AVID Relveo Turntable – First Look
All Image Credit: Avid
Avid of Cambridgeshire, England, have marked their 30th anniversary with the release of their first new turntable in twelve years, the Relveo. This all new design is part of the Master Series and arrives with; twin belt-drive, a heavier platter, optimized motor-to-mass ratio, and separate DSP power supply to ensure precise speed control. Its conical, resiliently coupled suspension provides excellent isolation and easier setup.
The 15.4lb (7Kg) Relvo platter is precision machined from a solid billet of aluminum, the platter is mass loaded at the edge, giving it a high rotational inertia. The new resin impregnated felt mat provides an acoustical interface to reflect vibration, allowing it to pass away more efficiently through the spindle. The platter is supported by an inverted fixed stainless steel spindle that is press fitted into the sub-chassis. A captive tungsten carbide ball placed in the spindle top, and locates centrally in the uniquely designed sapphire jeweled thrust point. The bearing assembly is self-lubricating for life.
Driving the platter is a twin belt arrangement that is powered by a 24VAC synchronous high torque motor that receives its signals and power from an external DSP controlled power supply that supports both 33 and 45RPM adjustable speeds. Each power supply is calibrated to the drive motor, tuning out vibration and maximizing torque power.
Supporting the platter, motor and arm is a sub chassis cast from large grain aluminum, this uniquely designed sub chassis optimizes rigidity keeping the tonearm and bearing coupled to prevent any loss of musical information. A coating is applied to specifically damp high frequency vibrations, so that both high and low frequency vibration is said to be, “time aligned during dissipation, to give a clear, focused and neutral sound.” Also provided is a single action clamp, crafted from solid aluminum with a stainless-steel grounding point. Its design helps to flatten records to the platter surface and is said to; aid the negative vibration present within the record to pass through the spindle to the sub chassis.
Isolating the sub-chassis from external vibrations is AVID’s resilient, coupled suspension system. This new design uses conical Sorbothane, an advanced, high-absorption elastomer, to effectively damp both vertical motion and micro-vibrations.
Finally, the Relveo is supplied with AVID’s Altus V2 tonearm. This tonearm includes micron-tolerance bearings and a dual adjustable bias compensation system. The tonearm is also sold separately and can be removed or substituted depending on the users preference.
Key Features:
- Twin Belt Drive System
- Unique Sapphire Bearing
- Vibration Transfer Clamp
- Bespoke DSP Power Supply
- Variable Speed
Specifications:
- Drive: Twin belt drive
- Speeds: 33.3 & 45.0 RPM (adjustable)
- Platter mass: Aluminum 7.0KG
- Bearing: Inverted stainless steel
- Thrust point: Tungsten carbide/sapphire
- Suspension: Conical 3 point elastomer
- Tonearm fitting: Altus V2
- Adapters: Alternative tonearm adapters available
- Motor: 24V 12mNm AC synchronous
- Power supply: DSP vari-speed control
- Voltage input: 100-240VAC 50/60Hz 20 watts Max.
- Dimensions (WxDxH): 440 X 370 X 200mm
- Net weight: 13.3KG (29LB) excluding PSU
MSRP (without/with V2 Altus arm):
- US: $8,995 / $10,995
- UK: £5,500 /£6,900
- EU: €7,495 / €8,995
For more information visit the Avid HiFi web site.
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