have thought that Basis provides a motor controller with their better models, in which case maybe the Walker will be a step sideways rather than forward. Be sure the Walker is compatible with the Debut Gold Standard.

To follow up on @lewm ‘s comment on the compatibility between the Walker controller and the Debut Gold Standard. If I remember correctly, the Debut Gold Standard utilized a DC motor (Basis switched to AC motor, and offered their own Synchro dual phase AC controller, for their more recent models), and the Walker is an AC motor controller. If this is true, then the two is probably not compatible, at least you won’t be able to use the speed control function of the Walker!