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
- Provides ultraquiet backgrounds allowing the cartridge to exhibit its sonic character without restrictions
- Capable of a dynamic presentation that projects and establishes the musical picture far from the speaker boundaries without limitations
- Excels at revealing details in recordings, allowing previously unnoticed nuances to fit comfortably into the whole
- Delivers a smooth, serene, and 'creamy' sound, which is the designer's sonic goal
- Known for its sophisticated level of transient subtlety and precision
Product Considerations
- Requires experience and muscle to set up properly
- The belt calibration process is fairly long and must be repeated when changing belts
- Poorer quality vinyl, recording studio, or master tape can limit the sound quality, but the turntable still performs within those limits
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The Air Force One Premium produces dramatically blacker backgrounds and a far more sophisticated level of transient subtlety and precision, compared to the VPI HW-40
- Air Force One Premium excels in smoothness, sonic sophistication, background blackness, and serenity, compared to the Continuum Caliburn
Takeaway: The TechDAS Air Force One Premium is a high-end turntable that gets out of the way of the music, allowing for incredible detail and dynamics. With its quietness and ability to reveal the nuances in recordings, listening to music becomes an immersive experience.
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
Air Force One Premium
reviews
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An excellent review of a great product
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Publisher
/
3/1/2022
An excellent review of a great product
Publisher
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3/1/2022
Video Review
Manufacturer details
Features
Specifications
Main Body
- Drive System: Belt Drive, Surface polished polyurethane fiber flat belt
- Platter:
- Main Platter: SUS316L Non-magnetic forged stainless steel, Weight 19 kg
- Upper Platter: Choice of A7075 (4 kg) or Pure TITANIUM (6 kg)
- Motor: AC synchronous motor, Rotating speed controlled by DC amplifier
- Chassis: Three different material sandwiched structure
- Rotation Speed: 33-1/3 rpm / 45 rpm with precise speed adjustment function
- Wow & Flutter: Below 0.03% (W.R.M.S)
- Minimum Dimensions for Setting Up: 680 (W) x 480 (D) mm
- Total Weight: 73 kg
Power Supply & Pump Unit
- Power Supply / Pump Unit: Power consumption: 60W
- Dimension and Weight: 430 (W) x 160 (H) x 240 (D) mm, 10 kg
- Air Condenser / Air Charger Unit:
- Dimension: 430 (W) x 160 (H) x 240 (D) mm
- Weight: 10 kg
Accessories
- Accessories Supplied:
- Tonearm base x 1 (drilled for specified tonearm)
- Platter cover "The Platter Top" x 1
- TechDAS Disc Stabilizer x 1
- AC cable x 1
Optional Items & Accessories
- Extra Tonearm Base (Stainless, Pure Titanium, Aluminum)
- Air Force Mounting Rack
Description
The Air Force One Premium analog turntable by TechDAS ushers in exquisite design concept to positively exploit the aerodynamic force equivalent to sound energy rather than springs or buffer materials. It is the ultimate mechanism based on a vibration damping design using "Air Force" and utilizes only high-precision finished parts with enough mass to completely avoid any "colour" to the sound, nothing is added or removed. Through the aerodynamic instrumentality of "Air Force" the real magnitude and essence of ultimate analog playback is now a reality. Adverse effects caused by various obstructive oscillations, which used to be arch-nemesis of analog turntables has been thoroughly wiped out by the Air Force.
“The top-of-the-line model for the TechDAS Air Force turntable series with new integrated concepts and technologies further refining the sound, user-friendliness and external finish. The Air Force One Premium analog turntable by TechDAS ushers in exquisite design concept to positively exploit the aerodynamic force equivalent to sound energy rather than springs or buffer materials. It is the ultimate mechanism based on a vibration damping design using “Air Force” and utilizes only high-precision finished parts with enough mass to completely avoid any “colour” to the sound, nothing is added or removed. Through the aerodynamic instrumentality of “Air Force” the real magnitude and essence of ultimate analog playback is now a reality. Adverse effects caused by various obstructive oscillations, which used to be arch-nemesis of analog turntables has been thoroughly wiped out by the Air Force.”
