Graham Phantom vs Triplaner

Dear Downunder: IMHO you can't compare the quality performance of two tonearms " per se " ( any ) because a tonearm is a " incomplete " product/item it needs ist couple/partner: the cartridge and you can't compare two different tonearms with the same cartridge and say that the one that performs best for you is the best tonearm because it is not: it only perform best because that tonearm is a better match to that particular cartridge and that's all and that's the real subject.

Now, I think that all the today tonearms like the named on this tread and several other are very good tonearms but its quality performance depend ( between other things ) with which cartridge are matched.

One of the first posts in this therad comes from Thomasheisig and he resume in a few words whjat is all about.

All the other posts like mine are going around Thomasheisig one and of course around our very particular own experiences.

Post like the one that say that at CES almost all the TT exibitors comes with Triplanar or to say that that reviewer or manufacturer use the Triplanar say and means nothing ( IMHO ) because all those are marketing: all those Triplanar users are business/commercial oriented. Anyway the Triplanar can't ( like any other tonearm ) be " the best ".

Of course that our opinions can differ each other. I have experience with the Triplanar and XV-1 and Orpheus cartridges and I have experience with these cartridges in other tonearms where these cartridges performs in a better way a lot better, so chances are that those Triplanar/XV-1 or Orpheus owners ( and as good as they heard it ) combinations are not hearing those cartridges at its best, yes they are best that you imagine.

Downunder, that's why I " heavy " support the universal removable headshell tonearms like today: Dynavector, Audio technica, Ikeda, Audiocraft, Ortofon or " old " ones like: Lustre, Micro Seiki, Audio Technica, Grace, Technics, Ortofon, etc, etc..

All these ( new and old designs ) tonearms are very good but have a critical advantage over those non removable headshell tonearms ( pivot or linear tracking ): that can match almost any cartridge to obtain/achieve the best cartridge quality performance.
Every time that you change the cartridge on a different headshell ( different weight/shape/material build /headshell wires ) in the same tonearm you and me achieve a different cartridge quality level performance till you find the best for that tonearm/cartridge combination.
So if you have one tonearm ( any ) of this kind with 7-8 different headshells then you have in reallity 7-8 tonearms and if you have two tonearms then you really have 16 tonearms.
This you can't do it with a non removable headshell tonearm ( pivoted or linear traking ).

Donwunder, where do you think you can achieve the best cartridge performance? testing it with one and only tonearm or with 16 tonearms different options?

The other critical subject that Thomasheisig touch is the Phonolinepreamplifier that has a paramount importance for achieve the best of the cartridge signal performance and that from my point of view is the most important link in the analog audio chain.

So Downunder my advise is to look to those universal removable headshell tonearms and concentrate into own the best Phonolinepreamplifier you can find.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

As a reviewer and publisher, I get to try a lot of things. I bought the Phantom. The Triplanar, I think, is also surpassed by the Basis Vector.

It is normal, that one or the other has some favorites and lets be honest:
When there would be THE perfect Arm (I know, I know, but in Theory... with the perfect Cartridge and the perfect Phonostage ....) and you would ask 10 Audiophiles, do you think, that all 10 would say, YES, THAT's the one!!??
I think they would say "... yes, that's GOOD but ... slow timing ... weak Bass ... too heavy .... too light ... too black... :)

There is a new Arm coming, from Kuzma, with removable Headshell .... "wink wink" Raul next for you :)

>>The Triplanar, I think, is also surpassed by the Basis Vector.<<

I sell both and agree with you.

Raul

You are starting to add a complexity to my question that sounds like a lot of work :-) I like the lazy options of repeatable, adjustable VTA etc.

eg - re the dynavector arm with 6 headshells for my 6 cartridges. Don't you have almost reset most of the tonearm parameters each time you change a headshell??
The VPI solution of replacable arm wands seems a lot cleaner and quicker as you only have to set up the arm once and then change the VTA each time a new arm is added to the table.

Since when does Ortofon and Audio technica sell new tonearms??

Why is an Ikeda or any tonearm with removable headshell any better than a VPI, Graham, triplaner etc arm??

Are there that many different headshells available for all these arms? Where??