The Titan Grande Complication: adjustable to the micron, on any cartridge
Acoustical Systems calls its new Titan Grande Complication — Titan GC for short — its final word on tonearm design. Mounted on the brand’s Astellar turntable, it puts every alignment parameter under micrometer control: VTA adjustable to one micron, non-touch dynamic anti-skating adjustable to a hundredth of a gram while the record is playing, static vertical tracking force, a rarely-offered lateral balance adjustment, and independent overhang, SMS and SRA adjustment, the last set directly at the cartridge. Every setting can be returned to exactly 100% of a previous position, and the arm is designed to accommodate any cartridge, regardless of brand, weight or design.
The Palladian XO Boron cartridge, and a first-ever acoustic-only recording
Mounted on the new tonearm was Acoustical Systems’ own top cartridge, the Palladian XO Boron, built around a proprietary boron cantilever technique the company declines to disclose, paired with what it describes as the smallest stylus ever used in audio history. Alongside the hardware, Acoustical Systems debuted its first-ever recording: a fully acoustic tape capture made at Schloss Seefeld near Munich, taken from the listening position of the audience with no editing and no support microphones. It’s available on CD now, with a vinyl release planned for July.
Frequently asked questions
What makes the Titan Grande Complication tonearm unique?
Every alignment parameter — VTA, anti-skating, vertical tracking force, lateral balance, overhang, SMS and SRA — is adjustable by micrometer, with VTA accurate to a single micron and settings that return to exactly the same position each time.
What cartridge did Acoustical Systems mount on the new tonearm?
The Palladian XO Boron, the brand’s top cartridge, built with a proprietary boron cantilever and what Acoustical Systems describes as the smallest stylus ever used in audio history.
What is special about Acoustical Systems’ new recording from Schloss Seefeld?
It’s a fully acoustic tape recording made without any editing or support microphones, captured from the listening position of the audience — currently available on CD, with vinyl planned for July.
