2023 Editors Choice: Best Phono Cartridges $10,000 Up BLOG by TAS Staff Aug 04th, 2023 Congratulations to Air Tight DS Audio. These are available at Absolute Phase, Bangalore (Exclusive India Distributor) Air Tight PC-1 Supreme$11,600 As good as the AT PC-1 is, this considerably pricier moving coil from Air Tight is substantially better in every way. Like the PC-1, the Supreme is a model of low internal impedance and high energy. Killer good on transients top to bottom, with phenomenal grip and definition in the low bass, it is also exceptionally lifelike in the mid-band, with even more of the gorgeous density of tone colour, high resolution, and superior sound staging that made the PC-1 such a breakthrough. RHs reference. JV, 190 Air Tight Opus-1 $15,800 Air Tights top-line moving-coil cartridge adds even more resolution, dimensionality, and energy to the beautiful reproduction of tone colour and superior sound staging that the PC-1 Supreme is famous for. Though not quite the non-stop thrill machine and sonic vacuum cleaner that the Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement is, the Opus has a smoother, better-behaved upper midrange and treble and (building on one of the strengths of the Supreme) phenomenally deep-reaching, superbly defined, extraordinarily quick and powerful bass. Quite neutral in balance, it has the speed and resolution of ber-cartridges, without any trace of the analytic. One of JVs and RHs references. JV, 261 Read the full review: Air Tight Opus-1 Ermitage Moving-Coil Cartridge DS Audio Grand Master $15,000 ($45,000 for Grand Master equalizer and PS) The DS Audio Grand Master optical transducer comes closer to the sound of R2R tape than any other phono cartridge on the market. Yes, it is expensive, though you dont have to buy the dedicated Grand Master EQ/PS units to get your sonic moneys worth. (Any DS Audio EQ device will work with itand there is a wide variety of them at a wide variety of prices, starting below $2k.) Unlike every other phono cartridge and phono stage on the market, the Grand Master and its EQ units are dead quietwithout a trace of the hum, buzz, RF, and self-noise that weve simply learned to live with. The elimination of the usual background racket, coupled with an optical systems inherently deeper and fuller presentation of the bass and lower midrange, rich, supremely detailed mid-band, and sweet, airy, ribbon-like treble, makes for the most complete and (given a great LP) most realistic reproduction of the music and musicians on LPs JV has yet heard. A Grand Masterpiece. JV, 317 Read the full review: DS Audio Grand Master Cartridge and Grand Master Equalizer #airtight #dsaudio #phonocartridges #india #Bangalore #Delhi #Pune #mumbai #chennai #audiophiles
