Innovation is in the house!!
 

In December I placed my order for a new ClearAudio Innovation turnable. I mostly blame this on Timobi and docmd2010, both are ClearAudio owners and influencers.

My new table arrived shortly there after, I ordered silver with 2 arms, 9" Universal as the primary arm and a 9" Magnify as the secondary arm. Why two arms? It looks really cool and I just felt the need to try out different cartridges. Mounted a Benz-Micro SLR Gullwing on the Universal arm and my Kiseki Purple Heart on the Magnify arm.

If anyone is on the fence about a table like this.......go ahead and place the order, it is a fantastically built table!!! The build quality and sound quality are head and shoulders above my former VPI Signature Classic, I have never been a fan of the VPI unipivot arm. The sound of the Innovation is cleaner and quieter, bass is so much better defined, which I believe comes from better isolation due to the magnetic floating platter design of the Innovation. I also really appreciate the ease of speed changes and speed adjustment if needed. As for the Universal and Magnify arms, both use very well machined carbon fiber arm tubes and magnetic antiskate systems. The tracking force adjustment and antiskate adjustments are far easier to change than the VPI arm, but the VTA is not as easy. CA does offer a VTA lifter but that was an addition $700 per arm so I didn't opt for it since I won't be changing it very often. I greatly prefer the CA arms over the VPI unipivot 3D arm for the day to day usability, I can actually land the stylus in the silence between songs with these two arms.

Forgive me for the short review but I'm going to listen to some new albums.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4808/...aab17214_o.jpg

Damn you Steve! Can't you see I'm going broke here as it is! :tears:

Congrats, Steve. You really make me want one, and I might get one, but really it's almost silly when I think about how often I actually listen to records. It's like 95% digital, 5% analog in my case. It just makes no sense to spend money on something like this.

But if I learned anything in the last 10 years...nothing in audio-land makes sense.

Just kidding my friend. Beautiful table! I'm very happy for you. I'm going to have to come out to hear it. A lot of new equipment in that room lately!

You are welcome anytime Rob. I was thinking, if you go back another couple of months into 2017 then everything in my system is new except for the sub and dac.

Count me as a co-owner of an innovation. I love mine. Rock solid, great sound and non-fussy (plus good looking). I only have one arm, so I got the VTA adjuster and never use it. Need to get a second arm for all the reasons you mention.

Congrats and enjoy.

I got a similarly priced Acoustic Signature prior to seeing the ClearAudio. Have to say, the ClearAudio demonstrates a lot of good design choices especially with the optical speed sensor

I do like the PurpleHeart NS.

Steve - That is one nice table.....happy for you, really looks nice. Try spinning some super audiophile MOFI or Analogue Productions LP and melt into your chair! :thumbsup:

- Buck

Steve,
My goodness. That is a beautiful turntable. Huge congratulations and happy listening. :thumbsup:

Big-league analog now! Love that you went straight away for the dual arm+cartridge setup. It's really the best. Even though I have a usual favorite combo - when it sounds even slightly "off", the other is bangin'. I've never had both sound "off" at the same time (unless the vinyl is garbage, of course). Kind of like you, I've also teamed up a more old-school romantic Japanese sound (Koetsu stone) with a more modern sounding, still musical Japanese cartridge (Shelter Harmony)

Love the Innovation tables; glad people are still discovering them. Enjoy in great health!

Beautiful, good thing I don't have a single Vinyl to listen to.

Well, bad I know, but good because I don't have to spend money like this.

Enjoy [emoji4]

LOL Marc, 10 years, hell you're a 'noobie' for crying out loud ! some of us have been doing this for 40 plus and we are just now 'catching on' !

Steve, I like your two cartridge choices (I have a Benz 'gull'), tell me your listening impressions between the two .......

Great looking Table Steve! I knew when you were here helping setup my Innovation & as a fellow VPI Classic Sig owner that it wouldn't be long until YOU had one delivered to your CASA ;)

And yeah, the VPI was good. Had a nice big sound..but the Innovation is way better. Tighter, more defined. The term I kept using when you were here was it just all felt controlled. No matter what we played or how loud, The CA Innovation didn't blink.

Now I just need to update my cartridge and phono stage.

Congrats Steve...and I love the dual arms.

Steve... Big Congrats!

#metoo ;)

https://www.audioaficionado.org/atta...5&d=1300497428

Congratulations Steve, that’s a gorgeous table, and an impressive setup with the dual arms. Maybe if a bunch of us end up in Denver this fall we should all pile in a van and drive to Oklahoma,

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yGUNrHWZaVs

:lmao:

Steve

Congrats again! I’m glad you made the step up to the innovation. It really is the be all end all TT. I’m glad I was able to persuade you into making the step!

And Marc, I was like you before I had my CA table, almost exclusively digital. Now, well it’s the opposite, because it’s that good!

So envious of you right now, Steve! Love the two arms options, you'll enjoy the flavors to no end.

Looks good!

Very true. There's just simply too many wonderful records to own and listen to that are superior to the digital version. AND there's a lot of digital music that is superior to vinyl.

Which is why I LOVE both. :)

Looking back when Steve was here in October, on his knees putting the cartridge in and setting up the CA TT arm. ..you could almost see his wallet disappear :D

Aditya I hope one day to be able to listen to the Goldfinger Statement cartridge you have. Only fear is then I will have to figure out a way to get the $$! :scratch2::music:

Beautiful turntable :thumbsup:

Thanks guys!! Listening to this Innovation table is quite an eye opener, so much detail retrieval yet so musical, just amazing.

Did you audition SME turntables? If so why did you choose this particular CA turntable.

I did not audition SME. I had first hand experience with the CA Innovation and really liked it so..........

Love my dual arm Innovation. Universal Arm w Benz LPS and Graham Phantom Supreme 3 with Ortofon Anna. Mine is 2011 model before they came out with the recent flat belt upgrade. I did the upgrade last year and noticeable improvement in drive and pace compared to the original thin round belt.

Congratulations - glad you're enjoying it so much, looks great in black.