Graham Engineering Phantom Elite Tonearm

Description

MY TAKE: For many years, Bob Graham has engineered some of finest tonearms in the world - I have owned several and loved every one. The Graham arms are impeccably crafted - with attention to detail and finish quality rivaling the finest cameras - and come with the most novel and easy-to-use set up tools in the business. Using the patented Graham cartridge alignment system and tools, anyone can easily install and adjust a cartridge, and be assured know that you have precise alignment. The Phantom Elite is Bob's statement product and represents the pinnacle of his art. Without question, the Graham Phantom Elite is an absolutely remarkable achievement. - Galen Carol

We are proud to present the latest, and finest, example of tonearm design In the tradition of the original award-winning Phantom, the Elite continues the use of the unipivot bearing and Magneglide magnetic stabilization, but brings these patented features to a new level of refinement and performance.   Using more costly materials and precision machine design features, the Elite will redefine what is possible in analog playback.

The pivot assembly has been redesigned, and now incorporates an entirely new pivot assembly utilizing constrained-layer damping of two different metals, both having a high weight to size ratio. A new, high-density, non-magnetic tungsten insert insures zero-tolerance  bearing contact and high energy absorption.     Likewise, the pivot top has been reconfigured, and results in superior external energy rejection, while ensuring chatter-free, extremely low-friction pivoting.

The patented Magneglide™ stabilizing system ensures pivoting in a true vertical plane, with no azimuth deviation as the arm traverses warps.   Since the arm is also in true neutral balance – again the result of  magnetic stabilization controlling azimuth in a unipivot arm – the tracking force will be consistent, regardless of arm motion over warps.  

The removable armtube is made with a new, larger and more rigid damped titanium design.   The removable design allows for accurate, off-turntable mounting and alignment of the phono cartridge, a valuable safety and accuracy feature which has been a signature of all Phantom tonearms.    The new alignment gauge that is part of this system has an adjustable height feature, so that true tangency is always assured, yielding simplicity of operation  and greatest accuracy. There are three armwands available, in 9, 10, and 12-inch lengths to suit any conceivable turntable installation.

Unlike other designs where the counterweight/arm resonance can be in the audio range, and which can result in modulation of the playback signal, the Elite counterweight is decoupled at a low, subsonic resonant frequency; this results in cleaner and more dynamic bass extension, and smooth, detailed midrange, with extended, crystalline highs. All of this is achieved with practically no sonic signature of the arm itself, such as false base emphasis or bright highs, and instead is allowing the phono cartridge to work effortlessly in reproducing the music itself.

The internal wiring of the entire tonearm has been replaced and updated with new Litz-based construction and approaches the ideal dielectric absorption factor of “1”.   This results in signal transfer that is whip-fast, and not impeded by the typical insulation materials that absorb and re-introduce energy into the wire at unpredictable intervals.   Likewise, the cable to the phono preamp, although more robust in size, retains the same high speed transfer properties of the internal wire.  The result is signal transfer virtually unchanged from the output of the cartridge all the way to the phono preamplifier..

Words alone cannot do justice to this remarkable reproducer; therefore, we sincerely suggest that you compare the Elite with any tonearm, regardless of price or design.  We are sure you will agree that this tonearm will provide the smoothest, most dynamic and most accurate path of music from your valuable records to the rest of your system.