Clearaudio Performance DC

Dear friends,

My name is Gerhard and I live in Vienna, Austria. I have discovered this forum with its wonderful Clearaudio threads. Here in Austria and Germany I have searched in vain in the Hifi forums for such threads. Interestingly enough there is not much written about Clearaudio products in the hifi forums of Clearaudio's home country.

My dream player is a silver Clearaudio Performance DC with a Tracer tone arm and an Essence MC or Talisman V2 Gold. I only had the Rega Planar 8 and 10 in my selection, but the Clearaudio seems more solid to me and I like it optically much better.

The magnetic tonearms of Clearaudio seem to be very delicate, that's why I want to buy a Tracer.

One reads only good about this player in this thread. Is there anything to consider or has someone even made bad experiences?

Those who use Clearaudio Perfromance DCs: Are you still satisfied with your Clearaudio Performance DC?

With the warmest greetings from Austria/Europe

Gerhard

 

Ok Course I meant instead of "One reads only good about this player in this thread", "One reads only good about this player in this forum"

 

I had a Clearaudio Concept for two or three years. Now I own a Performance DC. You don’t need to worry about the magnetic tonearms, they are solid. Never had a problem with my turntables. Will never upgrade again!

 

Dear Jerry,

Thank you very much for your feedback. I was very happy that you posted, especially since I didn't originally want to start my own thread, but wanted to continue in your thread Clearaudio Performance DC vs Clearaudio Concept from 17.1.2017, but unfortunately this was technically not possible for me.

It sounds great that you have no upgrade requests at all - there is probably no better praise for a turntable.

Thank you also for your comment about the magnetic tone arms, I will consider it after all.

I have two more questions for you:

1. when I look at the photo of your Clearaudio Performance DC in your 2017 thread (post #19), you obviously have the Talisman V2 Gold cartridge. This is also a possibility for me. Did you have any other Clearaudio cartridge on the shortlist or could you hear other Clearaudio cartridges before you decided? If so, did the Talismann V2 sound much better for you? Did you also hear the Essence MC by chance ?

2. in your thread from the year 2017 in post 19 you can see your system.May I ask from which manufacturer the CD player and the tube amplifier and which model it is. They look very nice and also form a visually great ensemble with your silver Performance DC turntable. Congratulations!

Thank you for your effort in advance to answer my questions.

Cordially

Gerhard

 

No, I didn’t audition any other cartridges. The dealer recommended this one. So I have no advice to give unfortunately...

The CD player is a Luxman D-N100 and the amplifier is a Luxman SQ-N100. They are both discontinued, but recently they came out with new models called D-N150 and SQ-N150. I haven’t heard them but I am sure they are great. In fact everything by Luxman is great!

www.luxman.com

 

Dear Jerry,

Thank you very much for your renewed answer.

Regarding Talisman: Often it is better not to compare too much anyway, you have obviously been very well advised by your dealer.

Special thanks for the hint with the Luxman devices, they look great and also otherwise outstanding products. Unfortunately there is no dealer in Austria, but in Germany. I know Luxman, but I didn't know these devices at all.

I have one last question:

Which speakers does your Luxman amplifier drive?

Thank you - again - for your effort.

Best regards from Austria

Gerhard

 

The speakers are Tannoy Stirling GR. I have two amplifers and they are both hooked up to the Tannoy speakers. I use a amplifier/speaker selector from Luxman for that purpose. A good device. The other amplifier is a Luxman L-507ux.

What amp and speakers do you have? I am sure you’ll be very happy with the Clearaudio turntable if you decide to get one. High quality all the way, from sound to design.

To be honest I have never auditioned anything - I have bought everything from different dealers in Germany, Norway and UK! I realize that is a bit of a gamble, but...

 

Dear Jerry,
Thank you very much for your renewed answer.

Tannoy are great speakers! Do you hear great differences between your two amplifiers ? Which one do you prefer ?

Yes, I would certainly be very happy with a Clearaudio Performance DC!

I have a Linn system (Linn Kaber speaker, Linn Kairn pre-amplifier, active with three power amplifiers LK 100). The system is now 25 years old and is already showing signs of age.

I once had Shahinian Obelisk (omidirectional) for a short time, but I was never happy with it and sold it again, and then continued listening with my old Linn system.

Which speakers I will buy, I am still thinking about (B&W, Vienna Acoustics, ...). Maybe I can find a speaker that works with the successor of the Luxman amplifier you own. A tube amp has always interested me and I really like the Luxman design and the compact dimensions. Anyway, I have already found a dealer in Germany who carries them - maybe there is a solution.

If I can replace the turntable relatively soon I would be very satisfied, at the moment I have a relatively simple Pro-ject turntable, which doesn't make me very happy.

Kind regards from Vienna
Gerhard

 

I'm sure that Linn system sounds incredible despite its age!

I'm not sure which amplifier I like the best. I think I prefer the L-507ux at the moment, but in my previous apartment, I ran the SQ-N100 with another set of Tannoy speakers (bookshelf speakers) and that is the best sound I have managed to achieve, better than what I have now, although I am very happy with what I have now too. I tried that exact setup in this new apartment but the acoustics are very different and I never managed to get it right. Frustrating. I never realized how much of a difference the room makes until I moved.

