Phantom III SE

Technical finesse

Each and every part of a Graham tonearm consists of various different materials to reach high internal damping, highest rigidity and lowest colouration.

The arm tube is a conical design which minimizes the weight at the end of the wand to reduce the tongle effect, which smears the sound at standard tonearm designs with heavy headshells. The arm wand is made out of titanium which offers tensile strength and stiffness, but at the same time a low density which results in a low weight. Its surface robust, durable and rust and corrosion resistant. 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. We use a superlative precision thread system which allows you to fix the wand perfectly to the pivot bearing block.

There are three arm wands available, in 9, 10, and 12-inch lengths to suit any conceivable turntable installation.

Smooth tracking

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 an unipivot arm – the tracking force will be consistent, regardless of arm motion over warps. The internal wiring of the entire tonearm uses a silver plated copper litz-based construction which ensures a better conductivity and less friction due to higher flexibility. The signal transfer 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, retains the same high speed transfer properties of the internal wire.

Vertical tracking force

The VTF tower allows you to precisely set the VTA setting in a second. This is especially important as many records have a different height and need a different VTA setting, or you want to play records with different angles on purpose to adopt the sound to a maximum according the angle of the diamond/cantilever and the angle how the record was cut.

The unique setting tower allows you to adjust the setting during playback. A level instrument gives you on top the perfect and clear information about the position of the arm.

Counterweight

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 counterweight of the Phantom III SE 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.

Alignment

Only with the Graham alignment tools you can install the cartridge correctly. Most tonearms are installed with the wrong spindle to pivot distance and have therefore the wrong overhang. Only our cartridge tool allows you to align the cartridge from the top, so the orientation is on the cantilever and not on the cartridge housing. This is important, as the cantilever is not mounted straight into the housing.