Clearaudio Smart Power 12V Battery Power Supply, Silver

The Clearaudio Smart Power 12V is a battery power supply that completely disconnects the drive motor of a 12-volt turntable from the mains during operation, feeding it instead from a NiMH battery.

The power then no longer comes from the wall, but from a store of energy right next to the turntable – without hum, without voltage spikes, and without the leftovers of what the rest of the household sends back into the mains all day long. When the charge runs low, the charging system takes over on its own, and the record just keeps spinning.

Why the Smart Power 12V?

The speed of a belt-drive turntable is only as steady as the current that drives the motor. That's exactly where a battery has a structural advantage: very low internal resistance, a flat discharge curve and, above all, no conductive connection to the mains. What isn't connected can't interfere either – the physics behind it is that unspectacular, and that effective.

What you hear

Quiet behind the music. The background turns blacker, voices stand more solidly in the centre, and in the bass that slight smearing disappears that you only miss once it's gone. On quiet, finely recorded records, the difference is greatest.

Who is the Smart Power 12V for?

For anyone running a Concept, Concept Active or Performance DC who wants to keep their turntable but still move up a notch. Plain talk: if you own an Ovation, Innovation or Statement, this isn't for you – those turntables run on 24 volts. And the battery ages, like any battery. After a few years a replacement is due, which we handle in Wädenswil.

Our verdict

An accessory that delivers exactly where it's hard to fake: speed stability. The Smart Power 12V doesn't turn a Concept into an Innovation, but it audibly gets more out of the turntable you already have – permanently, without realignment, without side effects. In Silver it also sits so unobtrusively next to the turntable that nobody would take it for an upgrade.

Technical data

• Design: battery power supply with complete mains isolation during operation
• Battery: nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), 5000 mAh
• Output: 12 V DC, max. 1.6 A, electronically fused (slow-blow)
• Charging: 19 V plug-in power supply, 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, max. 1.6 A
• Power consumption: 6.5–33 W in operation, 0 W when switched off
• Compatibility: clearaudio Concept, Concept Active and Performance DC
• Housing: aluminium, silver
• Dimensions (W × H × D): 110 × 46 × 350 mm
• Weight: approx. 2.2 kg
• Warranty: 2 years (battery excluded)
• Included: Smart Power 12V with 160 cm power cable, 19 V plug-in power supply, instruction manual, warranty card

Frequently asked questions

Does the Smart Power 12V fit my turntable?

It's built for clearaudio turntables with a 12-volt DC input, so Concept, Concept Active and Performance DC. Ovation, Innovation and Statement, on the other hand, run on 24 volts and need the larger model. A look at your original power supply reveals the voltage; otherwise our team in Wädenswil will help you quickly.

Do I have to charge the unit before listening?

No. You can listen at any time, even while charging – the power supply then works in buffer mode. Sonically cleanest is pure battery operation with the charger unplugged. In practice that means: charge during the day, unplug in the evening and listen. The electronics monitor voltage and current on their own throughout.

What does it offer over the standard power supply?

The supplied standard power supply stays permanently connected to the mains and passes its disturbances on to the motor. The Smart Power completely cuts that connection during operation and delivers DC current from the battery instead – smoother, cleaner and with a significantly lower internal resistance. The result is a measurably and audibly steadier speed.

Why buy the Clearaudio Smart Power 12V from HD Zürisee?

Because we tell you beforehand whether the upgrade is even worth it for your chain, instead of just letting you grab it off the shelf. We're an authorised specialist dealer, we can set up your turntable at your home on request, and we handle the later battery service ourselves. Reach us on +41 44 680 22 00, WhatsApp 076 534 22 00 (text only, no calls) or shop@hdzuerisee.ch.

Goes well with

Turntables are found under Turntables, the matching amplification under Phono preamplifiers. Accessories around the turntable are found under Turntable accessories, more ideas on the subject of power under Mains filters & power conditioning.