AVID Volvere SP

摘要

Given that pretty much every component AVID has ever offered is still in production, it's clear company owner Conrad Mas does not chop and change designs on a whim. So it's no surprise that when it comes to turntables AVID has largely stuck with the thinking behind its very first deck, the Acutus, which was launched in 1999. The same philosophy of high-mass platter, suspended subchassis and torquey motor can be seen at work in the latest version of AVID's midrange turntable, the £5500 Volvere SP. The first iteration of the Volvere deck was actually the firm's third ever product [see PM's boxout, p45], but the 'SP' appellation signifies it now benefits from the fine speed control offered by its DSP-governed PSU [pictured, p47]. Available in either silver or black, the Volvere SP features a cast alloy subchassis with carefully machined ridges to minimise vibration. This subchassis sports three legs, each of which sits in a spring located on the lower base. In fact, the legs sit in 'cups' in the centre of the springs, so the coils extend downwards in normal use. Experience suggests that this arrangement makes for a much more stable set-up than when compressed springs are used and requires less regular tweaking. In addition, three sturdy O-rings locate around each suspension turret onto pegs on the subchassis, which limits lateral movement. The subchassis contains the bearing and an outrigger on which to mount a tonearm. As a result, the deck does not offer interchangeable armboards but comes pre-drilled for a standard 9in SME fitting. Adapters that allow arms with standard Linn or Rega mounts to fit this are readily available from AVID.