Проигрыватели виниловых дисков — AVID INGENIUM PLUG&PLAY

The Ingenium Plug&Play is the entry-level turntable package from AVID HiFi, the British company behind the Acutus and Diva decks. As the name suggests, it leaves the factory as a complete system with a tonearm and cartridge already fitted and aligned, and AVID states that it can be playing within ten minutes of unpacking. UK pricing was GBP 1,250 with the standard platter and GBP 1,600 with the aluminium platter upgrade, while the US price was USD 1,795. Two finishes are available, black or white.

Key specs that matter

The platter has a mass of 2.5 kg and turns at 33.3 or 45.0 rpm via a belt driven by a 12 mNm AC synchronous motor made by Crouzet. Power input covers 100 to 240 V at 50 or 60 Hz with a maximum draw of 4 W. Overall size is 370 x 305 x 130 mm and net weight is 5.9 kg. The supplied arm is the AVID TA-1 and the cartridge is the AVID CA-1, a moving magnet design, with both parts sourced from Rega.

Engineering and use context

The bearing is AVID's inverted type, a stainless steel assembly with a tungsten carbide ball bearing on a sapphire thrust point, derived from the one used in the Diva II. A machined centre clamp is supplied, and together with the bearing it is meant to channel vibration out of the record and down into the chassis instead of leaving it in the vinyl. The plinth is a T-shaped piece of solid aluminium resting on three elastomer isolation feet made of Sorbothane with felt bases, so the deck is neither sprung nor rigidly coupled to its support. The standard platter is MDF with a cork top, and the aluminium version replaces it as an upgrade. There is no electronic speed control - changing from 33.3 to 45 rpm means moving the belt from the smaller groove of the motor pulley to the larger one. Setup consists of fitting the belt, placing the platter and removing the stylus guard, since the cartridge alignment is done at the factory.

Pairing

The CA-1 is a moving magnet cartridge, so it needs a phono stage or an amplifier phono input with a moving magnet setting rather than a moving coil step-up. Owners who later want a better cartridge can pick another model from the Rega range whose stylus tip to body height is about 15 mm, which avoids the need to change arm height. The compact footprint and low weight suit an ordinary rack shelf.

Alternatives

The AVID Diva II is a belt-drive AVID deck whose sapphire bearing design was carried over to the Ingenium.