AVID Debuts Acutus Dark Iron Luxury Turntable

AVID has launched the new Acutus Dark Iron, its first new turntable in six years and the first to benefit from a new integrated motor design ($13,000/£10,000/€12,000).

Designed, engineered, and hand built in Cambridgeshire, England, the Acutus Dark Iron directly replaces its predecessor, the Acutus Dark Limited Edition. Following customer demand, AVID has introduced a new darker “sparkling iron” finish that reduces the cost compared to the labor-intensive chrome-finish Acutus models.

Key to the Acutus Dark Iron is a new motor system, which sees the motor coupled to the main chassis. The new design maintains correct drive-belt alignment, even when the turntable is levelled using the adjustable feet, and eliminates speed-related issues.

The motor system enhances operational smoothness while ensuring precise belt alignment. With a high-torque AC synchronous motor providing tenfold increase in power over competitive turntables, it delivers improved control and stability, too.

Utilizing twin round-section drive belts, AVID’s design allows free suspension movement without speed fluctuations. The power supply, employing DSP technology, independently generates frequency for precise speed adjustment. Equipped with an 80 VA mains transformer, it functions as an integrated amplifier tailored for the high-torque motor.

High-Mass Platter and Upgradable Mat

The turntable features a hefty 10 kg aluminum platter, topped with a 10mm damping disc and a TMShrunk felt-composite mat. Buyers can upgrade to AVID’s precision resin mat, enhancing vibration transfer through the grounding clamp for superior sound quality.

The platter sits upon an inverted bearing design that lowers the center of gravity, where a tungsten carbide ball meets a sapphire jewel, eliminating lateral movement and rumble noise. A self-lubricating sleeve ensures silent, maintenance-free operation.

Upgradable Clamp

The supplied AVID single-action clamp, which is precision-machined from solid aluminum, flattens records onto the platter, channeling vibrations to the sub-chassis to reduce noise. AVID offers a dual-operation upgrade for greater control over varying record thicknesses, eliminating warps and air pockets for seamless record-platter connection.

Sub-Chassis

The Acutus Dark Iron’s one-piece multi-fold aluminum casting offers strength with controlled movement. Coated with damping media, it neutralizes vibrations, ensuring a linear and time-sensitive sound response. This coupled to a suspension system that ensures equal tuning for perfect balance with its 2.5 Hz isolation frequency preventing skipping and eliminating external vibrations.

Acutus Dark Iron buyers can access discounts on AVID’s range of tonearms and cartridges, plus the mat and clamp upgrade, when ordered with the turntable.