The Phantom II SUPREME – their newest and best effort to date – has exceeded their highest expectations, surpassing even the highly-rated Phantom II. And when compared to other tonearms on the market, tests and preliminary user comments have confirmed that the Phantom II SUPREME is in another, altogether higher level of performance.

Compared to the orignal Phantom, as well as the Series II, the SUPREME has a similar outward appearance, but has important internal differences. In addition to the refined Magneglide ™ stabilizer, new internal wiring for even better detail and improved freedom from any mechanical resistance, an upgraded pivot design for even greater dynamics, and a new titanium armwand, the SUPREME has incorporated a new pivot housing assembly.

Working as an adjustable system, Magneglide (TM) provides the following six benefits:
-increased lateral stability,
-easy azimuth adjustability,
-a higher intertial lateral component for improved bass reproduction,
-augmentation of system damping,
-true vertical pivoting of the stylus tip with no rotation as the arm is raised, and
-easily adjusted anti-skate compensation.

At this point, a brief description of Balance Theory may be helpful: There are basically three types of static balance systems, Neutral, Stable, and Unstable.

STABLE BALANCE, normally seen in laboratory scales, occurs when the CG (center of gravity) of the moving system is placed BELOW the pivot point. This system resists a change in postion; when a tonearm utlizes this type of system, and such a tonearm is displaced from its preferred rest position, it will generate an immediate and opposing force which tries to return to that same position.

UNSTABLE BALANCE, when the center of gravity is placed ABOVE the pivot point, is entirely useless for tonearm design, and will exhibit serious problems, including reduced tracking force as the arm is raised.

The third, and most desirable system for tonearms, is NEUTRAL BALANCE. With this system, the pivot point and the Center of Gravity of the moving system are in the same plane. When the arm is raised or lowered, there is no opposing force trying to return the arm to a rest position; the pivoting system doesn't really know or care if the stylus is at the record surface level or a half-inch above or below it; as a result, there is no opposing force to the arm as it is traversing record deflection during play. The only downward tracking force is that of the adjustable counterweight, which remains a constant. Previously, all true unipivots - that is, those with a single contact point for the bearing and NO secondary stablizing surfaces, bearings, etc. - required the use of side weights or a significantly lowered counterweight in order to provide stability. And generally speaking, those arms with a secondary stabilizer point require a lowered center of gravity in order to provide constant contact with the stabilizer guide bearing.