Jasmine Audio JS-TAAB Air Bearing Tonearm

Blocks unwanted vibrations with two springs: JS-TAAB Air Bearing Tonearm

The Jasmine Audio JS-TAAB is an innovative air bearing tangential (linear tracking) tonearm that combines advanced technology and materials. It addresses two key challenges in record playback—**'resonance control' and 'blocking external vibrations'**—through unique engineering.

An unprecedented audio experience created by advanced technology and materials

The JS-TAAB Air Bearing Tangential Tonearm is the result of fusing cutting-edge materials with advanced engineering. This translates into an overwhelmingly expansive soundstage, a background enveloped in silence, and breathtaking dynamics.

It traces the grooves of the record with utmost precision, faithfully reproducing the essence of the music etched into analog records. The experience feels as if the artist is performing right in front of you.

For all audiophiles seeking the ultimate in analog playback, the JS-TAAB represents an ideal realized in a single unit.

Ultimate silence and stability achieved through nano-materials and proprietary technology

The JS-TAAB Air Bearing Tangential Tonearm is an innovative product uniquely developed and designed by Jasmine Audio. Its air bush utilizes nanometer-scale high-precision materials, achieving smooth operation with high-pressure air while offering excellent load capacity, resulting in extraordinary stability and silence.

This air bearing technology is proprietary to Jasmine Audio and backed by patents. It is highly regarded in China as an advanced technology, setting a new standard for analog playback.

Ultra-precision air bearing mechanism

The high-pressure nanometer air bearing adopted in the JS-TAAB enables smooth, frictionless operation and highly accurate positioning, maximizing the tracking accuracy of the stylus. The gap between the bearing and the shaft is a mere 5 microns. The high-pressure air provides both rigidity capable of withstanding loads exceeding 10 kg and extremely low friction while maintaining this ultra-fine clearance.

Thanks to this high-performance bearing mechanism, unnecessary vibrations of the cartridge and lateral wobbling are thoroughly suppressed, allowing the stylus to faithfully and purely read the musical signal engraved in the record groove.

Dual Carbon Tube Structure

The JS-TAAB air bearing tangent tonearm uses two independent carbon tubes for each channel. This prevents signal interference between the left and right channels and significantly improves the signal-to-noise ratio.

The carbon material, which combines high rigidity with excellent vibration absorption, dramatically enhances resolution and clarity in analog playback, achieving a quiet background and rich musical expression.

Finally, the installation is complete. The cartridge could be mounted with the arm lifted without attaching the weight. The base was leveled as precisely as possible using a spirit level. The arm’s position was fixed so that the cartridge needle tip aligns with the center of the turntable spindle, and a tracking force of 2g was applied with a stylus force gauge. Since there were two weights, I initially tried balancing them in the center for playback, but it didn’t work properly. Assuming insufficient air pressure, I raised it to the maximum, but it still skipped. Looking at the manual, I realized that only one balance weight is used. When using a single weight, zero balance can just be achieved with a DL-103. Playback worked perfectly then. The pump noise is almost silent even when placed nearby. When entering the innermost groove, the sound skipped again, but adjusting the curve of the lead wire resolved the issue. The played sound is completely stable, unlike anything I’ve heard before. While it’s not a particularly user-friendly arm, it is recommended for those seeking the best sound.*Excerpt from Bakoon Products Representative Nagai’s Facebook

The JS-TABB is an ambitious creation by Jasmine, a linear tracking arm that uses air bearings. The arm itself and the air pump come as a set. By sending high-pressure air from the pump to the air bearings, the arm-equipped air bearings are floated in midair, eliminating friction and enabling linear tracking. Using this tonearm allows for clearer, high-resolution sound, but its adjustments are more delicate. If the adjustments are not precise, the arm may not function at all. First, attach the cartridge to the arm to determine the arm's position. Adjust it so that the cartridge stylus aligns with the center of the turntable spindle. This adjustment can also be made using the included jig. Connect the arm and pump with the provided pipe. Turn on the pump and move it away to a distance where the pump noise is not audible. The pump is quiet, but if you listen carefully in a perfectly silent environment, you can hear it faintly, so placing it a few meters away makes the noise inaudible. Set the arm to the base position and check the level of the air bearing shaft. The level of this shaft is the most crucial factor for the proper operation of the arm, so use a highly sensitive level for precise adjustment. As long as the turntable base is level, it should be fine, but even a slight misalignment may prevent it from moving, so carefully level the shaft. The arm will not move properly if pushed by hand. The gap between the air bearing and the shaft is only 5 microns, so applying excessive force can cause contact. Therefore, when moving the arm by hand, extreme caution is required to avoid applying too much force. Next, apply tracking force to the installed cartridge. A tracking force gauge is necessary since the weights do not have a tracking force scale. Then, lower the cartridge onto a stationary record and use a commercially available jig to adjust the arm's height so that the cartridge is level. At this time, adjust the air pipe and signal cable connecting the arm to the main unit in a gentle arch as shown in the instruction manual photo. These cables and pipes can obstruct the movement of the air bearing. Therefore, the distance from the turntable center and the shape of the cable bends significantly affect the arm’s operation. These detailed adjustments, laI try coding it and adjust it so that one side plays smoothly. Therefore, patience is necessary to get it to work correctly. However, the sound quality you get from this arm is incredible. It makes you forget the time-consuming adjustment process.*Bakoon Products Representative, Nagai