A TechDAS AFO review by the late Harry Pearson

rockitman

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Sep 20, 2011
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One curious thing: the dynamic range is so wide that the sound-field stretches far beyond the walls of our Listening Room #3, meaning, in practical terms you can tell what recording is playing even if you are, as I sometimes am, on the house’s third floor. This table is, in my considered judgment, in a class by itself, and I am hoping for its use as a long-term loan for reference purposes.

+1
 

Altanpsx

Member
Sep 10, 2014
75
2
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I could not agree more. I heart this gem at the Munich Show 2014, with a graham elite tonearm, tech das cartridge, nordost odin tonearm, vivid speakers, ch electronics, einstein phono pre. In dealers day, turntable was only static, second day(first public day), when we were passing through their room, I had seen a preperation made by a couple of far east man, I had asked one of them if af1 will be played, he said wait, and them we sat and waited. After 5-10 minutes preparation, a 1970-80 model bond case appeared, and these far east gentelmens started to argue with eachother. We were really laughing, scene was absurd. One of them pick a record, "Miles Davis - Live Around The World(9632-46032-1)", and put the record(song was Time after time) on af1. After 1-2 minutes of vta arrangements, needle touched the record.

I cannot find a words to express the experience we had been through. Everything was vanished, only music, only Miles, his trumpet, and the concert audience was there. I had forgotten my friends which were sitting my left and right side, just Miles trumpet, no treeble, no mids, no bass, no transparancey, no stage, even My existence had been vanished. When the song was finished, I started applause with the concert audience, thinking that I am in the concert. One of my friends sitting on my left side was literraly crying, and one of my friend sitting at my right side was shaking hands with Hideaki-San and they were shouting eachother "this is analog". Of course we listened more songs, and we talked with the other tech das represantatives. Also we asked the af2 and they gently took us to their af2 demo room. We listened af2 too, also it was extraordinary(if u wonder i did not applause, my friend did not cried). Af2 was partnered with a more modest system, and a modest cartridge), I assume it is one of the best tt I have ever heart(clearaudio statement, kondo, sme 30/2-12, onedoff etc) but af1 is not game changer, in my opinion af1 is the game itself.

I really dont know why I talked about it, but I really know each and every person intersted in high end audio, should listen af1 in a decent system. It may change your perspective like mine...
 

DEV

New Member
Oct 19, 2011
547
6
0
I could not agree more. I heart this gem at the Munich Show 2014, with a graham elite tonearm, tech das cartridge, nordost odin tonearm, vivid speakers, ch electronics, einstein phono pre. In dealers day, turntable was only static, second day(first public day), when we were passing through their room, I had seen a preperation made by a couple of far east man, I had asked one of them if af1 will be played, he said wait, and them we sat and waited. After 5-10 minutes preparation, a 1970-80 model bond case appeared, and these far east gentelmens started to argue with eachother. We were really laughing, scene was absurd. One of them pick a record, "Miles Davis - Live Around The World(9632-46032-1)", and put the record(song was Time after time) on af1. After 1-2 minutes of vta arrangements, needle touched the record.

I cannot find a words to express the experience we had been through. Everything was vanished, only music, only Miles, his trumpet, and the concert audience was there. I had forgotten my friends which were sitting my left and right side, just Miles trumpet, no treeble, no mids, no bass, no transparancey, no stage, even My existence had been vanished. When the song was finished, I started applause with the concert audience, thinking that I am in the concert. One of my friends sitting on my left side was literraly crying, and one of my friend sitting at my right side was shaking hands with Hideaki-San and they were shouting eachother "this is analog". Of course we listened more songs, and we talked with the other tech das represantatives. Also we asked the af2 and they gently took us to their af2 demo room. We listened af2 too, also it was extraordinary(if u wonder i did not applause, my friend did not cried). Af2 was partnered with a more modest system, and a modest cartridge), I assume it is one of the best tt I have ever heart(clearaudio statement, kondo, sme 30/2-12, onedoff etc) but af1 is not game changer, in my opinion af1 is the game itself.

I really dont know why I talked about it, but I really know each and every person intersted in high end audio, should listen af1 in a decent system. It may change your perspective like mine...

Hi Altanpsx,

thanks for sharing your firsthand listening experience - that's what audio is all about, the other is hilarious. :D Listening to the music and being transported into that actual venue and forgetting about this and that.

I have been enjoying mine for just over a years time now, see below Bob G. finishing up the installation of mine.

