drive
The perfect turntable
The genuin audio drive is a turntable that makes itself completely “invisible” acoustically. Our high-end turntable has no sound of its own. It is dedicated to a single task: reproducing music in its pure form… without any coloration!
To achieve this, it is essential to keep all unwanted influencing factors – resonances caused by impact sound, motors, bearing, platter rotation and plinth – away from the extremely fragile process of record playback. Overlapping of the original music signal prevents the sound from developing naturally. The genuin audio drive turntable does not allow such overlapping – with impressive results: you will hear pure music!
Torsion bar concept
The genuin audio drive turntable is based on a sub-chassis design in which three torsion bar springs take over the suspension. Each of the three height-adjustable spring elements is individually tuned to an identical resonance frequency of the sub-chassis – regardless of the respective weight load of the three spring positions. This prevents uncontrollable wobbling of the sub-chassis, which can only vibrate optimally vertically.
Each of the three independently adjustable spring elements consists of a rotatable base plate, which is mounted on a multiplex plane. The clamped torsion bar spring consists of two precisely dimensioned spring plates lying on top of each other. The torsion generates the required spring force. The friction between the two spring plates during torsion generates the desired damping effect, so that vibrations quickly subside. A rubber element connects the spring arm to the sub-chassis – a construction that ensures coordinated horizontal guidance. Once set up at the factory, the position of the sub-chassis in the cabinet no longer changes. However, the height setting can be adjusted on the underside if additional weights such as heavy record clamps affect the position of the sub-chassis.
Multi-stage damping
A variety of different materials are deliberately used for the genuin audio drive turntable. For example, the base plate of the turntable is made of aluminum, while the mounting base for the motors and spring elements is made of multiplex wood. The housing itself is a sandwich construction made of POM, with the side panels made of CDF, the hardest variant of the widely used MDF. Aluminum is the material of choice for the front panel and acrylic glass for the top of the housing.
Highly damping POM is used for the platter and the sub-chassis which carries the tonearm board and the bearing. This is a plain bearing with a diameter of 10 mm with axial bearing via a tungsten carbide bearing ball on a bearing plate made of delrin. The tonearm board consists of a 15 mm thick acrylic glass plate. The use of different materials at the contact points of the various turntable sections creates a highly effective damping effect that nips any unfavorable signal interference “in the bud”.
„When designing the new drive, I managed to combine new and proven materials and technologies in such a way that the result exceeded my own expectations. I am proud of this turntable, in which I was able to incorporate all the experience and know-how I have acquired in my 40 years as a designer and developer for a wide range of industries.“
The power of a triple motor design
A massive development compared to the previous model is the motor design of the genuin audio drive turntable: instead of one motor, three identical synchronous motors now move an aluminum sub-platter – each via a round belt. The encapsulated motors are fed by a special amplifier circuit which receives its control information via the central frequency generator.
The distribution over three motors at an identical distance from the sub-platter and the triple belt design ensure an even tensile load on the platter bearing. As a result, the platter bearing is not subject to the lateral load that is detrimental in the long term, as is the case with a single motor. This means that the turntable will always “play from the center”. Furthermore, the direct connection from the pulleys to the sub-platter provides even more “rigidity”. This brings all the advantages of a direct drive or a transcription turntable – without their constructional disadvantages. The new genuin audio drive turntable reacts quickly to impulses and generates a high degree of dynamics which is expressed in an incredibly “vital” performance.
Fine tuning
The three independently adjustable torsion bar spring elements are mounted on a special base plate. The turntable is set to a resonance frequency of 4.5 – 5 Hz at the factory. However, the height setting can be adjusted from below the base if heavy record weights or clamps should affect the position of the sub-chassis. The platter is driven by three synchronous motors, each driven by a round belt. The speeds 33 1/3 and 45 rpm can be finely adjusted via a potentiometer on the rear of the plinth. The motors are controlled by a special, high-precision frequency generator, while the power supply is provided by an external, stabilized power supply unit
Point-accurate partnership
The drive finds its congenial partner in the point tonearm from genuin audio. This 10-inch tonearm with its base tube of 18 millimeters is extremely firmly connected to the tonearm board via a solid thrust washer and an M8 screw. This is of decisive importance for the “crisp”, accentuated reproduction of the drive. In addition, sound-damaging influences from external vibrations such as impact or reflected sound are avoided.
A high-quality LEMO socket is integrated into the tonearm board, which connects the tonearm cable directly to the balanced XLR or unbalanced RCA outputs. The high-quality silver cable is wired end-to-end to minimize signal-influencing eddy currents. It is ready to accept the ideal cartridge: the MC system sting from genuin audio.
Variations
The genuin audio drive can be manufactured for you in different versions. Depending on customer requirements, the drive can also be fitted with the point tonearm, the sting MC cartridge and the integrated pearl phono preamp. An attractive package price is offered for the fully equipped drive turntable.
Maximum integration
In its highest configuration level, the genuin audio drive comes with an integrated phono preamplifier. This offers decisive advantages: The path of the extremely fragile signal from the cartridge to the phono preamp is massively shortened and eddy currents caused by the transfer points are reduced. Even the question of a suitable connection cable is no longer necessary!
