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
Bloggers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below. Links to full reviews follow.
Product Strengths
- The Discovery RS brings a 'naturalness' and 'effortless' quality to the music, making it more 'soulful' and 'engaging'
- The Discovery RS opens up the soundstage, providing a broader and more expansive listening experience
- The Discovery RS delivers a significant reduction in 'groove rush,' resulting in nearly complete silence between cuts and in the lead-in groove
- The Discovery RS provides more refined and better-delineated bass extension with a more faithful sense of speed and texture
- The Discovery RS is designed with a unique resonance suppression system to minimize unwanted mechanical and acoustical contributions
Product Considerations
- One reviewer had trouble getting the right alignment, because the cartridge was too light for the tonearm
- The upgrade offer for existing Kronos owners won't be available much longer, so do not miss out
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Compared to the Black Beauty tonearm, the Discovery RS brought a significant improvement to the entire sonic tapestry of the turntable
Takeaway: The Discovery RS is an exceptional tone arm with innovative technology that really gets the music out of your records. It provides a monumental improvement in LP playback.
What are hifi reviews useful for? (1) Identifying products you should demo in person at a dealer. (2) Learning which products reviewers unanimously praise as the best they've heard (this means they probably are legitimately great). (3) Identifying a product's attributes that satisfy your idiosyncratic needs and tastes. Beyond that, we often discount what reviewers say because they heap praise on most products—and are often apprehensive about publishing strong criticism or comparisons between products. Further, they seldom have more than a few products on-hand, often relying on their memories to compare past products. Always listen for yourself.
All
RS
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
Video Review
Manufacturer details
Features
Specifications
- Shipping weight: 5kg (Discovery), 10kg (RS)
- Effective length: 306 mm
- Overhang: 13.2 mm
- Pivot to spindle distance: 292 mm
- Maximum tracking error: 0.125
- Measured resonant frequency: 7.5 hertz (Discovery), 6.5 hertz (RS)
- Cartridge weight compatibility: 5 to 24 grams
- VTA adjustments: coarse and fine up to 1 inch
- Azimuth adjustment: Fine/Dual Counter Weights
- Bearing type: proprietary half ball and surface-treated elliptical dimpled uni-pivot receiving cup
- Head shell: Lazered precision ceramic composite with nickel cladding
- Cartridge plate: 5-point adjustable assembly, with variable resonance suppression tuning
- Arm lift: hydraulic dampened, height adjustable
Description
-
Release Timeline
Manufacturer Site
Brand highlights
Taking a step back to look at reviewers' thoughts of the brand's entire lineup—not just this product—what stands out most is the following:
- The counter-rotating platter design effectively eliminates torsional forces, contributing to exceptional stability and reduced blurring of the musical signal.
- Kronos products incorporate materials with different resonant Q factors in modular structures, minimizing interactive parasitic vibrations and improving isolation.
- Kronos components enhance the resolution of recorded details to an exceptional degree, making the walls of the recorded venue "flex, bend, contort, and pulsate as if live/alive," delivering a singularly revelatory experience.
Select products
Select product comparisons
Sparta 0.5
- Positioning: The entry-level model in the Kronos lineup.
- Description: Offers a solid frame base with a single subchassis, making it a great choice for those seeking high-quality sound in a more compact and affordable package. Unlike the more advanced Sparta model, it features a single tonearm mounting plate, which is ideal for users with limited space or budget but still desiring excellent performance.
Sparta
- Positioning: Positioned as a mid-range option in the Kronos lineup.
- Description: Features a dual-platter design, providing enhanced stability and sound quality. It uses the counter-rotational technology of the flagship Kronos Pro but in a more affordable package.
Kronos Pro
- Positioning: The high-end model in the Kronos lineup.
- Description: Features a dual-platter system that rotates in opposite directions, effectively eliminating torque-induced vibrations for superior sound clarity.
Discovery
- Positioning: The flagship model in the Kronos lineup.
- Description: Introduces a groundbreaking chassis suspension system that enhances sound quality by treating the chassis like a musical instrument's soundbox. It surpasses the Kronos Pro with its innovative design.
