Clearaudio has announced the Reference Jubilee, a new take on its original Reference turntable released in the 1980s.
The new Reference Jubilee retains the distinctive boomerang shape of its predecessor but upgrades its resonance-optimised chassis from acrylic to higher-performing (and better looking) Panzerholz wood and aluminium.
The 6cm-thick platter is constructed from damped polyoxyethylene and rotates on a special version of the brand’s frictionless Ceramic Magnetic Bearing, while below sits an 8.5kg stainless steel sub-platter.
This sub-platter is regulated by Clearaudio’s Optical Speed Control, which uses an optical sensor to monitor its rotational speed with 1598 impulses per revolution. The readings are then delivered to a control unit that offsets deviations by adjusting the motor’s voltage via an operational amplifier.
To achieve a precise rotational speed, Clearaudio uses a 12-bit DAC to generate a motor reference voltage, which is then converted into an analogue voltage signal. The digital reference is used only to compensate for slow movements or drifts due to factors including temperature, oil viscosity and belt friction, while the motor is driven purely by the analogue output stage.
The motor itself is a brand new design with a high-torque, air-core (non-magnetic) 24-volt DC motor and belt drive decoupled from the main chassis and suspended by a “network of elaborate rubber tightropes”.
The Clearaudio Reference Jubilee turntable is available now, priced at £17,500 (around $21,402, AU$30,393) and includes a two-year warranty.
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