Clear Audio Performance DC: Bundle Of Joy (Part 2)

There’s nothing quite like a nicely setup, well-integrated turntable whose deck, tone arm and cartridge all work together properly – and the Performance DC shows why. It gives a wide open window on the music, that’s smooth, clean and detailed with just a bit of that lovely vinyl warmth that vinyl list as love so much. It has a wonderfully quiet bearing that cuts rumble down to vanishingly low levels, yet digs out large amounts of detail from any record you care to play. And the matching arm and cartridge work with it, rather than – as is so often the case – against it, to extract a fantastic sound from the old black plastic

It’s able to carry a tune and serve up the song’s rhythmic content adeptly

If you spend a lot of time with digital, you’ll find this Clear audio deck a rich sounding device – cue up a classic slice of eighties electronic pop like Jon and Vangelis’s I Hear You Now, and the Performance sets up a wide, secure soundstage that drops back nicely. Inside this, instruments are carried delicately, letting you hear the wonderfully fat sound of those early analogue synths. The sequenced bass line is strong and deep – perhaps not quite as tight as some rival combinations – and carries a tune well. It’s an expansive, ethereal sort of sound, which is precisely how this recording is.

Smoother than a squashed fruit health drink, the deck pulls you into the mix, and delights by throwing out little bits of low-level detail that you’d just never get from a cheaper turntable. Jon Anderson’s distinct vocals are beautifully and sensitively carried, giving a wonderfully contemplative feel, which captures the mood of the song perfectly. Although the deck is well able to mine lots of low-level information, you’re never aware of it so doing, which means it doesn’t sound analytical at all. Rather, the song lilts on and on, holding steady as the music draws to a crescendo; it’s a stable-sounding platform alright.

The same sort of feel comes out of Nick Lowe’s So It Goes, despite it being a lively new wave romp with bags of energy and bite.

The same sort of feel comes out of Nick Lowe’s So It Goes, despite it being a lively new wave romp with bags of energy and bite. The Performance DC puts everything in its right place, hangs the vocals back from the mix skilfully, and doesn’t bunch the left-to-right imaging together too much. But as well as being a spacious performer, it’s also a captivating one – it’s able to carry a tune well and serve up the song’s rhythmic content adeptly.

Great as all this sounds, there is a slight flattening of the dynamics of the recording; there’s a little less dynamic ‘light and shade’ than non-packaged deck combinations such as the Michel GyroDec SE/Tecnoarm/Audio Technica OC9, which pinpoint the accenting of the music more assiduously. Rather than going for absolute transparency, the Clear audio’s first priority is to make a nice noise that you can enjoy.

Clearaudio Performance DC

Drop the stylus on Herbier Mann’s great live rendition of summertime, and the deck soon gets you into a great jazz groove. Once again, you bask in the sweet, refined sound and the lovely tonality – this is a million miles away from the shrill squawking that some cheaper turntables are (unintentionally) capable of. The flute sounds beautiful, the arm and cartridge tracking securely and the deck letting the music’s flavor ooze out. It’s a treat to hear, but in absolute terms, that big double bass sound is just a little softer and rounder than it could be, and this gives the track a richness that’s a treat to experience, if not quite accurate. Again, some other rivals do it in a more neutral way, even if the end result isn’t actually nicer to hear. That’s the essence of this package then, it gives you a sound that’s as smooth as Baileys’ Irish Cream and just as intoxicating – it’s the sort of turntable that takes you into another world, miles from the fussiness of digital.

Conclusion

Surely one of the finest turntable packages at or near its price point, the Performance DC is an illustrious way to play your prized black plastic. It brings a strong, smooth and round sort of sound to analogue recordings – which is precisely what lovers of the format crave. If you can be bothered to buy a separate tone arm and cartridge from different manufacturers, and go to the trouble of hearing them altogether, then you’ll likely find permutations offering a crisper and more ‘accurate’ sound – but they won’t necessarily be any the more enjoyable for it. And that’s the essence of this clear audio package, it’s fast food done to gourmet standards, with an in-between price. Build quality is superb, styling is lovely in a modern, understated way and the sound is excellent. Factor in simple set-up, and what’s not to love?

Clearaudio Performance DC

How it compares

Michell’s GyroDec SE ($2,265) with Tecnoarm ($882.5) and Audio Technica AT-OC9 ML3 ($802.2) is a direct price rival to the Clearaudio Performance DC. It has a larger, more expansive sound, with superior tonal accuracy and a wonderfully smooth feel from top to bottom. Its bass is fractionally tighter and tauter too, but the Gyro is far fussier to set-up and keep in tune, thanks to its sprung suspension. Those who prefer the compactness and ease of use of the Clear audio could audition Rega’s new RP8, which is bundled with the RB808 tone arm and Aphera cartridge at $3,533.3. It should have a characteristically dry, tight musical sound.

Our verdict

·         Sound quality: 5/5

·         Value for money: 4.5/5

·         Build quality: 5/5

·         Features: 5/5

·         Like: Beautiful build; sweet, smooth sound; easy set-up

·         Dislike: Soft low bass; slight dynamic compression

·         We say: Lovely package giving fine performance plus convenience

·         Overall: 5/5