Clearaudio’s entry-level, plug-and-play Concept turntable package has been a multi-award winner and bestseller for more than a decade. Now, the Concept’s whole concept has been given a ‘Signature’ makeover. “Clearaudio has played a blinder,” says Hi-Fi News.

Since its initial launch in 2009, Clearaudio’s Concept turntable package has sold more than 20,000 units worldwide while amassing a raft of international awards. At the same time, the Concept has continued to evolve, adding a steady stream of increasingly sophisticated and flexible iterations over the years to create a product series that’s been ‘the one to beat’ for vinyl lovers in search of a truly remarkable price-performance ratio.

Now, Clearaudio has given the Concept series a complete makeover with its new ‘Signature’ evolution. Building on the series’ growing flexibility, the Signature edition is no longer a single model or product at all. Instead, customers can now opt to buy the Concept turntable on its own (in a variety of finish options), or to partner it with one of Clearaudio’s tonearms or cartridges, bagging a 2.5% discount or 5% if you opt for both.

Hi-Fi News opted to review the package with Clearaudio’s Profiler tonearm and Concept V2 MM cartridge, noting that the new Signature has stayed true to the Concept’s origins and remains “simplicity itself” to set up and operate.

Once in action, the combination proves to be “a superb turntable set-up”. The Concept Signature turntable “has some key changes under the skin”, the most significant of which is a development of Clearaudio’s Optical Speed Control (OSC) found in the brand’s higher-end turntables. Here, this feature takes the form of ‘Tacho Speed Control’ (TSC), which continually monitors and corrects platter speed, delivering a level of speed stability that’s a rare find at this price point.

At the same time, an extremely well-designed drive system ensures that the Concept Signature “is almost silent”, with groove noise being “conspicuous by its near-absence.”

The result is “a reassuringly confident yet relaxed” presentation, which made it somewhat ‘tricky’ to review: “it occasionally became difficult tor remember I was trying to assess it, because I was enjoying listening too much…”!

“The Concept Signature is a Clearaudio through and through,” concludes reviewer Adam Smith. “The company’s designs have never sought to provide the sort of impressive but short-term sonic fireworks that can become wearing. Rather, they offer an understated but inherently solid performance that seems more and more gratifying as different material is played.”

“Clearaudio has played a blinder with its new Concept Signature range of turntable packages. The mix and match options are plentiful, allowing you to tailor a purchase to your budget and sonic preferences… while any future upgrades can be confidently picked from the Clearaudio catalogue.”

Find out more at https://clearaudio.de/en and track down your local dealer via UK distributor www.soundfowndations.co.uk

Read Adam Smith’s review, along with Paul Miller’s lab report, in the June issue of Hi-Fi News.