Clearaudio Concept Turntable Package

The Clearaudio Concept is a belt-drive turntable package supplied with the Concept magnetic-bearing tonearm and a choice of Concept V2 moving-magnet or Concept moving-coil cartridge.

The components are selected to work together and are aligned before the package leaves Clearaudio, providing a more straightforward route into high-quality vinyl playback than choosing and setting up each component separately.

Three selectable speeds allow playback at 33?, 45 and 78 rpm without manually moving the drive belt between different motor-pulley positions.

Resonance-Optimised Chassis

The Concept’s low-profile chassis is designed to minimise the transmission and storage of unwanted vibration.

A rigid and well-damped turntable structure gives the platter, bearing and tonearm a stable reference from which to operate. This helps preserve low-level information and prevents external vibration from being confused with musical detail.

The turntable should still be placed on a rigid, level support away from loudspeakers, springy floorboards and other equipment that generates mechanical vibration.

Decoupled DC Motor and Belt Drive

The platter is driven by a low-noise DC motor that is mechanically decoupled from the main chassis.

Separating the motor from the sensitive platter and tonearm structure helps reduce the amount of motor vibration reaching the cartridge.

A precision-ground flat belt transfers the motor’s rotation to the platter, while the speed-selection control provides access to all three supported playback speeds.

30mm POM Platter

The Concept uses a 30mm platter manufactured from black POM, a dense engineering material chosen for its dimensional stability and controlled resonance behaviour.

Its substantial mass helps maintain rotational consistency, while the platter surface is designed to support the record directly without requiring a conventional felt mat.

The platter should be kept clean and free from grit that could mark the underside of a record.

Precision Main Bearing

The platter rotates on a polished and hardened steel spindle running within a sintered bronze bearing sleeve.

A low-friction thrust surface supports the spindle at the base of the bearing. Accurate machining and careful material selection help the platter rotate smoothly while limiting unwanted mechanical noise.

The main bearing is a precision component and should not be dismantled or lubricated unless this is required by the manufacturer’s instructions or carried out by an experienced technician.

Clearaudio Concept Magnetic-Bearing Tonearm

The supplied Concept tonearm is a radial design using Clearaudio’s virtually friction-free magnetic bearing technology.

Reducing bearing friction allows the stylus to follow the record groove with minimal mechanical resistance, supporting accurate tracking and preserving fine changes in level and timing.

The tonearm has an effective length of 239.56mm and is fitted with a continuous 1.1m Clearaudio Direct Wire PLUS cable terminated with MPC RCA connectors.

Its cartridge adjustment range extends from 2.5g to 17g, allowing the arm to accommodate both cartridge options supplied with this package as well as a broad selection of possible future replacements.

Factory-Aligned Package

Cartridge alignment, tracking force and the principal tonearm settings are completed before the package leaves Clearaudio.

This removes the need for the customer to mount and align the cartridge from scratch. The turntable must still be unpacked carefully, positioned on a level support and checked before the first record is played.

Tracking force and cartridge alignment should also be checked again if the cartridge, counterweight or tonearm settings are disturbed at a later date.

Choose the Correct Cartridge

Adding a Phono Stage

The standard Concept package does not contain an internal phono pre-amplifier.

A phono stage applies the specialised gain and equalisation required by a turntable cartridge before the signal reaches a normal line-level amplifier input.

Some integrated amplifiers include a suitable MM or MC input. Where they do not, an external model can be selected from our range of phono stages .

Cartridge type, output voltage, gain, resistance and capacitance should all be considered when selecting the phono stage.

Playing 78 rpm Records

The turntable motor supports 78 rpm playback, but the supplied MM and MC cartridges are intended primarily for modern microgroove records.

Many older shellac 78s require a wider specialist stylus profile. Using an unsuitable fine-profile stylus can produce excessive noise and may risk damage to the stylus or record.

Cartridge and stylus suitability should therefore be checked before playing a shellac record.

Turntable Support and Isolation

A turntable converts extremely small mechanical movements into an electrical signal, making its support an important part of the system.

Position the Concept on a rigid, level shelf or equipment rack that does not move when someone walks across the room.

Keep the deck away from loudspeakers and subwoofers where practical, and avoid placing it directly above large transformers or other equipment that may introduce vibration or electrical interference.

Browse our isolation solutions for suitable equipment supports and accessories.

Protecting the Cartridge and Turntable

The cartridge stylus is delicate and should be protected from accidental contact whenever the turntable is not being used.

An acrylic dust cover can be used to protect the platter, tonearm and cartridge from dust. The exact cover and clearance requirements should be checked before installation.

Clean records and a clean stylus reduce unnecessary wear and allow the cartridge to track the groove more accurately.

Concept or Performance DC?

System Matching

Browse our turntables , phono stages , analogue interconnects and turntable isolation solutions , or explore the Clearaudio range at Audio T .

Key Features

• Complete belt-drive turntable package
• Choice of Concept V2 MM or Concept MC cartridge
• Factory-mounted and aligned cartridge
• Clearaudio Concept magnetic-bearing tonearm
• Resonance-optimised turntable chassis
• Mechanically decoupled low-noise DC motor
• Precision-ground flat drive belt
• 30mm black POM platter
• Polished and hardened steel main spindle
• Sintered bronze bearing sleeve
• Selectable 33?, 45 and 78 rpm speeds
• Specified speed variation of plus or minus 0.04 percent
• Direct Wire PLUS tonearm cable
• MPC RCA connectors
• Compact 420 x 350mm footprint
• Approximately 7.5kg package weight
• Designed and manufactured by Clearaudio in Germany

Frequently Asked Questions