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AIR TIGHT PC-1 Supreme
- OPTIMAL COMBINATION OF LOW IMPEDANCE & HIGH OUTPUT
- Epoch-making Hi-µ core material SH-µX recently developed offers high µ amount to realise high-efficiency magnetic circuitry
- Thick wires help reduce winding Nos. in coil, thus achieving astounding low internal impedance
- Expanded bandwidth & extended dynamic range present clearer life-like soundstage, whilst improvement in transient & phase characteristics reproduces ultra-heavy bass with highest resolutions
Dealers selling AIR TIGHT near you
Authorized dealers for AIR TIGHT PC-1 Supreme
- Resolution A/V — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- Supreme Acoustic Systems — in-store — Las Vegas, Nevada, United States (website)
- The ASOC Gallery of Fine Audio — in-store — Stratford, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- American Sound — in-store — Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Ann Arbor Audio Design — in-store — Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States (website)
- Audio Creativ — in-store — Riedenburg, Bayern, Germany (website)
- Audio Sound Music — in-store — Paris, Île-de-France, France (website)
- AUDIO-CONSEIL — in-store — Saint-Étienne, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France (website)
- Aural HiFi — online and in-store — Denver, Colorado, United States (website)
and 34 more verified dealers
The luxury-reference sound here is all about tonal refinement, deep bass, and immaculate detail retrieval, with wide, deep staging and confident inner-groove tracking. In Audiophilia, Anthony Kershaw heard a cartridge that keeps its composure through crushing dynamics while staying neutral, richly textured, and uncannily revealing.
Pros
- Exceptional tonal refinement with rich mids, extended treble, and authoritative bass
- Tracks difficult passages and inner grooves with impressive composure and detail retrieval
- Produces a wide, deep soundstage with lifelike dynamics and precise transient attack
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Cons
- Needs a serious, well-matched analog front end and is aimed at experienced setups rather than casual systems
- Takes time to break in before fully opening up
- Some recordings can still sound murky, so it cannot fully rescue poor pressings
Sound Quality
94/100
Weighted average of sub-criteria below.
Overall Sound
95/100
Reviewers describe a 'tonal beauty' with 'lustre and refinement' and call it 'one of the finest I’ve reviewed.' The tonal balance is praised for extended treble, rich but detailed mids, and iron-grip bass, suggesting a highly accomplished, luxurious presentation rather than mere technical showmanship.
Tracking Retrieval
93/100
Tracking and retrieval are repeatedly highlighted as exceptional: it tracks 'all this volume and data to perfection, even from the inner grooves,' with 'super fast transients' and previously unnoticed details emerging from a murky soundstage. A single comment about decay being slightly muted is a minor caveat against otherwise outstanding groove tracing and detail recovery.
Soundstage Imaging
90/100
The cartridge is credited with a 'wide and deep' soundstage and with exposing instrumental detail precisely within that space. Imaging is not described in hyper-technical terms throughout, but the repeated sense of openness, separation, and spatial clarity comfortably places it in excellent territory.
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Build Quality
92/100
The reviewer’s language strongly implies top-tier craftsmanship and execution, describing a 'highly-buffed' cartridge with refinement befitting its premium price and calling it a luxury product. The boron cantilever and very tight channel balance specification further support a well-assembled, high-end design, though the score is kept short of perfection because the review focuses more on sonic results than explicit construction details.
Features Usability
76/100
Tonearm compatibility is more specialized than universal: this is a low-output MC with 1 ohm impedance, 0.4mV output, and 1.9–2.2g tracking force, so it will reward careful arm and phono-stage matching. That said, nothing in the review suggests it is unusually fussy beyond the normal demands of a reference-grade MC cartridge.
Value for Money
83/100
Value commentary is restrained but broadly favorable in context: the reviewer acknowledges the USD 12,975 price while implying that serious vinyl listeners may find it compelling enough to justify selling other gear. That is not 'great value' language, but it does suggest the performance can legitimize the cost within the very high-end cartridge class.
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