Clearaudio Concept Active All-in-one Turntable
Clearaudio's Concept turntable package now comes in a new plug-and-play Active edition.
Clearaudio's affordable Concept turntable has proved very popular, and now, with the new Concept Active, Clearaudio takes high-end simplicity to a whole new level.
The Clearaudio Concept Active is pitched as being a high-performance option for those music lovers who want to avoid the hassle of multiple box systems. As such, the Concept Active features an integrated headphone amplifier as well as a built-in phonostage and preamplifier with its own volume control. So, all you need to enjoy vinyl playback is the Concept Active, some active speakers, and/or a pair of headphones. Alternatively, add an integrated amp and some passive loudspeakers.
The Concept Active package includes Clearaudio's Concept tonearm, featuring magnetic bearings designed to dispel the problematic issues of bearing friction and noise. You then have the option to top this off with either Clearaudio's Concept V2 MM or Concept MC cartridge.
The 30mm POM platter features a precision CNC-milled surface and sits on an aluminium sub-platter. The bearing features a polished and tempered steel shaft in a sintered bronze housing that runs on a mirrored Teflon and driven by a decoupled and resonance-damped DC motor with a flat belt-drive. Speed options are 33 ⅓, 45, and 78rpm.
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The turntable chassis (available in Black, Black and Silver or light and dark Baltic Birch) features a three-layer resonance-optimised 'sandwich' construction. The black acrylic top plate promises to remain fingerprint-free, and is bonded to a one-piece MDF core with cut-outs for the electronics, motor, and bearing. Finally, the bottom plate is lacquered MDF. However, the wood-finish version is one-piece multilayer birch plywood rather than MDF.
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Naturally, everything from tracking force to anti-skating is fine-tuned as part of the manufacturing process, leaving you with nothing to do but sit back and enjoy.
Pricing and availability
The Clearaudio Concept Active is available now, priced as follows (including VAT):
With Concept V2 MM cartridge
CA Concept Active MM (black or black & silver finish) £2,000 CA Concept Active Wood MM (light or dark Baltic birch finish) £2,460.
With Concept MC cartridge
CA Concept Active MC (black or black & silver finish) £2,410 CA Concept Active Wood MC (light or dark Baltic birch finish) £2,910.
For more information, go to Clearaudio.
Jay Garrett
StereoNET’s resident rock star, bass player, and gadget junkie. Jay heads up StereoNET as Editor for the United Kingdom and Europe regions. His passion for gadgets and Hi-Fi is second only to being a touring musician.
Posted in: Hi-Fi
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