Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.
What reviewers think
Magazine reviewers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below.
Product Strengths
- Combines smoothness in the upper and mid frequencies with sharply drawn and well-defined high-frequency transients.
- Masterfully voiced, with low coloration, and works well with all musical genres, especially acoustic music.
- Highly dynamic sound, potentially the best achievable outside of the Opus One.
- Features a holistic sound that reminds reviewers of classic studio carts.
- Renders recorded space perfectly with a deep and wide soundstage.
Product Considerations
- Tracking abilities are only moderately good, requiring a VTF of 2.2gm to negotiate the 60µm peak on a test record.
- Requires a tonearm with an effective mass of around 15g-18g for a perfect resonance frequency.
- Expensive
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- PC-1 coda combines the smoothness with more sharply drawn and better-defined high-frequency transients than previous Matsudaira cartridges, compared to Lyra cartridges.
- PC-1 Coda's holistic sound and the ability to let the music speak with one voice reminds reviewers of the classic studio carts, compared to Ortofon SPU/EMT JSD.
- PC-1 Coda's speed and transient accuracy are nearly on par with Lyra Atlas.
Takeaway: The Air Tight PC-1 coda is a versatile cartridge that performs in a balanced way, so it is suitable for any musical style. Its outstanding performance can transform the listening experience.
How useful are hifi reviews? We consider them useful for three things: (1) Surfacing new products you should demo in person at a dealer. (2) Learning which products reviewers unanimously praise as the best they've ever heard (this means they probably are legitimately great). (3) Identifying a product's unique attributes that satisfy your idiosyncratic needs and tastes. Beyond that, we discount what reviewers say because they heap praise on everything—rarely being negative for fear of souring relationships with manufacturers. Further, they seldom have more than a couple products on-hand at once, relying on their imperfect memories to compare to past products.
Video Review
Compared to their other products
We think it's helpful to understand how this product fits into the brand's full lineup (below). To learn more about these products, visit the brand's page.
ATC-3
- Positioning: The entry-level stereo line-control amplifier designed for affordability and ease of use.
- Description: Features a simple SRPP design with a reinforced buffer stage and a quick recovery diode power supply that offers very low noise. Compared to the more advanced ATC-7, it has fewer features and lower output capability, making it best for small rooms and buyers with a tighter budget and basic functionality needs.
ATC-7
- Positioning: The mid-range stereo line-control amplifier focused on precise signal handling.
- Description: Uses dual 12AX7 and 12AU7 valves to deliver precise control, a wide frequency range, and low distortion. Compared to the entry-level ATC-3, it offers enhanced performance and output voltage while leaving the high-powered driver role to the ATM series.
ATM-1S
- Positioning: The stereo power amplifier built to deliver dependable and balanced performance.
- Description: Uses a traditional Mullard phase inversion circuit with 6CA7 valves and robust Hashimoto transformers to achieve 36W per channel with solid headroom. Compared to the flagship mono BLOCK ATM-3211 and the preamp line (ATC-7 and ATC-3), it strikes a balance in cost and power.
ATM-3211
- Positioning: The high-end mono power amplifier engineered for maximum power delivery.
- Description: Uses a five-year developed 211 triode push-pull circuit that produces 120W output with a wide frequency response and premium hand-picked components. Compared to the stereo ATM-1S and the preamp ATC series, it offers higher output power and superior build quality.
See all the brand's products
Read the reviews
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An excellent review of a great product
/
Publisher
/
3/1/2022
An excellent review of a great product
Publisher
/
3/1/2022
PC-1 coda
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Manufacturer's notes
It's been over a decade since the first AirTight MC cartridge PC-1 made its debut. Today, we are pleased to announce debut of PC-1 coda, a new MC Cartridge pouring technologies and knowledges from our years of designing Cartridge.
Manufacturer Specs
- Internal impedance: 1.7 ohms (DCR)
- Output voltage: 0.5mV/1kHz
- Stylus pressure: 2.0 - 2.2g
- Channel balance: within 0.5dB/1kHz
- Cantilever: boron
- Stylus Tip Type: Semi-line contact (3 μ mm × 30 μ mm)
- Cartridge base: A7075 (Extra Super Duralumin)
- Housing: A6063
- Terminal: Rhodium plating
- Weight: 12.7g
Visit Manufacturer Site
Average Price
$10,001-$20,000
Used Products
4
Available (Scroll Down)
Brand Popularity
193
of 600+
Badges
Top 50 Brand
Top 250 Brand
Products
31
Founded
1986
Our take on the brand
Air Tight is a Japanese hifi brand founded by former Luxman engineer Atsushi Miura that maintains traditional tube sound technology, delivering the warm, natural sound of vacuum tubes through PCB-free point-to-point wiring. Their products are handcrafted with meticulous attention to detail, featuring a design philosophy rooted in Japanese simplicity and precision, and are particularly noted for their ability to deliver dynamic realism and rich soundstage even at lower volumes.
Brand Page
Most data on ExtremeHiFi is proprietary—researched and reviewed after thousands of hours of loving labor. We archive our site's data and its pages on Archive.org and take legal action against those repurposing the data. We also fingerprint data to know when text and numbers came from us first.
Visit Full Brand Page
Used
A&M
What if you spend a bit more?
No items found.
What else competes at this price?
No items found.
Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.
What reviewers think
Magazine reviewers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below.
Product Strengths
- Combines smoothness in the upper and mid frequencies with sharply drawn and well-defined high-frequency transients.
- Masterfully voiced, with low coloration, and works well with all musical genres, especially acoustic music.
- Highly dynamic sound, potentially the best achievable outside of the Opus One.
- Features a holistic sound that reminds reviewers of classic studio carts.
- Renders recorded space perfectly with a deep and wide soundstage.
Product Considerations
- Tracking abilities are only moderately good, requiring a VTF of 2.2gm to negotiate the 60µm peak on a test record.
- Requires a tonearm with an effective mass of around 15g-18g for a perfect resonance frequency.
- Expensive
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- PC-1 coda combines the smoothness with more sharply drawn and better-defined high-frequency transients than previous Matsudaira cartridges, compared to Lyra cartridges.
- PC-1 Coda's holistic sound and the ability to let the music speak with one voice reminds reviewers of the classic studio carts, compared to Ortofon SPU/EMT JSD.
- PC-1 Coda's speed and transient accuracy are nearly on par with Lyra Atlas.
Takeaway: The Air Tight PC-1 coda is a versatile cartridge that performs in a balanced way, so it is suitable for any musical style. Its outstanding performance can transform the listening experience.
How useful are hifi reviews? We consider them useful for three things: (1) Surfacing new products you should demo in person at a dealer. (2) Learning which products reviewers unanimously praise as the best they've ever heard (this means they probably are legitimately great). (3) Identifying a product's unique attributes that satisfy your idiosyncratic needs and tastes. Beyond that, we discount what reviewers say because they heap praise on everything—rarely being negative for fear of souring relationships with manufacturers. Further, they seldom have more than a couple products on-hand at once, relying on their imperfect memories to compare to past products.
Video Review
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