Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

Thanks to the continued resurgence of the vinyl format, enthusiasts can now choose from a good number of plug-and-play turntable packages. Even better, the quality of these complete solutions – once considered a first step on the vinyl ladder for those wanting ease of use, or for whom the dark arts of turntable setup were a terrifying mystery – has been creeping ever higher.

The latest company to refresh its package lineup is Germany’s Clearaudio, its Concept Signature being a new iteration of a turntable set-up that has been on sale since 2009. Indeed, Clearaudio claims that its original Concept deck, complete with tonearm and either Concept MM or MC cartridge, has sold over 20,000 units since its introduction. As tested here, with Profiler tonearm and Concept V2 MM cartridge, this combo retails for £3116, but that is far from the end of the story.

Pick-up And Mix
How so? Because the Concept Signature is no longer a single model. You can purchase the turntable on its own, which will set you back £1200 in a standard finish comprising an MDF surround in either silver or black satin with a satin-finished top plate. Alternatively, a surround of high-pressure bonded solid wood layers, in either a light or dark finish, is £1450.

However, you can then go further and add one of Clearaudio’s arms or cartridges, bagging a 2.5% discount or 5% if you opt for one of each. The company recommends arm models from its Verify to Profiler, plus all of its MM cartridges and MCs up to the Talisman V2 Gold. This gives a range of options from £2176 to £4826.

Although ostensibly similar to its predecessor, the Concept Signature turntable has some key changes under the skin. The main upgrade is a development of the Optical Speed Control used on its more expensive decks, this time designated ‘TCS’ or Tacho Speed Control. This new system still monitors and corrects the platter speed but, rather than using a machined tacho disc and optical sensor, the belt runs around a second pulley beside the motor instead [see pic, below]. This is connected to a detector that supplies speed feedback to the control electronics.

The system checks itself automatically on each power-up, but there is also a button on the rear of the unit that initiates a full calibration sequence. Clearaudio suggests manual calibration should be carried out after extended periods of non-use or after any replacement of the Concept Signature’s belt, which drives a polished aluminium sub-platter with tempered steel spindle. This rotates within a bearing housing based around a sintered bronze bushing, running on a Teflon thrust-pad.