CES & THE Show 2010 • Sounds & Sights

Bob Graham of Graham Engineering devised a tracking torture test for his B-44 Phantom II tonearm ($4900).

He placed a stack of business cards under a record, creating a hump that would equal a massive warp. When you see a tonearm rise this much, you brace for what you'll hear, but the Phantom II tracked the record without issue. It's neutrally balanced, so tracking force doesn't change as the tonearm moves up and down, and the stylus doesn't jump out of the groove. The cartridge used was an Ortofon MC A90 ($4200), which Bob Graham greatly admires.

Neutral balance isn't even the most ingenious feature of the Phantom II. From mounting a cartridge to leveling front to back and side to side, the Phantom II proves itself to be one of the world's great tonearms. You'll read more about it on The Audio Beat later in the year.