AVID Acutus Reference Turntable

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Several turntable manufacturers are responding to the renewed interest in vinyl by releasing new ultra high-end turntables. The latest from AVID is a new version of their flagship Acutus Turntable. The Reference features a bonded polymer mat attached to a 22 lb. platter to provide a platform that is as stable as possible. Unwanted tonearm vibrations are transferred to an inverted bearing made from a "sapphire jewel cup" containing a tungsten carbide ball. A single-piece complex three-fold aluminum sub-chassis supports the bearing.

The sub-chassis itself sits on a frequency-adjustable active suspension system to ensure that the drive belt is always under constant tension to eliminate variance in speed. The Reference's drive motor has been rebuilt to reduce vibration and noise, and is powered by a new split phase quartz-locked outboard power supply. The Acutus Reference is priced at $24,000 (tonearm and cartridge sold separately).