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:
- TechDAS turntables employ air-bearing platters and vacuum record hold-down systems across their entire product line, even in their most affordable models.
- The brand's turntables often feature a multi-layered chassis construction utilizing a combination of different materials to minimize vibration and resonance.
- TechDAS emphasizes precise control of platter rotation, often employing sophisticated motor control systems with quartz oscillators and microcontrollers.
- They offer design their products as tool-like and highly customizable, accommodating up to four tonearms with a variety of armboard options.
Select products
Select product comparisons
Air Force V Premium
- Positioning: Entry-level model, designed for affordability and compactness.
- Description: Offers a compact design with integrated motor, making it ideal for smaller spaces. Features a dual platter system and a CNC machined aluminum chassis, providing a high signal-to-noise ratio similar to higher-end models. This model is suitable for those with a limited budget who still desire advanced air technologies and a solid build.
Air Force III Premium S
- Positioning: Mid-range model with enhanced vibration isolation.
- Description: Includes newly designed suspension feet for improved vibration isolation, making it suitable for varied environments. Features a heavy gunmetal platter and air bearing technology, offering a lower noise floor compared to the Air Force V Premium.
Air Force One Premium
- Positioning: High-end model with advanced air technologies.
- Description: Incorporates a heavy platter and advanced air suspension system, providing superior rotation accuracy and dynamic sound. Offers a choice of titanium or duralumin upper platter, setting it apart from the Air Force III Premium S.
Air Force Zero
- Positioning: Flagship model, designed as the ultimate reference turntable.
- Description: Features a colossal design with a 330 kg system and advanced motor technologies, delivering exceptional rotational precision. Its air suspension and multi-layer platter system provide a noise floor and soundstage unmatched by the Air Force One Premium.
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Avg. Product Price
$100,001+
Used For Sale
4
Available (Scroll Down)
Brand Popularity
253
of 900+
Badges
Top 50 Brand
Top 250 Brand
Products Listed
15
Founding Year
2010
Our take on the brand
TechDAS is a premium turntable brand that uses rare air bearing and vacuum hold-down technologies, designed by former Micro Seiki engineer Hideaki Nishikawa. Their Air Force series turntables combine high-mass chassis with advanced air suspension systems to minimize vibrations, while their vacuum hold-down system reduces record warping for better sound quality.
Look inside the brand
Brand Page
Our interview with the brand
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What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?
What other products pair best with yours?
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TechDAS
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What if you spend more?
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What competes at this price?
Kronos
Discovery
120000
/
Released
Kronos developed a wholly new way to attach the chassis to the suspension system, using completely different soft clamping methods. This treats the chassis more like the soundbox of a guitar or a violin because in that case how it's held dictates to some degree how it sounds.
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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Our Summary
Product Strengths
- The Chronos Discovery Turntable's performance completely resets the bar for what can be achieved sonically with the playback of LPs and is the new milestone in reference-level LP playback
- It presents an entirely fresh and previously unattainable level of musical experience, a new pinnacle of expressiveness and communication that is more than merely revelatory and bordered on transformative
- Discovery presents with an amazingly black, stark background, yielding a noise floor so decidedly defeated that it is all but imperceptible
- It exhibits this incredible ability to more finely differentiate and reveal the ever-so-specific size and locality, and with some recordings, even the shape, of each and every instrumental voice it regenerates
- The new model comes equipped with a massive custom hand-wound power transformer and uses a bank of super-capacitors on its output—optimising damping (towards back EMF), improving the microdynamic motor control, and increasing drive stability
Product Considerations
- The speed controllers on the front panel are not marked
- It is an intricate and complex piece of equipment to install, best left to experts
- Its size and Captain Nemo physicality may be a drawback
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Compared to the Kronos Pro, the Discovery shares no components—it isn't the Pro writ large, but runs along common evolutionary design channels
- The Discovery goes a lot further and is significantly better
Takeaway: The Chronos Discovery Turntable offers a new and improved music listening experience. It is considered a top-of-the-line product that uncovers sounds you may have never noticed before.
