TechDAS Air Force One - One for the Black Disc Lovers
Seriously....I would have bought this TT just for its physical look......if I had the money of course :)
Another session where language was no barrier for hifi and music lovers. Mr. Hideaki Nishikawa had a translator present to assist him explaining his masterpiece. This TT maestro used his previous experience in Stax and Micro-Seiki into this high tech turn table.
My full salute to him for still being energetic at his age.
There are tooooo many features to mention here but it looks like he took into account every element of a TT to come up with this design. Among the unique features that I fancy:
1. 4 different utilization of air element...bearing, vacuum, suspension and chamber
2. For the suspension...he also fluid/gel + air
3. 10" and 12" tone arm can be used and for the special sizes like 10.5", it can be custom designed to fit.
4. It offers 3 different upper platters and to the question why asked by yours truly, Mr. Hideaki explained that this was to give owners the freedom to choose different material to suit their listening preference. In summary, the 3 upper platters give different sound characteristics:
- Duralamin...provides accuracy and 'high speed' audio
- Stainless steel - deep old analogue sound
- Metachrylate - sweet like european sound.
I would describe this TT provide such a clean static free sound. It might be a clean vinyl but one would question whether it was CD playing if the unit was tucked away in another room.
Playing lounge jazz, the sound of the percussionist hitting the crown on the ride cymbal was so natural sounding without any painful high pitch sound. The hollowness of a jazz tuned tom2 made my head shake in disbelief how this unit can transform and deliver such a pleasant jazz atmosphere into the room.
The piano notes was also well presented with precision and balanced sound.
Vocals was where my heart just melted listening to the mellowness and yet full energy of one of the tracks played.
Playing Miles Davis ...Live Around the world LP again delivered and experience where liveliness of his trumpet sound but still maintained a sweet and easy on the ear melodic sound.
And I know it was the unit that stirred my emotion because I was not familiar with most of the tracks. So, listening to tracks that had no sentimental value to me but yest managed to stir my emotion...it must have been the unit...and matched with the other kit, it made me understand why it is called Air Force One....
Just look at this diagram.... such detailed overview....
No comments:
Post a Comment