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Avg. Product Price
$10,001-$20,000
Used For Sale
0
Available (Scroll Down)
Brand Popularity
293
of 900+
Badges
Top 50 Brand
Top 250 Brand
Products Listed
6
Founding Year
2005
Our take on the brand
Kronos Audio's turntables feature a unique counter-rotating dual-platter system that cancels out rotational forces and minimizes vibrations, setting them apart in the industry. Their turntables also use supercapacitors to operate off-grid for reduced electrical noise, while their Discovery RS tonearm employs a proprietary bearing system for precise playback.
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Brand Page
Our interview with the brand
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Graham Engineering
Phantom III
19250
/
Released
Phantom III is the same specification as the Phantom II, but has an updated arm wand, new internal wiring for arm wand and bearing housing. The Phantom III has exceeded our 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 III is in another, altogether higher level of performance.
Graham Engineering is known for their tonearms that use magnetic stabilization to control wobble and allow users to adjust tracking angle while records are playing. Their flagship Phantom series features interchangeable armwands in different lengths and a unique unipivot design that minimizes resonance through its removable headshell.
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Our Summary
Product Strengths
- The Phantom III does not impose a consistent signature or coloration on the music, leaning towards an ideal of neutrality that allows cartridges to express their individual character more overtly
- Offers a proportionate blend of resolution, detail, bass response, soundstaging, and imaging—creating 'wholeness' in musical reproduction
- Provides stable and repeatable adjustments for fine-tuning tracking force, azimuth, overhang, zenith angle, and VTA/SRA
- Facilitates easy daily operation
Product Considerations
- The price point may be prohibitive for some
- Initial leveling may need to be checked and adjusted after a few weeks due to settling
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Graham Engineering Phantom II Supreme: The Phantom III's bass reproduction was far more robust and controlled
Takeaway: The Graham Engineering Phantom III is a high-quality tonearm that allows for precise adjustments and stable performance, letting the true character of cartridges shine through. Its ability to trace grooves accurately and portray subtle differences in recordings makes it a worthwhile investment for serious audiophiles.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Graham Engineering is known for their tonearms that use magnetic stabilization to control wobble and allow users to adjust tracking angle while records are playing. Their flagship Phantom series features interchangeable armwands in different lengths and a unique unipivot design that minimizes resonance through its removable headshell.
Product Page
Product Page
J.Sikora
KV9 Max
10352
/
Released
2022
J.Sikora stands out for being the only hifi brand to use Kevlar in their tonearm tubes, combining this unique material choice with a unipivot bearing design for optimal sound performance. Their tonearms feature a distinctive VTA adjustment mechanism modeled after a photographic lens, allowing precise adjustments during playback, while incorporating a mix of aluminum, bronze, and brass to enhance sound quality.
Expand Details
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Unique, highly engaging, and factual rendition of the music
- Design builds on the best aspects of the KV12 tonearms, and takes performance to an even higher level by reducing weight and increasing rigidity
- New, unique bearing is made of zirconium oxide, and improved damping guarantees maximum stabilization of the tonearm with unsurpassed tracking
- Most of the aluminum elements of the arm are replaced with bronze, contributing to an increase in stability and a further reduction of resonances to an exceptional level
- Ability of unique playful interaction with the cartridge and turntable opened up a deeper interaction with the music, that is normally associated with pricier tonearms
Product Considerations
- Significantly more expensive than other models in its category
- Returning the tonearm after testing it without the hope of purchasing it will be difficult
- Even poor releases are clearly shown for their weaknesses
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs KV12: KV9 Max offers even better resolution, even better differentiation, even better insight into the smallest details and subtleties of every recording, or into even the most delicate tonal shifts and texture changes
- Vs KV12: KV12 is the clear winner when it comes to macro-dynamics
- Vs KV12: On the Dead Can Dance's Spiritchaser, what the KV9 Max did with the powerful, deep, almost subsonic electronic bass was brilliant—truly impressive, but the KV12 added even more mass and powerful slam to these deepest, lowest sounds
Takeaway: The J. Sikora KV9 MAX Zirconium is a high-performing tonearm that delivers exceptional sound quality, with great detail and clarity. This tonearm could be a worthwhile investment for those seeking the best in analog audio reproduction.
Video review
Our take on the brand
J.Sikora stands out for being the only hifi brand to use Kevlar in their tonearm tubes, combining this unique material choice with a unipivot bearing design for optimal sound performance. Their tonearms feature a distinctive VTA adjustment mechanism modeled after a photographic lens, allowing precise adjustments during playback, while incorporating a mix of aluminum, bronze, and brass to enhance sound quality.
Product Page
Product Page
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