2010-04-12 16:26:19

Today I had a very Emotional Experience...

...as our first ClearAudio Emotion SE turn table arrived by the hands of the man with brown socks.

I have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of this table after drooling over it at the CES in January.

With our Aesthetix/ClearAudio Event just around the corner...

I decided to bring in a third table to display, in addition to our Concept and Innovation.  Upon unpacking the strangely folded box which was generously  filled with green packing peanuts, I was greeted by the Maestro wood body moving magnet cartridge.  Underneath a hefty layer of Styrofoam peanuts was the package containing the Emotion SE.  I began removing the individual components and laying them out on their foam packing from within the box.  The Emotion SE is only available in the clear acrylic finish, which has always been my favorite colour, and the photos certainly help me illustrate why.

Setup

The setup process was quick and easy, just as before with the Emotion CMB.  The feet come attached to the plinth eliminating a step that I traditionally had to do twice when building an Emotion CMB.  Apparently the Suchy's have come to the realization that I'm not the only person in the world that would regularly forget to install the little rubber dampers between the feet and the plinth.  The 30mm platter feels considerably sturdier than the previous 20mm platter of the Emotion CMB, and looks a heck of a lot cooler.  The new upgraded feet and base for the motor give the table a new sense of stability, and gel-like bumpers keep anything from sliding around.  After mounting the cartridge and getting my parameters set, I was ready for a listen.

First Impressions:

I listened to She and Him Volume One front to back, and was initially impressed with the results of the Emotion SE.  True to the ClearAudio tradition, the table produced a pleasant replication of the music with ease.  The next test was the obligatory Getz/Gilberto re-release on 180g.  It wasn't until I got to the B-side that the table really started to perform.  At some point in the listening session the cymbals became more real, and the saxophone appeared in the room.  I'm now about 4 hours into the cartridge and I can say I'm excited to see where this table will go.  At $3,000 (with cartridge) I think the Emotion SE is still one of the best values in entry-level turntables.

Demo System:

Cambridge Azur 840A ($1799)
ClearAudio Nano Phono PreAmplifier ($350)
Shunyata Hydra 8 V2 Line Conditioner ($2995)
Shunyata Black Mamba Power Cables ($600-750)
Raidho Ayra C1 Monitors ($17,500)
Cardas Neutral Reference 2M RCA ($1039)
Nordost Odin 4M Speaker Cable ($37,999)

Emotion SE (Second Edition)

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Like its forerunner Emotion, the Emotion SE presents the familiar features, which a turntable in this quality and performance class should have.

The resonance optimised chassis`s shape in combination with a separately housed synchronous motor guarantee engine smoothness and original music reproduction.

We reached the optimization through a more massive chassis, a 28 mm thick platter and the integrated patented clearaudio magnet bearing (CMB).

With the Emotion SE you will reach real analogical enjoyment!

 

Technical specifications

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Construction details:	Resonance optimised chassis`s shape, belt driven
Speed change:	33 1/3 and 45 rpm. (78 rpm optional)
Motor drive:	Separately housed synchronous motor in a massive case
Main bearing:	Clearaudio patented Magnetic bearing (CMB)
Platter material:	GS-PMMA / acrylic, Surface CNC-precision milled
Platter height:	1,1 inch / 28 mm
Speed accuracy (measured):	±0,2 %
Signal to noise ratio:	80 dB
Total weight:	Approx. 7 kg (with motor)
Dimensions (W/D/H in inches):	16 x 13 x 3
Dimensions (W/D/H in mm):	400 x 320 x 80
Manufacturers guarantee*:	3 Years

 
 
*Only if the warranty registration card is correctly filled out by the owner and sent back to
  Clearaudio within the stated time.