What Hi-Fi? Verdict
With further upgrades since we first awarded the Emotion five stars, it’s not surprising it’s an Award-winner
Pros
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A beautifully balanced sound that excites or soothes in equal measure
Cons
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Admittedly, over £600 is a substantial investment, but if you want the best…
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This is a great-value package: the Emotion turntable comes equipped with Clearaudio's Satisfy tonearm and Aurum Classics Wood cartridge – which all work together superbly.
Clearaudio's engineers clearly can't leave things alone. Since this deck debuted, it's gained an improved belt and a matching motor pulley. The result is a greater sense of sparkle and clarity, the icing on what was already a beautifully balanced sonic cake, with an even tonal balance and few weaknesses. Rhythms are gripped with determination, and pounded out with a great deal of enthusiasm.
Class-leading clarity
REM's Automatic for the People can sound messy and confused on many turntables, but certainly not here: the Clearaudio delivers vocals with class-leading clarity without sacrificing body or warmth.
Detail, dynamics and attack are all first-rate, but don't worry, subtlety isn't sacrificed in this bid to excite. Put on a mellow tune such as Nick Cave's Wonderful Life, and the Clearaudio combination shifts gear effortlessly to produce a sumptuous yet insightful performance.
Build-quality is impressive, too, with each part of this package feeling solidly engineered and lovingly finished.
Spending more than £600 on this package might seem extravagant – but not once you've heard this Award-winning deck in action.
