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.
