The Acoustical Systems AXIOM Reference tonearm
The AXIOM tonearm from acoustical systems—the company prefers lowercase—has been on my To-Review list since I spotted it at Munich High End more than a few years ago, but for one reason or another, that never happened. Until now.
The understated, “lab-grade” AXIOM holds its own visually even when paired with designer D.D. Brakemeier’s enormous and equally lab-looking APOLYT turntable. You can take the turntable tour on AnalogPlanet or on Brakemeier’s website.1 That turntable’s scale makes even the TechDAS Air Force Zero appear diminutive.
Brakemeier, who describes himself as the “chief design officer, so to speak,” says his goal for the $24,995 AXIOM was to produce an infinitely adjustable “universal” tonearm capable of precisely adjusting every setup parameter you can think of and maybe a few you haven’t thought of and to place the settings where they are most effectively implemented.
Available in either 10" or 12" versions (and in various other optional configurations you can find on the company’s website), the AXIOM is a double nanogimbal bearing, static, full-lateral-balanced arm. According to Brakemeier, the bearings are not the usual ABEC-7 or -9 variety but rather are made for use in satellite gyroscopes and for other high-precision purposes. Only two companies make them: one in Japan, the other in Germany; the latter, obviously, is where the AXIOM’s are sourced. The pivoting architecture consists of four bearings in three sizes. This eliminates, Brakemeier says, “resonances in any of the two axes.” The horizontal bearing features a hardened, beryllium-brass alloy. The vertical bearing is fabricated from tungsten HD18. These material differences are also intended to reduce resonances.
Brakemeier further explained why the ABEC “ball race” scale is useless for tonearm bearings, though many arm manufacturers tout them. Those, he says, are for use in high-speed settings where there’s constant vertical as well as angular pressure. Tonearm bearings use but a fraction of a full revolution; the important thing is that the inner movement within that small fraction of a revolution must be as smooth as possible and feature as low as possible inner inertia—the force required to start “the ball rolling”—which should also be as low as possible. This makes so much sense, it’s obvious why I never thought of
