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Summary of Contents for Acoustical Systems AQUILAR Series
- Page 1 AOUILAR © 10” and 12” reference tonearm owner’s manual picture by Harry Ralston...
- Page 2 A brief word from the designer My thanks and congratulations to you for choosing the AQUILAR. The AQUILAR is the result of my more than 35 years of intimate research and preoccupation with analog playback - with the specific focus on the interaction of the record groove with the cartridge and tonearm.
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Page 3: Table Of Contents
Exchanging the cartridge mounting plate Setting antiskating Specifications AQUILAR alignment template General note: Technical data, minor design and specifications are subject to change without prior notice. copyright & design: acoustical systems Manufactured and assembled in Germany For further infomations: www.acoustical-systems.com, info @acoustical-systems.com 11/2017... -
Page 4: Technical Features & General Design
Technical features importance in a static balanced design to avoid unwanted changes in static settings (namely & general design tracking force) when changing tonearm height to accommodate VTA or SRA. The AQUILAR is a pivot tonearm featuring a double nano-gimbal bearing architecture. Offset and Overhang The AQUILAR is a static, full lateral balanced adjustment... -
Page 5: Step-By-Step Procedures
Tonearm height – VTA through this mounting and set-up procedure as precisely as possible and to the very end - it will be to your advantage. Tonearm height can be adjusted on the main VTA-tower of the AQUILAR. This will ensure that you get the best possible performance from your AQUILAR One full turn of the large top knob adjusts and take advantage of all its features and... -
Page 6: Unpacking The Aquilar
Unpacking the AQUILAR Please make sure that all parts are present by unpacking the AQUILAR and all its tools and accessories: AQUILAR suitcase containing the following: AQUILAR tonearm • • the main HD18 counter weight • (2) Lateral balance weights (1) stainless steel, (1) aluminum AQUILAR’s accessory box •... -
Page 7: Mounting The Aquilar
• (1) 20 mm round dial scale for SRA / VTA adjustment at headshell • (3) special M5 mounting screws with - (1) 20 mm length - (1) 25 mm length - (1) 30 mm length • (1) set of M5 washer and spring ring Mounting the AQUILAR The AQUILAR is mounted with 1 M5 screw... - Page 8 If you use the AQUILAR’s alignment template - detailed description on page 24 to determine the mounting distance, please insert the 100 mm stainless steel pin careful into the dedicated hole next to the thread for the position- ing screw. Sharp tip downwards - open M3 thread pointing upwards (1).
- Page 9 Now use the AQUILAR’s dedicated alignment template (description on page 24). Please see picture for reference - you will find all needed mounting gear and tools in the accessory box. On top of the AQUILAR’s bearing house is a 12 mm diameter stainless steel plate with a small center hole.
- Page 10 Now slide the alignment template into place with the 8 mm hole thread at the end of its outward positioning beam over the pivot locating plate on the AQUILAR. Now take the white knob fingerscrew and put it into the 8 mm hole with the tip downwards. The tip must meet the indention in the center of the 12 mm pivot plate.
- Page 11 Before you proceed to mount the cartridge of main your choice, you first have to attach the main conterweight 2ndary counterweight and the lateral weight assembly 2ndary for 12” to the AQUILAR. for 10” laretal Please remove the lateral weight assembly weights as well as the airplane-nose shaped HD18 counterweight from the AQUILAR’s box.
- Page 12 Consider a preliminary position like pictured (1). You may - even so slightly!! - fix the PTFE- sleeve on the counterbar attending 1 of the 2 M2 grub screws with the 0.89/90 Allen key (2). In the next step please loosen booth lateral weights from the 4 mm diameter stainless steel rod (3).
- Page 13 Please fix the rod - with the end just meeting the opening of the through hole - by attending again to the M3 grub screw at the end (1). Settings in pictures (2 + 3) and (4 + 5) are both possible and correct.
- Page 14 In case you are working with an unusually heavy cartridge weighing in at more than 25 grams, you may need to use both lateral weights to counterbalance that cartridge. It is unlikely, that such a cartridge is used - however we never know what the future brings and your AQUILAR is able to counterbalance a wider range of cartridge weights than most other tonearms.
- Page 15 How to mount your cartridge of magnetism - do not use them. You will loose of choice for best performance sound quality. Do use, if possible, a torque driver with Here are just some standard recommendations: precisely adjustable settings. For mounting your cartridge, please use For M2.5 cartridge screws please use torque NON- magnetic M2.5 screws and plastic settings according to 80-90% of maximum as...
- Page 16 UNI-DIN tangential curve. The AQUILAR’s geometry is tailored to the UNI-DIN geometry designed and introduced by acoustical systems in 2011. If you are interested in the background of this all-new tangential alignment - please check back on acoustical-systems.com website for an essay I have written about UNI-DIN and its unique features.
- Page 17 The AQUILAR is one of only two tonearms on the market - the other being it’s “brother” the AXIOM - allowing you to set SRA and VTA at the cartridge without altering static settings. If you need to adjust SRA / VTA, first loosen the hidden screw on the left front side in the AQUILAR’s headshell.
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Page 18: Levelling The Aquilar's Pivot
Levelling the AQUILAR’s pivot Another very important feature in the AQUILAR which is rarely found in tonearm designs: The AQUILAR allows the precise levelling of the horizontal pivot plane - independent from the armboard or turntable plinth. This is where the 3 spikes in the upper mounting plate come into action. -
Page 19: Raising Or Lowering The Pivot Plane
Raising or lowering the AQUILAR’s pivot plane Unscrew the lock screw on the inward side of the VTA tower by turning it 90° anti-clockwise. Just a quarter of a revolution of the lock screw - 90° - is enough. Important: Always loose locking screw A first (1/4 turn only) before doing any height adjustment... - Page 20 The AQUILAR features (2) laser engraved height scales in its inner stainless steel pillar. One height scale is visible from the front and the other is visible from the inward side. If you muse to mount the AQUILAR as a “secondary”...
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Page 21: Removing The Fingerlift
Removing the fingerlift The AQUILAR allows for the easy removal of the fingerlift. Please select the 0.89/90 Allen key from the accessory box. Undo the rear M2 grub screw at the upper left of the headshell’s rear. It fixes the fingerlift in place. Undo the screw and remove the fingerlift. -
Page 22: Exchanging The Cartridge Mounting Plate
Exchanging the cartridge mounting plate Should you ever need or want to exchange the mounting plate, you can easily do so by turning the 2 small black ball plunger grub screws on each side of the headshell. Undo them by 1-2 revolutions anti-clockwise. Now undo the front clamp lock screw - just 1 revolution anti-clockwise - and you can remove the mounting plate (press down to... -
Page 23: Specifications
Thus compensating skating force is achieved Specifications without friction and in dynamic mode - in correspondence to the tangential curve. After lateral compensation and pivot balance • Geometry: UNI-DIN having been achieved, the skating force depends to a considerable degree on applied tracking •... -
Page 24: Aquilar Alignment Template
This is the special AQUILAR template as it looks when fully assembled (example mounted for 10” Version) insert 100 mm long, 3 mm steel pin for marking mounting hole AQUILAR 10” black knob only !! fingerscrews (2) MD 12” only for AXIOM !! distance stands on position 10”(2) white knob...
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