Anyway, they are both very good amplifiers. And the new SQ-N150 is probably a step up from the one I have. At least it's more expensive than mine was ten years ago and the reviews have been really positive. One thing I do know is that the headphone output in the SQ-N100 is fantastic - certainly better than the one in the L-507ux - so that may also be a factor, I guess it's the same with the SQ-N150. I wouldn't sell my amplifier at any price.

I wonder if there are any other Clearaudio owners here who would like to share their opinions?

 

I also have a Clearaudio Performance DC with the magnetic arm (can't remember which arm- it's the one or two steps up from the entry arm) and couldn't be happier. It's a beast from a weight standpoint and it delivers magnificently from hard rock, jazz and pop music. I'm running a SoundSmith "The Voice" cart on mine based on dealer recommendations and also because SoundSmith can rebuild my cart for around $750 when time comes due for that. I'd love an Ovation but honestly I doubt I could tell any difference for the large jump in cost.

 

Dear Jerry,

Thank you very much for your comments about your Luxman amplifiers - very interesting. May I ask how you came to Luxman, here in Austria and in Germany they are not very common, rather an insider tip (although they have a great reputation especially regarding quality).

Yes, the room acoustics are really important. I have equipped my listening room with bass traps, absorbers and diffusers from HOFA Akustik (www.hofa-akustik.de). I find these - for room acoustic elements also quite nice (but of course this is a matter of taste) - and you can easily take them with you - for example if you move house. Mounted in the right places, you can achieve a great effect with just a few elements.

What was interesting was your remark that you heard so well with your Bookshelf speakers: You can also reduce the negative influence of the room acoustics if you listen in a relatively small stereo triangle. I know of German-language forums of not so few users who have switched from floor-standing speakers to bookshelf speakers (up to studio monitors by Neumann or Genelec) with less listening distance to the speakers and who are amazed by the precision and detail reproduction. That's why I now think to buy primarily Bookshelf speakers.

Maybe this also played a role in your enthusiasm for your Tannoy bookshelf speakers.

Kind regards

Gerhard

 

Dear Dhpeck,

Thank you very much for your reaction. It's great that you are also satisfied with your Clearaudio. Looking at the various threads in this forum, many people should be satisfied with your Clearaudio performance.

So for me the Clearaudio Performance DC is in every respect the upper limit for a turntable. An ovation would be too expensive for me (especially since I like the performance better visually).

Best regards

Gerhard

 

Gerhard, I got into Luxman about ten years ago. I was looking for something that looked nice, sounded good and had useful features like tone controls and a headphone output. I was looking for something new that looked liked like proper hifi from the '70s or '80s. I also wanted VU meters... After a couple of hours on Google I came to the conclusion that only Luxman and Accuphase fit the bill. I bought the cheapest Luxman gear I could find, the SQ-N100 and D-N100. Later I added the L-507ux and the speaker selector and a line selector. Like I said I had neither heard nor seen these things in person before I bought them, I just took for granted that they would sound very good - and from looking at photos I knew they certainly looked cool...

Thanks for the info about HOFA Akustik. I will look into it. I will probably get some curtains and a new carpet first, maybe that will do the trick. My previous room was small. Like you say, I was sitting close to the speakers. It was a perfectly balanced sound, no matter what music I was playing.

Don't forget to write an update once you've decided on a new turntable, no matter which one you end up with! I wish you a HAPPY EASTER too!

 

Dear Jerry,

Thank you for your Easter wishes, I also wish you a happy Easter.

I thank you for the exchange here in this thread, it was very important to me and has really brought me a lot. I appreciate it very much. Thanks a lot!

Enjoy the music with your beautiful and fantastic Hifi equipment.

I will write an update once I have decided on a new turntable - I promise!

Best regards

Gerhard

 

Hi Gerhard,

I don’t know if you made the leap and purchased a performance dc, but the dream system you described is exactly what I have been after myself.
I have been lucky enough to recently get a black performance dc with a tracer tonearm and transferred an essence Mc from my previous concept.

Exactly as I imagined, this combination is incredible. Beautifully made and sound is amazing. The clarity and bass extension far exceed anything the concept produced. I can highly recommend this set up...

 

Dear KierG,

That's very, very nice of you to report it to me. That sounds very good. It's great that you're so pleased and that you highly recommend this set up. It is not easy to see and hear Clearaudio devices in real life in Austria/Vienna. In the next few weeks I should finally have the opportunity to do so. I am very excited and yes: Clearaudio Performance DC/Tracer and essence MC are still my absolute top favourites. You own my dreamteam, have fun with it!

I send you the most heartfelt greetings from Austria to Ireland.

Sincerely

Gerhard

 

Dear Gerhard,

Friendly greetings in return..

I'm sure when you get to demo the table you will be very happy indeed!

 

Right. I agree. I have been using vibrapods and even i jump next to it, i do not have any footfalls at all. I was very skeptical about, it works greatly.