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Tonearms — Graham Engineering Phantom 3 9"
Description, images, technical data and specifications
Graham Engineering Phantom 3 9"
Image source - (c) Graham Engineering
The Phantom III 9-inch is a unipivot tonearm with magnetic stabilisation from Graham Engineering, designed by founder Bob Graham, who has been developing tonearms since the mid-1980s. It keeps the core specification of the Phantom II but adds a new armwand, new internal wiring and an improved bearing housing, which the manufacturer says improve on its predecessor in every area of performance. The 9-inch version costs $7,000, and an extra 9-inch armwand is sold separately for $1,000.
Key specs that matter
The unipivot uses Graham's patented Magneglide magnetic-stabilisation bearing interface. The armwand is now titanium, and it is paired with a new pivot housing assembly built as a constrained-layer combination of brass and tungsten for better energy control, damping and bearing performance than earlier Phantom models. Adjustment covers tracking force, azimuth, overhang, zenith angle and VTA/SRA, all stable and repeatable for daily use. The arm comes in 9-inch, 10-inch and 12-inch lengths.
Engineering and use context
Magneglide first appeared on the original Phantom B-44 around 2005 and was refined through the Phantom II and Phantom II Supreme before reaching the Phantom III. The dual-damped system makes the arm pivot in the correct vertical plane of the stylus tip, with no rotation as the arm rises. Graham points out that ordinary unipivots cannot do this and that some fixed-bearing arms get it wrong too. When vertical motion follows the plane of the armtube rather than the plane of the stylus face angle, the cartridge tends to tip to one side over warps, which causes channel imbalance and lower tracking accuracy.
Pairing
Two mounting options are offered, a standard SME fixed-mount base and a custom Graham base. The SME base lets the arm go straight onto any turntable already cut for SME-standard tonearms, and the full set of on-arm adjustments accommodates practically any cartridge geometry.
Alternatives
Graham Engineering's Phantom Elite sits above the Phantom III as the top arm in the current range.
Key specs that matter
The unipivot uses Graham's patented Magneglide magnetic-stabilisation bearing interface. The armwand is now titanium, and it is paired with a new pivot housing assembly built as a constrained-layer combination of brass and tungsten for better energy control, damping and bearing performance than earlier Phantom models. Adjustment covers tracking force, azimuth, overhang, zenith angle and VTA/SRA, all stable and repeatable for daily use. The arm comes in 9-inch, 10-inch and 12-inch lengths.
Engineering and use context
Magneglide first appeared on the original Phantom B-44 around 2005 and was refined through the Phantom II and Phantom II Supreme before reaching the Phantom III. The dual-damped system makes the arm pivot in the correct vertical plane of the stylus tip, with no rotation as the arm rises. Graham points out that ordinary unipivots cannot do this and that some fixed-bearing arms get it wrong too. When vertical motion follows the plane of the armtube rather than the plane of the stylus face angle, the cartridge tends to tip to one side over warps, which causes channel imbalance and lower tracking accuracy.
Pairing
Two mounting options are offered, a standard SME fixed-mount base and a custom Graham base. The SME base lets the arm go straight onto any turntable already cut for SME-standard tonearms, and the full set of on-arm adjustments accommodates practically any cartridge geometry.
Alternatives
Graham Engineering's Phantom Elite sits above the Phantom III as the top arm in the current range.
Specifications
Model name
Phantom 3 9"
Type
Unipivot
Effective mass (g)
N/A
Effective length (mm)
N/A
Cartridge Balance range (g)
N/A
Offset angle (deg)
N/A
Overhang (mm)
N/A
Weight (g)
N/A
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