Jasmine Audio JS-TB297 12-Inch Dynamic Balance Tonearm

A fusion of tradition and innovative technology: the birth of a next-generation tonearm

The Jasmine Audio JS-TB297 12-inch Dynamic Balance Tonearm incorporates the essence of the finest tonearm designs from the golden age of analog music and fuses them with modern precision manufacturing technology and advanced materials, making it a truly next-generation high-end product. Its design concept demonstrates a deep love for analog through a **"rational yet classical mechanical design"** while incorporating a scientific tracking algorithm internally to achieve unprecedented high-precision performance.

Extremely clear, high-resolution high-end sound

At the core of the JS-TB297 is the use of a dynamic balance tracking force system. While many tonearms rely on static balance, the dynamic balance method maintains stable tracking force even against the arm's inertia and vibration changes during playback. This provides the following acoustic benefits:

• Improved tracking accuracy: The stylus can trace grooves more stably, delivering uniform and high-quality hi-fi playback from the inner to the outer grooves of the record.
• Minimized distortion: Tracking distortion is kept below 0.5%, preserving the delicate details engraved in the source material and delivering a pure sound image to the listener.
• Clear resolution: This ultimate stability draws out the vast amount of information contained in records without leaving anything behind, elevating it to an extremely clear, high-resolution high-end sound.

Mechanical Design Pursuing the Essence of Record Playback

The JS-TB297 not only looks beautiful but also features a mechanical design that thoroughly pursues functional rationality.

• High-Precision Tracking Algorithm: Various tracking parameters, such as the arm's total length, offset angle, and overhang, are precisely adjusted based on scientific algorithms, ensuring optimal performance.
• Use of Advanced Materials: By using the latest precision manufacturing technology and carefully selected advanced materials, unnecessary resonances in the arm itself are completely eliminated. This faithfully transmits only the fine signals engraved in the record grooves to the amplification circuit.

The JS-TB297, a dynamic balance 12-inch tonearm, minimizes audio distortion due to its excellent stability and tracking performance, significantly enhancing the realism of soundstage expression and the reproduction of airiness in analog playback. Experience the depth and emotion of analog playback with the TB297.

I purchased Jasmine's dynamic balance arm as the standard arm. After balancing the long-type tonearm to zero, I adjusted the tracking force by turning the knob while checking the scale on the rotational axis. The lateral balancer and inside force canceller have 0.5g scales. The arm lifter and arm rest are mounted on a base attached to the arm and can be adjusted and fixed with enamel screws. The sound is precise and highly resolved. The arm mounting position can be freely changed on the mounting base. By using the included template, you can align the overhang and arm trajectory. Like Japanese products released during the heyday of high-fidelity audio, this Chinese-made product is made with enthusiasm.

This arm has a unique shape with the center offset to the right from the axis. Needle pressure is a dynamic balance method that uses a separate pressure mechanism such as a spring instead of a weight. As stated in the catalog, it seems to have absorbed and inherited the essence of the best tone arm designs to date. Therefore, there are many similarities with famous tonearms. However, Jasmine's technology has brought this to a higher level using the latest precision processing technology and new materials. When I listened to it in combination with the company's TT-D200MK2 turntable, the first thing I noticed was the high-end sound. The clear and informative sound was praised by those who tried it as being like listening to digital high resolution. In order to make full use of its ability, setting and adjustment are required, and using the height adjustment mechanism of the turntable, you can use a spirit level.X・YLet's adjust it correctly. A special plastic jig is included to adjust the overhang that determines the arm position, so use that. To apply stylus pressure, turn the knob on the bearing part clockwise until it stops, then turn it counterclockwise to apply pressure, which is a normal tonearm, so I was confused at first. Usable cartridge weight is5~17gHowever, the company'sM2If you install a light cartridge like , the balance weight will come very close to the center, so you will need to add a weight. There is a scale on the weight axis of the Inside Force Canceller, but this is completely unreliable. Since it varies greatly depending on the cartridge, adjustment using test records is necessary. After making these adjustments and listening, you will hear very clear, high-resolution, high-end sound.

*Bakoon Products Representative Nagai