Прочие устройства — Clearaudio SMART POWER 12V

The Smart Power 12V is a battery-based DC power supply from Clearaudio of Erlangen, Germany, built as an upgrade for the brand's Concept series and Performance DC turntables that normally run from a plug-in adapter. Its purpose is to let the turntable run from stored battery energy instead of directly from the mains. The aluminium case comes in silver or black, and prices include AUD 1,499, CAD 1,450 and EUR 918.85 including VAT.

Key specs that matter

The internal pack uses NiMH cells rated at 12 V and 5000 mAh. The output delivers 12 V DC at up to 1.6 A and is protected by a time-delay fuse. Mains input covers 100 to 240 V AC at 50 to 60 Hz, fed through a supplied 19 V wall adapter, with a maximum input current listed as 1.4 A. Consumption runs between 6.5 and 33 W in operation depending on the charge cycle and drops to 0 W when switched off. The box measures 110 mm wide, 350 mm deep and 46 mm high and weighs about 2.2 kg. Clearaudio gives a 2 year warranty, which excludes the batteries.

Engineering and use context

Clearaudio specifies minimal output impedance and a particularly flat discharge curve, so the motor supply stays steady as the cells drain and the platter speed holds. The aim is noise-free current rather than an absolutely fixed voltage, achieved through battery buffering and a linear regulation stage, and a drop of up to 4 V between charging cycles is described as normal. There are three states. In off mode the output is cut and a discharged pack starts charging on its own. In battery output mode the LED ring around the front button stays lit. In charging mode the ring blinks, and charging ends automatically once the cells are full. A short press on the button switches the output on, a press of about 3 seconds starts or stops charging, a rear knob dims the ring in every mode and a rear switch turns the whole unit on or off. The unit can be set to move from battery play into recharging automatically, and it keeps protecting against short circuits and overvoltage while it charges. A thermal cutout shuts it down if the batteries overheat, and start-up or shutdown takes about 30 seconds. Clicking after a deep discharge signals preparation for charging, which can take hours.

Pairing

The supply is meant only for Clearaudio Concept and Performance DC decks. With the Concept Active, which has a built-in phono preamplifier, the battery feeds both the motor and the phono stage.

Alternatives

The Clearaudio Smart Power 24V applies the same battery approach to the Innovation and Ovation turntables.