Clearaudio concept Signature Turntable, Black

The Clearaudio concept Signature is a belt-drive turntable that's delivered without a tonearm and without a cartridge – this version with a black plinth.

The drive unit supplies the foundation: motor, bearing, platter and speed control. You choose the arm and cartridge to suit, rather than taking over a ready-made combination that might not even suit your phono stage. Anyone who already owns a good Clearaudio arm saves themselves buying twice over.

Why the concept Signature?

Because Clearaudio hasn't reinvented the concept introduced in 2009 – it has refined it. The centrepiece is called Tacho-Speed-Control: a sensor measures the actual platter speed and continuously reports it back to the control electronics. Belt stretch, bearing friction, temperature – the electronics compensate before you notice. On every start the drive unit self-calibrates, though manual fine-tuning is still possible. Then there's the IMS light motor suspension: the DC motor hangs in six O-rings like in a spider's web, an idea from the Reference Jubilee.

What you get

A ready-assembled drive unit with a 30 mm platter made of high-density polymer, a CNC-turned aluminium sub-platter, and a bearing that guides a hardened steel spindle in a sintered-bronze bushing on a Teflon thrust pad. The power supply sits outside the plinth, where its transformer can't interfere with anything. You select 33 1/3 and 45 rpm via an illuminated button that also steps through to standby in sequence. The black finish stands on an MDF plinth with a satin, low-resonance top plate and comes across noticeably more understated on the shelf than the wood versions – a unit that puts the record centre stage, not itself.

Who is the concept Signature for?

For anyone who wants to put together their own analogue chain: drive unit here, arm and cartridge to taste and budget. You can fit the Clearaudio tonearms concept, Verify, Clarify, Satisfy Kardan, Tracer and Profiler, plus MM and MC cartridges up to the Talisman V2 Gold. Plain talk: if you want a unit you can unpack, set down and start, you're better served by a factory-aligned complete package – without an arm, this drive unit simply stays silent. And if you collect shellac records, you'll need a different model: the concept Signature doesn't know 78 rpm.

Our verdict

A grown-up drive unit that defines its quality through consistency rather than bulk. The speed control works so unobtrusively that you only miss it once you have to do without it again. Black is the most understated of the four finishes and suits places where a wooden piece of furniture would be too much. Which arm and which cartridge actually make sense on top of it is something we work out with you at HD Zürisee in Wädenswil – that's what makes or breaks a drive unit.

Technical specifications

• Type: belt-drive turntable chassis, without tonearm and cartridge
• Drive: ground flat belt
• Motor: decoupled, extremely quiet-running 12 V DC motor
• Motor suspension: IMS light – decoupling via six O-rings
• Speed control: Tacho-Speed-Control (TSC), automatically compensates for friction and temperature, self-calibrates on every start, manual recalibration possible
• Speeds: 33 1/3 and 45 rpm (no 78 rpm operation)
• Speed selection: illuminated button on the front, steps through 33 1/3 → 45 → standby
• Wow and flutter: ± 0.05 %
• Platter: 30 mm, high-density polymer, on a CNC-turned aluminium sub-platter
• Bearing: polished, hardened steel spindle in a sintered-bronze bushing on a Teflon thrust pad
• Plinth: medium-density fibreboard (MDF), Black
• Top plate: satin, low-resonance polymer
• Base plate: medium-density fibreboard (MDF)
• Feet: height-adjustable
• Power supply: external plug-in power supply, 12 V DC, usable worldwide
• Power consumption: max. 3.6 W, 1.92 W in operation, 0.74 W standby
• Compatible tonearms: Clearaudio concept, Verify, Clarify, Satisfy Kardan, Tracer and Profiler
• Compatible cartridges: MM and MC cartridges from the concept mc up to the Talisman V2 Gold, as well as common MM cartridges
• Dimensions (W × H × D): approx. 420 × 125 × 350 mm
• Weight: approx. 7.5 kg (manufacturer figure incl. tonearm and cartridge)
• Finish: Black
• Matching dust cover: AC174 acrylic dust cover (optional)
• Model no.: TT068/B
• Warranty: 2-year manufacturer's warranty
• Included: drive unit with platter, sub-platter and drive belt, external power supply, instruction manual – tonearm and cartridge not included

Frequently asked questions

Do the concept Signature come with a tonearm and cartridge?

No. You get the bare drive unit with platter, bearing, motor and external power supply. Tonearm and cartridge are chosen separately – you can fit the Clearaudio arms concept, Verify, Clarify, Satisfy Kardan, Tracer and Profiler, plus MM and MC cartridges up to the Talisman V2 Gold. We put together the combination to match your phono stage.

What sets the concept Signature apart from the regular concept?

Mainly the speed control. The Signature measures the platter speed with a tachometer and continuously corrects it, which compensates for belt stretch, bearing friction and temperature fluctuations and self-calibrates on every start. Added to that is the IMS light motor suspension with six O-rings from the Reference Jubilee. The proven concept foundation remains.

Which speeds does the concept Signature play?

33 1/3 and 45 revolutions per minute. The illuminated button on the front steps through 33 1/3, 45 and standby in sequence. Both speeds are automatically calibrated by the electronics, and manual fine calibration is also possible. The drive unit doesn't offer 78 rpm for shellac records.

Are the four finishes technically different?

Only in the plinth material. Black and Silver are built on an MDF plinth, Wood and Dark Wood on high-pressure-compressed solid wood layers. Drive, motor, bearing, platter and control electronics are identical across all four. Between Wood and Dark Wood the difference is purely visual.

Why buy the concept Signature at HD Zürisee?

Because a drive unit without an arm and cartridge is only half an answer. We put together the right tonearm, cartridge and phono stage for you, mount and align everything in Wädenswil and remain available afterwards as an authorised Clearaudio dealer. Reach us on +41 44 680 22 00, via WhatsApp 076 534 22 00 (text only, no calls) or at shop@hdzuerisee.ch.

Pairs well with

The right arm is under Tonearms, the cartridge under Cartridges and the phono stage under Phono Preamps. Dust cover, tracking-force scale and alignment aids are in Turntable Accessories, more drive units are under Turntables.