The built-in phono preamplifier has been perfectly matched to the requirements of the drive turntable and the sting cartridge. Of course, it is so flexible that other cartridges can also be optimally adapted. To this end, it offers individual setting options for MM, MI and MC cartridges of all kinds.
Above all, however, the phono preamplifier integrated in the genuin audio drive is of exquisite quality. After all, it is a further optimized version of the renowned pearl model from genuin audio, which is also available separately. The latest incarnation of the pearl now offers dedicated vinyl collectors three different equalization curves: RIAA, Decca & Columbia. The highlight: these can be switched very easily, even during operation, using the illuminated keypad on the turntable itself! The drive turntable can be retrofitted with the pearl phono amplifier at any time.
The pearl phono stage integrated in the drive turntable comes with the three most important equalization curves: RIAA, Decca and Columbia. To achieve maximum user-friendliness, these can be switched at any time – even during playback – using the illuminated keypad.
Technical specifications
| Chassis Base | Sandwich construction made of aluminum and multiplex mounted on 3 special damping feet (Thixar) |
|---|---|
| Sub-Chassis | POM |
| Subchassis Suspension | Special self-damping torsion springs |
| Torsion Bars | Tunable in height and resonance frequency |
| Torsion Bar Adjustment | Three adjustment points on the underside of the plinth |
| Drive | 3 synchronous motors, specially developed motor controller |
| Keypad | Illuminated, for 0, 33 1/3 & 45 rpm |
| Keypad Equalization Curves | Illuminated, for RIAA, Decca & Columbia (only with integrated pearl phono preamp) |
| Power Supply | external |
| Outputs | XLR (balanced), RCA (unbalanced) |
| Speed Fine Adjustment | Potentiometers for 33 1/3 & 45 rpm at the rear of the plinth |
| Bearing | 10 millimeter plain bearing, delrin bearing mirror & tungsten carbide bearing ball |
| Platter | POM |
| Sub-Platter | Aluminum |
| Tonearm Board | made of acrylic glass, tonearm base high-strength bolted, remaining surface decoupled and highly damped |
| Plinth | POM, high-density CDF side panels with real wood veneer, aluminum front panel (available in silver or black) |
genuin audio pearl (integrated)
| Suitable cartridges | Moving Coil (MC), High Output MC, Moving Magnet (MM), Moving Iron (MI) |
|---|---|
| MC | |
| Concept | Balanced (XLR) |
| Input impedance | Variable: 125 Ohm to 2 kOhm |
| Input capacity | 2 x 470 pF |
| Gain | 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 dB |
| Common mode rejection | > 90 dB between 20 Hz and 20 kHz |
| Signal-to-noise ratio (at 61 dB gain) | > 62 dB linear / > 70 dB Awtd / > 69 dB CCIR 2k |
| Output impedance | 2 x 47 kOhm |
| MM/MI | |
| Concept | Unbalanced (RCA) |
| Load impedance | 47 kOhm |
| Capacitance loading | Variable: 47 pF to 285 pF |
| Gain | 37 dB, 40 dB, 42 dB, 44 dB, 46 dB |
| RIAA tolerance | < +- 0,3 dB (typical < 0,1 dB) |
| Signal-to-noise ratio (at 41 dB gain) | > 83 dB linear / > 90 dB Awtd / > 89 dB CCIR 2k |
| Output impedance | 47 Ohm |
| General specs | |
| Equalization (switchable) | RIAA (without Neumann time constant), Decca & Columbia |
| Frequency response deviation | < +- 0,3 dB (typically < 0,1 dB) |
| Level difference (channel-to-channel) | < +- 0,3 dB (typically < 0,1 dB) |
| Maximum output voltage (balanced) | > 19 V effective |
| Maximum output voltage (unbalanced) | > 9 V effective |
| Subsonic filter (switchable) | 15 Hz / 18 dB/Octave Butterworth |
| Overload indication | > 16 dB over 10 mV/1 kHz (MM) |
| THD & Noise | < 0,001% zwischen 20 Hz und 20 kHz |
| Intermodulation | < 0,001% |
| Sieve capacity | > 80 000 µF |
| Headroom | > 20 dB (MM & MC) |
| Outputs | XLR (balanced) |
| Power supply | |
| External power supply | Filtered toroidal transformer with DC suppression and voltage stabilization |
| Rated output | 250 Watt |
| Sieve capacity | > 40 000 µF |
Press comments on the genuin drive
„This record player has what it takes to make the listener aware of one or the other detail without putting it disproportionately in the foreground.“
image hifi-award 2019
“If you want to enjoy every facet of the performance, with a natural timbre and a livelike panorama, then Genuin Audio will be right for you. I must highly recommend drive to passionate music lovers.”
Josef Bruckmoser in image hifi, 04/2017
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“This analogue ensemble delivered a very solid performance and is characterized by absolute calmness against a deep black background – this is very much top quality class. […] A non-interfering drive, a tonearm that provides best groove tracking with a wide range of cartridges, and an integrated phono stage for excellent phono signal conversion team up with the MC sting as a top-of-the-line analogue package. This earns the drive a recommendation that is strengthened by the flexibility with regard to the choice of a cartridge. The price for it is completely in order.”
Helmut Rohrwild in hifi & records, 04/2016
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