Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: Graham Engineering Phantom B-44 Tone Arms by grinagog

Model:	Phantom B-44
Category:	Tone Arms
Suggested Retail Price:	$3900
Description:	Unipivot
Manufacturer URL:	Not Available

Review by grinagog on December 10, 2008 at 21:42:48
IP Address: 202.213.139.125 Add Your Review
for the Phantom B-44

Graham Phantom B-44, bought 2nd hand a month ago

I've heard the earlier Graham 1.5 + 2.0/2.2's which were both great tonearms; but neither convinced me to knock my beloved SME V off it's perch. The Phantom did; the SME is gone
I would guess Bob Graham has listened to user feedback + built a Better Mousetrap; the B-44 is a whole different beast to his earlier efforts + oozes quality of fit + finish in a most business-like manner
I have owned the Dynavector DV-507, which also uses a type of magnetic damping, + the B-44 is infinitely easier to set up than that; place a nylon cup over the turntable spindle, place the spindle point in the hole at the end of the armpipe, and you've got the correct stylus hangover distance. Use the sight-jig provided for the cartridge in the armpipe; choose Baerwald or Loefgren alignment, tighten the cartridge screws, recheck your alignment, and you're done
Compared to the ( hours of ) futzing around I've done with other tonearms; B-44 setup is laughably simple, user-friendly + very, very well thought out
The only drama I had with the B-44 was dialling in the correct fluid damping. You add fluid by syringe to a cup under a cap above the pivot point; the SME V has a paddle that dips into the damping fluid so this can be adjusted on-the-fly ( easier )
Too much damping; Bass becomes bloated + vocals became strangely disembodied; too little + things became a little screechy. I would say it took me a week of listening + adding/removing fluid to get this dialled in just right, and there was not a lot between Go/No Go in either direction in my setup
Of any setting you make with the B-44, spend time with the damping ( ! ) Degree of Damping will depend on whether your turntable has an isolation base, a suspension + other intangibles; you'll need to experiment to get this right, but fluid somewhere between 1/2 way + 2/3rds the way from the pivot-point to the machined lip on the shaft, ( checked like an engines dipstick )you're in the Zone, and listening to how Bass is reproduced is your first clue to how well dialled in you are
Damping seems to be set + forget after that, and temperature ambient as we are in Winter now + the listening room heated or cold doesn't make a difference to the sound
Dialling in the damping was done with "Porgy + Bess" original 6-eye Columbia Mono where there is a discourse between a tuba + the other brass on "The Buzzard Song" which is just tortuously difficult to dial-in ( my SME V never quite managed it ) + Helen Merrill ( self titled ) which is notoriously sybillant if it isn't setup just right
Get those tunes tracking 100% + everything else is gravy
The B-44 is an attractive if bulky looking piece which belies the subtlety it's capable of; this tracks like a trooper

Doesn't seem to do anything wrong; warped vinyl and/or pressed off-centre wax doesn't phase the arms tracking in the least
I would not describe this as a "musical" component as much as a neutral one
Breuer + certain other esoteric tonearms are meant to sound better; there has to be somewhere to draw the line + this is a mighty fine product to draw it at; unless Graham Engineering have another design coming; + the B-44 will be a hard act to follow
10 out of 10 for value for money; I doubt if anything out there can get close to the Phantom B-44's performamce at this price
GW

Product Weakness:	Setup manual is a little sparse + funky looking for a product of this value; tonearm height may affect T/T's w/dustcovers
Product Strengths:	Fabulous build quality; ease of setup, on-the-fly VTA, SME armbase compatability, Bombproof packing, adjustable azymuth, interchangeable armwands

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Marantz 8B
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Woodham 300
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Micro Seiki RX-5000
Speakers: Tannoy 12
Cables/Interconnects: SAEC XLR's, Ensemble spkr ( Swiss
Music Used (Genre/Selections): all types, all eras
Room Size (LxWxH): 20ft x 10ft x 9ft
Room Comments/Treatments: None
Time Period/Length of Audition: one month
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): numerous CSE power conditioners
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	Marantz 8B
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Woodham 300
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Micro Seiki RX-5000
Speakers:	Tannoy 12
Cables/Interconnects:	SAEC XLR's, Ensemble spkr ( Swiss
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	all types, all eras
Room Size (LxWxH):	20ft x 10ft x 9ft
Room Comments/Treatments:	None
Time Period/Length of Audition:	one month
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	numerous CSE power conditioners
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner