Clearaudio Innovation Basic turntable

The Clearaudio Innovation Basic turntable is the last born of the German manufacturer’s Prestige range.

CLEARAUDIO INNOVATION BASIC: CHASSIS

The Clearaudio Innovation Basic has the same technical and aesthetic innovations as its eldest.

The chassis of this turntable is made in a very dense wooden and aluminium sandwich. The wood used is the “PanzerHolz”. This wooden panel is insensitive to climate change and was obtained by a pressure of 60 tons. It is full of small white pellets containing over 100 000 small metal beads. This transforms the slightest vibration into heat. This wooden panel is so hard that it is bullet proof!

The plinth of the Innovation Basic is cut in the shape of a 3 point star, thus making this turntable perfectly stable. It rests on 3 cones which provide a precise horizontal adjustment of the turntable.

CLEARAUDIO INNOVATION BASIC: MOTOR

The motor provides a powerful torque. It is a direct current (DC) motor which provides it with a perfect rotational stability. It is integrated to the chassis but decoupled from it.

The motor is combined with the optical speed control system (OSC). A stroboscope made of thousands of segments and inserted under the platter, provides instant playback and a very precise and fast speed correction. This also enables you to choose between three speeds: 33 1/3, 45, and 78 RPM.

CLEARAUDIO INNOVATION BASIC: PLATTER

The 38 mm thick black mat POM platter is driven via a flat belt (which is quite rare with this manufacturer) thanks to the strong motor torque.

The rotational axis of the platter of this Innovation Basic has a CERAMIC MAGNETIC BEARING  (CMB). This ceramic magnetic bearing is made of two powerful magnets placed in polar opposition. This system plays a suspension role (magnetic) and brings a remarkable operating silence to the turntable.

The spindle of the platter does not rest on a bearing system but on a magnetic field, which significantly reduces friction.

CLEARAUDIO INNOVATION BASIC: TONEARM

The Clearaudio Innovation Basic vinyl record player is available with or without the excellent 9 inch Unify tonearm.

If you wish, you can install two tonearms on this turntable. Indeed, it is the first turntable of this range that offers the possibility of installing two tonearms. It is therefore possible to install a 9 inch tonearm and 10 inch tonearm. And why not the TT5 tangential made available by the German manufacturer!

CLEARAUDIO INNOVATION BASIC: TESTING AND LISTENING

The sound restitution is of course up to the standards implemented by the manufacturer. The sound restitution favours dynamics, transparency, and impact. The bass is well structured but benefits from a remarkable articulation and precision.

With a MC cartridge, which seems to be an obvious choice on this type of turntable, there is a very neutral balance and with no ornamentation.

The precision of the soundstage is undeniable. The placement of the musicians is obvious, and even sometimes surprising in precision. You can hear more things than on competing turntables. You can even surprise yourself by hearing artistic “noises” or details that you never thought existed.

The voices are reproduced with a remarkable presence. It is possible to appreciate the distance of the microphone or the natural reverberations of the room. The high end of the spectrum flies high and only seems to be limited by the phono cartridge or phono preamp.

If you like romanticism and colour, this Clearaudio Innovation Basic turntable is not made for you… However, if you are looking to extract the slightest detail out of your vinyl records with the maximum neutrality, the Innovation Basic is the best way to do so!

This vinyl record player is compatible with numerous tonearms and phono cartridges. Like every Clearaudio product, the manufacturing quality is exceptional.

Highly recommended +++