Graham Engineering
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Founder | Bob Graham |
Graham Engineering is an American maker of tonearms founded by Bob Graham. Its arms are unipivot designs, in which the arm balances on a single point, a layout that minimises bearing friction but can be hard to stabilise. Graham's solution was a magnetic stabilisation system, used most famously in the Phantom tonearm, which keeps the arm stable while preserving the benefits of the unipivot bearing. The company's earlier models, including the 1.5, 2.0 and 2.2, established its reputation in the 1990s, and they were notable for interchangeable armwands that let owners switch between cartridges quickly. The Phantom and later the Elite became the flagship models. Graham tonearms are known for precise adjustment of every geometric parameter and are widely used on high-end turntables from many manufacturers. They are especially admired for their resolution and stable, focused imaging. Graham's interchangeable armwands made it easy to compare cartridges, a feature that reviewers found especially useful, and the company's arms are still widely used today.
Notable Graham Engineering products
- Graham 1.5 tonearm
- Graham 2.0
- Graham 2.2
- Phantom tonearm
- Elite tonearm
More about Graham Engineering
The high frequencies are detailed and extended, yet remain very neutral and totally natural. The bass extension reaches to the first octave with authority and detail; yet, it is not overblown or diffuse. Similarly, the midrange is liquid and natural, but without the smearing that can create a false sense of midrange "sweetness". The main pivot housing has been redesigned, and incorporates tungsten as the material instead of the previous aluminum alloy.
The VTA adjustment system now has two scales: one is the vertical indicator previously offered on the 1.5 tonearms (which keeps track of the relative height), while the second indicator is a vernier scale on the adjusting knob. This allows repeatable changes in VTA of 0.0005", in addition to the vertical reference. The new system can easily be used to adjust VTA during play with no adverse effects on performance. The 2nd generation ceramic arm wand incorporates an even denser ceramic material, and the finish is electrocoated over a metallic substrate embedded in the ceramic surface.