Too much or too little belt tension and both speed and stability suffer. The motor’s placement is critical to achieving the correct speed (or at least as close to correct as is achievable). The box in whch the Ingenium ships is so small you’ll think there must be another box but it’s all in there and once you’ve carefully leveled the platform, it sets up quickly, though you must have at your disposal a strobe disc. The arm attaches to an outcropping machined from the right side of the main “T” beam and that’s it! cord between the wall plug and the motor housing, compared to the Diva II’s 24V A.C. The design saves additional money with a simple in-line on-off switch placed on the A.C. A scew-on weight and threaded spindle is an extra cost option. The Ingenium uses the Diva II’s lightweight, but full-sized MDF platter topped with a permanently affixed cork mat that fits over the spindle housing and rests on the sub-platter. The large diameter “O” ring goes around the sub-platter and the stepped A.C. The spindle bushing-also substantial at this price point- topped inside with a sapphire thrust pad, is attached to a large diameter grooved aluminum sub-platter. It’s the identical inverted Tungsten-Carbide ball system used in the Diva II consisting of a substantial, cupped-top tapered polished stainless steel tower well-anchored within a semi-circular cut out in the main support beam, in which sits the 4mm ball. One key to a turntable’s ultimate performance is the bearing and here’s where AVID has least compromised. There’s no way to level the ‘table so the platform must be levelable. The Ingenium rests upon 3 soft elastomer feet resembling an elephant’s. Yes, even suspended designs need a good support system but not to the same degree. Unsuspended is my preference generally though it means the ‘table’s performance will greatly depend upon the platform upon which it’s placed.
Like the Diva II, the Ingenium, is an unsuspended design though with a simpler elastomer footer design. We think less plinth is better than more. So what has AVID done here to rein in costs? For one thing, it’s produced a skeletal, though relatively high mass “T” shaped aluminum chassis reminiscent of what Kuzma pioneered with its “brass pipe bomb”-like $2156 (w/o arm) Stabi S. That said, a danger point for a luxury turntable manufacturer would be to issue a budget model that damages the brand, and worse, doesn’t compete sonically and mechanically with the competition. It more closely resembles the $4,040 Diva II but at half the price including a tone arm. While AVID’s new Ingenium at $1999 including Pro-Ject 9cc tone arm is not “budget priced” it is but a fraction of the cost of AVID’s $37,944 flagship Acutus Reference SP turntable to which it bears scant resemblance. August 2014 Michael Fremer, Designing a turntable (or pretty much anything) with no budgetary constraints is far easier than is designing one to a specific price point, especially a low one.
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