Video review
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.
Product Page
Product Page
NAGRA
Reference (Turntable)
128000
/
Released
2024
Following in the footsteps of Nagra's flagship Reference Anniversary turntable/tonearm system, Nagra's research and development team devoted an additional two years applying all that was learned in the preceding four years of Anniversary system development to expand our commitment to LP reproduction to a wider audience of vinyl lovers. The Reference turntable/tonearm maintains the same level of obsessive attention to detail embodied in the limited edition Reference Anniversary turntable/tonearm, including our insistence on technical achievement validated by extensive listening. Its concept, design and execution are befitting of its inclusion in Nagra's flagship Reference line of products.
Nagra Audio, a Swiss brand with roots in professional recording and film (including two Oscars for soundtracks), brings watchmaking-level precision to their hifi equipment through extensive in-house manufacturing of components like transformers. Their HD Preamp and Classic DAC showcase unique technologies, including virtual battery power supplies and PCM-to-DSD conversion, while their commitment to quality is demonstrated by rejecting over half of their tested valves to maintain exceptional standards.
Expand Details
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Designed specifically for Nagra's 70th anniversary, with only 70 units produced, making it an exceptional and exclusive piece
- Provides a silent listening experience, with surface noise remaining at an almost inaudible level
- Offers precise sound reproduction, where all instruments are perfectly distinct with great definition
- Excellent instrument separation, allowing listeners to discern individual instruments within orchestral formations, creating a sense of depth and space
- Clean and well-defined low-frequency response without any muddiness
Product Considerations
- A complex piece of equipment, requiring 4 years of development and production
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The sound is closer to an analog master tape listening than to vinyl as we know it—rounder and softer
Takeaway: The Nagra REFERENCE ANNIVERSARY turntable is a technologically advanced and meticulously crafted product designed for exceptional vinyl playback. It is a premium option for audiophiles seeking the highest level of precision and clarity in their listening experience.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Nagra Audio, a Swiss brand with roots in professional recording and film (including two Oscars for soundtracks), brings watchmaking-level precision to their hifi equipment through extensive in-house manufacturing of components like transformers. Their HD Preamp and Classic DAC showcase unique technologies, including virtual battery power supplies and PCM-to-DSD conversion, while their commitment to quality is demonstrated by rejecting over half of their tested valves to maintain exceptional standards.
Product Page
Product Page
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Gryphon
Apollo
160856
/
Released
2024
Never before has so much intellectual horsepower been devoted to the service of Analog Playback. The culmination of a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration between Soren Slebo of The Gryphon Design Team, Turntable Legend Helmut Brinkmann, Cartridge Master Ortofon and the Aarhus Technical Institute, Apollo by Gryphon is more than a turntable: it is a seminal event in the history of High End Audio.
Gryphon is one of the most respected high-end amplifier brands in the world. Its bass grip is phenomenal, thanks to an unusually high level of capacitance, which keeps everything tight and controlled, even with demanding speakers. Gryphon is also known for its bold, brutalist design—a look that a lot of people love. You’ll find their gear all over Europe and Asia, and the Diablo 333 is often considered an ‘endgame’ amp by those chasing the very best sound and aesthetics.
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Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Huge, open, and relaxed sound, with a touch of sweetness in the upper registers
- Focuses on the deeper meanings of the music
- Might be a turntable for the ages
Product Considerations
- MSRP of $150K
- Demos were sometimes interrupted by the room next door
Takeaway: The Gryphon Apollo turntable offers a stunning sound that is huge, open, and relaxed. It is worth checking out if someone wants something that can really dig into the music.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Gryphon is one of the most respected high-end amplifier brands in the world. Its bass grip is phenomenal, thanks to an unusually high level of capacitance, which keeps everything tight and controlled, even with demanding speakers. Gryphon is also known for its bold, brutalist design—a look that a lot of people love. You’ll find their gear all over Europe and Asia, and the Diablo 333 is often considered an ‘endgame’ amp by those chasing the very best sound and aesthetics.
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