1978 was the year Peter Suchy and his team developed Clearaudio's first moving coil cartridges. The patented fully symmetrical design and the choice of a boron cantilever were pioneering approaches which guide others to this day – while Clearaudio continues to refine them. 'Made in Germany' at Clearaudio stands for the highest quality, using high-end materials and the perfect technical implementation of intelligent innovation. Every product in Clearaudio's portfolio is conceived and produced by highly skilled specialists and precision engineers in the science city of Erlangen.

Sharing key design and construction features with the Innovation Wood model, the Clearaudio Innovation Compact Wood turntable is a high-mass design featuring our 70mm-thick, dynamically-balanced POM platter. The optimally designed tri-star chassis, a combination of Panzerholz with aluminum skins and pods, minimizes resonance in the audible range while delivering maximum stability via the added mass. 

The Innovation Compact Wood uses a taller version of Clearaudio’s patented CMB (Ceramic Magnetic Bearing), magnetically levitating the larger platter on an inverted bearing attached to a low-friction ceramic shaft.

Clearaudio’s custom high-torque 24v DC motor and Optical Speed Control (OSC) combine with the high mass platter and CMB for excellent speed stability. The Clearaudio Innovation Compact Wood features a second tonearm mount and is available in silver or black aluminum with Natural or Piano Black Lacquer panzerholz wood.

The Clearaudio Innovation Basic Wood is based on the technology of the Clearaudio Innovation series and is the entry level turntable for using both 12” tonearms and multiple tonearms, both radial or linear.

Its resonance-optimized chassis shape is based on the proven success of Clearaudio’s three-point or “tr-star” design — a combination of Panzerholz and aluminum skins.

The Innovation Basic Wood uses Clearaudio’s patented CMB (Ceramic Magnetic Bearing) technology, where the platter magnetically levitates on an inverted bearing attached to a low-friction ceramic shaft. The high-torque 24v DC motor is equipped with electronic OSC (Optical Speed Control). The high-density, dynamically balanced 38mm polyoxymethylene (POM) platter provides excellent dimensional stability.

The Clearaudio Performance DC Wood is the latest turntable offering from Clearaudio combining the popular Performance DC turntable with features and technology from their higher tier Ovation and Innovation series turntables.

The Clearaudio Performance DC Wood’s 33, 45, and 78 rpm speeds are selected by blue illuminated buttons, ergonomically integrated into the front left of the chassis.

Precision adjustability is possible for each speed via user-accessible trim pots.

• Mass-loaded Baltic birch plinth
• Innovation series locking/leveling aluminum cone feet
• 40mm-thick POM platter with weighted rim
• Machined aluminum sub-platter
• Inverted Ceramic Magnetic Bearing (CMB)

Available silver/natural or black/natural finish.

For more information visit the Clearaudio website.

The Clearaudio Ovation is referred to as the “Sweet Spot” in the line as it incorporates the high-performance technology from the Clearaudio Innovation series of turntables.

The Clearaudio Ovation’s main chassis consists of a complex sandwich of materials including heavy, machined aluminum plates compressing a core of bulletproof wood (Panzerholz). 

Within the precision-machined Panzerholz layer, Clearaudio has introduced an elaborate resonance-damping implementation with internal mass-loading tiles comprised of miniscule stainless-steel pellets. 

The high mass plinth uses three Innovation series locking/leveling aluminum cone feet to provide a stable foundation and acoustic isolation.

Beneath the sleek, contemporary exterior is a level of technical sophistication unique to Clearaudio.

The Clearaudio Concept’s body is carefully crafted from medium-density wood fibre (or, optionally, pressure-formed solid wood) with a selection of smart made-to-match surface finishes. The body’s upper layer incorporates a special high-tech satined plastic compound designed to minimise unwanted resonance.

The DC motor is fed by an external voltage-stabilised power supply and is completely decoupled from the turntable’s body to ensure no mechanical interference.

For more information visit the Clearaudio website.

Audiophile Turntable with Composite Tonearm & Acrylic Platter

This turntable design, with Pro-Ject's underlying core philosophy and dedication to quality music performance, has all the high-end aspects built in that really take vinyl listening to the ultimate heights. But as is the way in hifi many people still wanted more. They were willing to invest more, because this is how much they fell in love with their newfound passion. It is hard to improve on such a well-performing turntable, but there are ways to do it.

It was not time to reinvent the wheel, because the core engineering already was and still is ideal. 

