AVID Acutus Classic Turntable with Reference Ruby MC Cartridge and Nexus Arm

ACUTUS CLASSIC WITH REFERENCE RUBY MC CARTRIDGE AND NEXUS TONEARM

They said perfection was impossible, strive for excellence and settle for a job well done. Acutus was born from twenty years of chasing perfection and remains almost unchanged today after a quarter century in production. Launching not only the company, but an ethos to strive for perfection in everything we do, today it is the Acutus Classic.

"it's the most incredible turntable you've ever heard"
- Jimmy Hughes

CLEAN SLATE

Wiping away convention, the Acutus removes layers of distortion that haze the sound, so you hear only what is captured within your records.

Vinyl sceptics turn into fans, marveling at the superlative bass grip the Acutus displays and its vast widescreen projection of the soundstage, thunderous dynamics and crescendos always drawing a smile.

"AVID is one dramatic-looking turntable"
- Michael Fremer

CLASSIC POWER

The advantage of direct-drive turntables is their motor torque; by comparison, to minimize motor vibration on the platter, belt-drive turntables normally use low power motors coupled to a tiny belt.

Flying in the face of convention, AVID utilizes a powerful synchronous motor and twin drive belts, with dominating control over the heavy platter and the results are truly breath-taking, with deep dynamic bass and stunning rhythmic timing.

"I think this is one of the great turntables in the world"
-David Price

Clamp

Our unique two stage clamp performs dual functions, critical to the ultimate sonic performance you hear.

First operation grounds the record to the main bearing, allowing vibration caused by the stylus to pass into the subchassis. Reducing the noise floor of the record vastly improves the sound you hear and there is less damage or wear to records due to mistracing.

Second operation reflex clamps the vinyl flat to the platter surface, eliminating warps and air pockets underneath. The platter mat itself is a unique resin that reflects most vibration, keeping it in the record so it passes more quickly through the bearing into the subchassis.

Platter

The 10Kg Chrome plated aluminum platter is the focal point of the Acutus.
Secured with sixteen fixings, the 10mm aluminum disc which has had the resin mat cast and machined offers the perfect record interface. The mat reflects the most vibration except for very high frequencies, which after entering the platter body are rapidly constrained damped by the nickel and chrome layers.

Bearing

The Acutus bearing spindle is the longest of all our turntables and is press fitted into the subchassis. Being fixed it is an inverted design so that the contact point is at the top and naturally has a low center of gravity. At the top of the precision ground and tapered spindle a tungsten carbide ball mates with a uniquely design sapphire jewel, keeping the bearing point in a fix position with zero lateral movement. Doing this all but eliminates rumble noise present on all other turntables and the self-lubricating sleeve means no metal to metal contact during operation making our bearing totally silent and maintenance free for life.

Subchassis

It is critical for sound quality that the tonearm and bearing are rigidly coupled, any relative movement between them and information is lost forever. Our unique one-piece multi-fold aluminum casting provides maximum strength where required but allows for movement in non-critical areas, accepting the fact that nothing is totally rigid.

To eliminate the vibration from the record passed through the bearing, the casting is coated with a damping media of specific thickness so that both high and low frequencies dissipate with linearity and time frame, giving a neutral sound.

Suspension

Our adjustable suspension system allows each supporting spring to tuned to the same frequency regardless of the load. This means that single or twin tonearm weights of up to 3Kg can be accommodated, the suspension will be balanced and a perfect pistonic bounce achieved. With an isolation frequency of 2.5Hz the pickup cartridge will not mis track, locked into position and all external vibration blocked.

Motor

Our hand assembled high torque AC synchronous motor spins the platter up to speed within seconds. Ten times more powerful than conventional turntable motors, this provides the ultimate control and stability. With twin round section drive belts the suspension is free to move without inducing speed variations common with flat belt designs.

Power Supply

The Classic electronic power supply generates its own frequency using DSP technology, allowing the final speed to be accurately fine-tuned. With a large 80VA mains transformer, our power supply is actually a fully integrated amplifier providing a fixed output for the twin coils of the high torque motor.

SPECIFICATIONS

DRIVE:
TWIN BELT DRIVE
SPEEDS:
33.3 & 45.0 RPM (ADJUSTABLE)
PLATTER MASS:
ALUMINIUM 10KG
BEARING:
INVERTED STAINLESS STEEL
THRUST POINT:
TUNGSTEN CARBIDE/SAPPHIRE
SUSPENSION:
3 POINT SPRING Vertical 2.5Hz,  Lateral 4.5Hz
TONEARM FITTING:
SME TEMPLATE
ADAPTERS AVAILABLE:
YES: SINGLE OR TWIN TONEARMS
MOTOR:
HAND BUILT 24V 140mNm AC Synchronous
POWER SUPPLY:
DSP VARI-SPEED CONTROL UNIT
VOLTAGE INPUT:
100-240VAC 50/60Hz 20 Watts Max.
DIMENSIONS:
Turntable (overall) 460 x 400 x 210mm (WxDxH)
Turntable (footprint) 410 x 360mm (WxD)
P.S.U. 250 x 215 x 95mm (WxDxH)
NET WEIGHT:
19.0Kg (42lb) turntable only
3.5Kg (8lb) psu only

REFERENCE RUBY CARTRIDGE

Within the world of expensive esoteric cartridges, the Reference Ruby is not inexpensive but nowhere near inaccessible. Not designed to be second best, it will sit happily on any premium turntable, offering a fresh insight into your record collection. Music always sparkles with a jewel.

"One cartridge for the rest of my days spinning vinyl"
-Jeff Dorgay

JEWEL OF SOUND

Acquiring its name by harnessing the immense rigidity of a Ruby cantilever, musically this cartridge offers unparalleled resolution, dynamics and an openness to the sound that totally captivates.
Subtle details are a revelation of breath-taking transparency with lower frequencies formidably tight showing no loss of control and thanks to the micro ridge stylus surface noise is vanishingly low.

DESIGN MASTERPIECE

By virtue of its construction, precise alignment for optimal sound reproduction is painless, the extending cantilever allowing accurate track selection and the purpose designed stylus guard offering protection when you are absent.

Exceeding our own design expectations, Reference Ruby will enrich your musical experience, abandoning the constraints of time to vividly discover your most cherished records with this design masterpiece.

"For me, the Reference Ruby joins this select group of cartridges"
- Ken Kessler

SPECIFICATIONS

TYPE:
MOVING COIL
OUTPUT VOLTAGE:
0.32mV
FREQUENCY RESPONSE:
10Hz-50KHz
TRACKING FORCE:
2.0gr (±0.2gr)
LOAD IMPEDANCE:
>100Ω
CANTILEVER MATERIAL:
SOLID RUBY
STYLUS PROFILE:
MICRO-RIDGE
STYLUS MATERIAL:
SOLID DIAMOND
NET WEIGHT:
9.1gr