Проигрыватели виниловых дисков — TechDAS Air Force V Premium

The Air Force V Premium is an air-bearing, belt-driven turntable from TechDAS of Japan. It is an upgraded edition of the Air Force V that first appeared in 2018. The main change is structural - the chassis is now cut from one solid aluminium billet, as on the higher Air Force III, where the earlier version used a plate construction. The upgrade was announced in July 2020 with shipments planned from September of that year, and the suggested European price is EUR 20,000. In Australia the standard Air Force V had been listed at AUD 19,950.

Key specs that matter

Speeds are 33.3 and 45 rpm, and wow and flutter is quoted below 0.03 percent. The platter is a two-piece sub-platter assembly machined from A5056 aluminium alloy with a combined mass of 7.0 kg - a 4.0 kg outer platter in gloss black anodising with a hairline finish, sitting on a 3.0 kg inner sub-platter in silver anodising. Total moment of inertia is 734 kg cm2. The chassis itself is A5052 aluminium alloy with a silver anodized satin finish and weighs 19.0 kg of the main unit's 26.0 kg. The main unit measures 312 x 168 x 368 mm, and a separate power and pump unit of 350 x 160 x 270 mm weighs 9 kg. Power consumption is 50 W.

Engineering and use context

Here the platter floats on a very thin layer of air, which mechanically decouples the spinning mass and the record from vibration reaching the bearing. The same air system also produces vacuum hold-down, pulling the LP flat onto the platter surface. Drive comes from a 2-phase 4-pole AC synchronous motor built into the chassis, mounted on an anti-vibration arrangement and turning the platter through a polished polyurethane rubber belt, a choice TechDAS credits with a high signal to noise ratio. Rotational speed is controlled digitally through a power amplifier stage feeding the motor. The external unit houses the circuits for the motor drive, the air pump and an air condenser that manage both floating and suction, keeping the pump and its supply away from the plinth.

Pairing

TechDAS supplies it without an arm, but an included arm base accepts one, and the chassis is able to take up to four tonearms with extra bases bought separately, so owners can run a stereo and a mono cartridge side by side. Whatever arm and cartridge are fitted, a separate phono preamplifier is needed ahead of the amplifier's line input, and the power and pump unit needs its own mains outlet and a place near the deck for its air line and motor cable.

Alternatives

The TechDAS Air Force III sits above this model in the range and shares the solid machined aluminium chassis approach.