• The raw materials used in production are of higher quality but also more difficult to source.
• The selected components are bigger, heavier, more massive and robust for improved performance and better build quality.
• CNC machining and modern material sciences to optimize each component for its functions

Pro-Ject X2 - $1,699

• Speed control with electronic speed switch for ultimate speed stability
• Carefully isolated motor for less vibration and noise
• Sub-platter with extremely low 0.001mm bearing tolerances
• Stainless steel platter-bearing with soft brass bushing and teflon mirrors for lowest rumble and noise, and a stable, accurate speed transmission
• Resonance free, 1.5 kg heavy acryl platter

• 8,6” carbon/aluminum sandwich tonearm with best internal damping and TPE damped counterweight
• Kardan ultra-low friction 4 pinpoint precision tonearm bearing
• High performance, resonance optimized Sumiko Olympia phono cartridge
• Massive and heavy, precision CNC‘d MDF chassis
• Height adjustable, aluminum feet for massively reduced risk of acoustical feedback

• Diamond cut precision alu sub-platter
• Improved sandwich subchassis
• Sumiko Amethyst MM cartridge with line-contact stylus
• Belt drive with electronic speed control 33/45 rpm
• Height adjustable decoupling feet
• Precision balanced TPE-damped aluminium-platter
• Metal/MDF sandwich chassis floating on TPE suspension
• 9” carbon/aluminium tonearm with MM & MC capability
• Inverted EVO bearing design
• Ring type arm bearing, massive and open to release resonance
• Fully adjustable azimuth and VTA
• TPE damped counterweight

Pro-Ject Classic EVO - $1,999

• 8.6″ carbon-wrapped aluminum tonearm
• Adjustable arm height (VTA)
• Nickel-plated aluminum bearing block
• Electronic speed changer & stabilizer
• Adjustable TPE-damped isolation feet
• Satin finish & brushed aluminum trimmings
• Sumiko Rainier MM phono cartridge

Pro-Ject Debut Pro - $999

• newly designed motor suspension with TPE (ThermoPlastic Elastomer) damping for silent operation
• one-piece carbon fiber tonearm for superior rigidity and low resonance
• pre-mounted Sumiko Rainier moving magnet cartridge

• heavy 12" steel platter with resonance-damping internal TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) ring
• precision stainless-steel bearing system for smooth, quiet platter rotation
• medium density fiberboard (MDF) base with three height adjustable damped aluminum feet
• 33-1/3 and 45 rpm speeds (electronic speed change), 78 rpm with manual belt changE

Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO - $599

Check out the full line of Pro-ject turntables on their website.

For more than half a century, the name Marantz has identified the best in home entertainment. And today, even in the midst of burgeoning and often confusing technology, these components still emulate the vision that originally drove Saul Marantz to expand the sensory horizons of even the most demanding aficionados. Marantz knows that true hi-fi is about being able to reproduce the magic of a performance. It’s about experiencing music just as the artist intended, even in the cinema. It is music that delivers the ecstasy and agony of a film’s story. To Marantz, perfect specifications and technical accomplishment count for nothing unless a product can unlock the power, the excitement and the emotion of music. 

Analog recording is still very alive. Quality turntables are still in demand. Digital discs simply set new performance standards that turntables must meet. Many cherished records may never be issued on digital formats. Good turntables are now more important than ever. Marantz embraces an audiophile quality turntable with AC servo belt-drive and low-coloration tone arm to answer the need for a high performance source component for the analog record.

 Marantz TT-15S1 - $1,799

For more information visit the Marantz website.

Music Hall turntables first saw the light of day in 1998. They are manufactured in the Czech Republic in a factory that continued, throughout the Soviet Era, to make high quality turntables despite the growing interest in CDs. Music Hall has developed a cohesive and logical range of turntables. All are designed to extract a musical and satisfying presentation from that fabulous we call vinyl.

The Music Hall mmf-5.3 turntable is a 2-spped belt driven audiphileturntable employing the unique dual-plinth construction originated by Music Hall. The distinctive design isolates the critical sound reproducing components; platter, main bearing, tonearm, and cartridge on the top platform from the motor, switch, wiring, and feet which are mounted on the bottom platform.

Music Hall mmf-5.3 - $999

For more information visit the Music Hall website.

NAD is well known for innovative, high performance, yet affordable, turntables. While the basic operation of a turntable seems simple, extracting all the musical energy from the record grooves without exciting destructive resonances requires both science and art. A specialized, high precision, synchronous clock motor is both very smooth and accurate, especially when driven from a stable AC voltage. To ensure a clean and stable AC voltage we isolate the AC Mains by first converting it to a clean DC voltage, and then electronically generating the precise AC frequency to regulate the synchronous motor. 

Using a specially formulated belt to drive the platter further filters and isolates any remaining vibration. All rotating parts are made from aluminum alloy machined to very tight tolerances to eliminate any eccentricity or vibration in the drive system. The C 588 features a custom designed carbon fiber tonearm shaft with a fixed metal head shell and features a decoupled counterweight and magnetic anti-skate compensation. An Ortofon 2M Red cartridge is factory installed and offers superb tracking and a delicately nuanced full range sound.

NAD C 588 - $949

A component that critical listeners can applaud for its musical quality, the NAD C 558 is a full-featured, belt-driven model targeted for record enthusiasts everywhere. Pre-fitted with an Ortofon OM10 phono cartridge, the C 558 features a belt drive for maximum noise isolation, as well as a precision AC motor with isolated AC power supply that has universal voltage. Complimented by a glass platter with felt pad, a MDF plinth, and a low resonance dust cover, the C 558 delivers an outstanding listening experience unlike any other.

NAD C 558 - $579