Vaughan-20131103-01177.jpg
 

Altanpsx

Member
Sep 10, 2014
75
2
6
Hi Dev,

I am familiar few of your components, burmester 100, af1, graham elite. Which in my opinion hell of an analog system you have, it is obvious, it had been made by an experienced and passionate music listener, congratulations.
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
12,308
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Manila, Philippines
I'm very happy you had that experience Altan. Though I've yet to cry, I have applauded. :)

I have the AF1, Elite and the TechDAS TD COI Ti cart. I have not given a covetous look at any other turntable since I got mine. :D
 

number95

Well-Known Member
May 14, 2014
384
7
250
I could not agree more. I heart this gem at the Munich Show 2014, with a graham elite tonearm, tech das cartridge, nordost odin tonearm, vivid speakers, ch electronics, einstein phono pre. In dealers day, turntable was only static, second day(first public day), when we were passing through their room, I had seen a preperation made by a couple of far east man, I had asked one of them if af1 will be played, he said wait, and them we sat and waited. After 5-10 minutes preparation, a 1970-80 model bond case appeared, and these far east gentelmens started to argue with eachother. We were really laughing, scene was absurd. One of them pick a record, "Miles Davis - Live Around The World(9632-46032-1)", and put the record(song was Time after time) on af1. After 1-2 minutes of vta arrangements, needle touched the record.

I cannot find a words to express the experience we had been through. Everything was vanished, only music, only Miles, his trumpet, and the concert audience was there. I had forgotten my friends which were sitting my left and right side, just Miles trumpet, no treeble, no mids, no bass, no transparancey, no stage, even My existence had been vanished. When the song was finished, I started applause with the concert audience, thinking that I am in the concert. One of my friends sitting on my left side was literraly crying, and one of my friend sitting at my right side was shaking hands with Hideaki-San and they were shouting eachother "this is analog". Of course we listened more songs, and we talked with the other tech das represantatives. Also we asked the af2 and they gently took us to their af2 demo room. We listened af2 too, also it was extraordinary(if u wonder i did not applause, my friend did not cried). Af2 was partnered with a more modest system, and a modest cartridge), I assume it is one of the best tt I have ever heart(clearaudio statement, kondo, sme 30/2-12, onedoff etc) but af1 is not game changer, in my opinion af1 is the game itself.

I really dont know why I talked about it, but I really know each and every person intersted in high end audio, should listen af1 in a decent system. It may change your perspective like mine...

You will cost me an AF1 soon, I know I know :D
 

dmnc02

Member Sponsor
Jul 10, 2012
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JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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The Captain has spoken :D
 

Altanpsx

Member
Sep 10, 2014
75
2
6
In my country there is post on the cemetry entrence,

Every human will taste the death.

You may argue the post in many way, but i think every audiophile should taste af1(in his/her home before death). So shoot the bullet my friend while you can, life is too short....
 

number95

Well-Known Member
May 14, 2014
384
7
250
Has anyone here had the chance to compare AF1 to AF2 btw? Is it only the air suspension and a bit heavier platter making the difference? Except Altanpsx which I know his comments well :)
 
Last edited:

rockitman

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Sep 20, 2011
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Bruce B

WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Apr 25, 2010
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www.pugetsoundstudios.com


wow that is surprising...Our own DEV selling his AF1. I wonder if he is going back to his Micro-Seiki ? I also saw that he had his VAC monoblocks up for sale on A-gon....
It's on a-gon too...
http://app.audiogon.com/listings/turntables-techdas-air-force-one-2014-12-22-analog-l4h-1k7

$65k USD vs. $79K CAD is quite a big price discrepancy, or did the Loonie take a dive last week??
 

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 16, 2010
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$65k USD vs. $79K CAD is quite a big price discrepancy, or did the Loonie take a dive last week??

It's been dropping for a while now. He changed it to $76.6K CAD on CAM.

Notice on the VAC ad he mentions a speaker change.
 

DEV

New Member
Oct 19, 2011
547
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0
$65k USD vs. $79K CAD is quite a big price discrepancy, or did the Loonie take a dive last week??

65,850.00 USD = 76,635.47 CAD
US Dollar ? Canadian Dollar
1 USD = 1.16379 CAD 1 CAD = 0.859263 USD

My own error - thx - corrected $76,600.00
 

DEV

New Member
Oct 19, 2011
547
6
0
wow that is surprising...Our own DEV selling his AF1. I wonder if he is going back to his Micro-Seiki ? I also saw that he had his VAC monoblocks up for sale on A-gon....

It's on a-gon too...
http://app.audiogon.com/listings/turntables-techdas-air-force-one-2014-12-22-analog-l4h-1k7

No MS was sold after hearing the AF1 in my system - AF1 is to date my favorite :D

I really want one of these ;) so hence my decision to sell now; "I will produce Air Force Zero. That will be my last design, because it will be the best turntable I know how to make. I can’t say much on this now, but it will have a far larger platter for better turning moments, as well as a bigger power supply, and because of the size, its own stand - Hideaki Niskikawa"
 

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 16, 2010
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Calgary, AB

rockitman

Member Sponsor
Sep 20, 2011
7,097
412
1,210
Northern NY
No MS was sold after hearing the AF1 in my system - AF1 is to date my favorite :D

I really want one of these ;) so hence my decision to sell now; "I will produce Air Force Zero. That will be my last design, because it will be the best turntable I know how to make. I can’t say much on this now, but it will have a far larger platter for better turning moments, as well as a bigger power supply, and because of the size, its own stand - Hideaki Niskikawa"

AF0 ? You Dawg. Is there any progress on the design ? How far out is the production model ?
 

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