Arm-Swapping
In order to see how much the turntable frame contributes to the sound and to find out how much of a restriction the Ingenium’s arm and cartridge may pose to the player, I decided to unmount the Ingenium’s TA-1 arm and CA-1 cartridge and try it with the other two AVID turntables. Yup, this is one of those counter-intuitive actions that probably no other reviewer would endeavor but I just want to know. And I’m guessing that you do, too! And rest assured, I will also mount much better cartridges later but for now, please indulge me.
Sequel SP with “Ingenium” TA-1 arm and CA-1 cartridge
Positioned directly below the top-model Acutus, the Sequel SP is a further enhanced version of the Volvere. The power supply has been upgraded both internally and externally and the motor itself is an even heavier 24V DSP-regulated AC version with 140mNm of power versus the Volvere SP’s 55mNm.
The original Volvere that I reviewed years ago used a single belt and an earlier incarnation of the chassis. The current Volvere SP has a twin belt and uses the same chassis as the Sequel.
The Sequel’s top section can easily be lifted and set aside for easy cartridge mounting.
Indeed, when looking at the motor and when lifting the bottom chassis that holds it, one cannot help but be deeply impressed by its heft and stability. A nice bonus feature of the very powerful motor and its advanced control is that the platter starts extremely quickly. Even though the Sequel is a belt-driven turntable, I’d say it is up to speed pretty much as quickly as the aforementioned SL1200 Direct-Drive turntable: about half a turn. Quite impressive, especially given that the Sequel’s platter is considerably heavier!
At some point, after the original Volvere was issued, AVID upgraded the bearings for all their models and implemented the DSP signal generation, originally developed for the Acutus model to reduce vibration and allow fine calibration of motor speed, into all models except for the Ingenium.
The distance between the arm board and the platter surface on the Ingenium (30 mm) is higher than with the Diva and Sequel (26 mm). Thus, in order to make the arm fit on the Sequel with the same vertical tracking angle as with the Ingenium, its pivot point has to be raised by 4mm. Relative to the Ingenium’s mounting, the cartridge’s VTA would be too high on the Sequel, and indeed, when looking at the arm’s position across the LP record, it’s a tiny bit higher on the pivot end. But since the arm has no VTA adjustment I chose to ignore this. Ultimately, given the conical stylus shape, this will likely not be of much consequence. Of course, it is a different matter with more exotic stylus shapes.
Listening
And indeed, rather than hearing a VTA-induced deficiency, I was taken aback by how much the sound improved after swapping the TA-1 arm and CA-1 cartridge from the Ingenium to the Sequel. Of course, we’re talking about a turntable over six times as expensive, but already from the first few bars of music, it was evident that the Sequel provided a sound that was simply better on all accounts. Yet, there was also a family resemblance. The sound was still full-bodied and still both relaxed and solid at the same time, unhurried yet never slow, gently smooth, and still immediately engaging.
What initially sets the Sequel apart is that it is more articulate, more revealing, cleaner, and much more spacious. Especially the midrange is much purer yet somehow still fully natural.
Next, you notice that, although the balance between bass, midrange, and treble is comparable to the Ingenium, the Sequel provides a higher quality across the entire frequency range and it has a more convincing and natural timbre. There is better low-level detail and decays last longer and it all converges into a more realistic sound. Also important to note is that the pacing is now super-stable. There’s never any wavering in its stability and certainly not even a hint of pitch inaccuracy. The Sequel always sounds positive and extremely confident.
Remember, all this is achieved while keeping the same arm and cartridge. Mind you, there is a large camp that advocates spending big on the cartridge first because it is at the very source of the music retrieval, and what is lost there can never be recovered later. And indeed the cartridge, as well as the tonearm, are limiting factors here but at the same time, this test clearly indicates the importance of the chassis. It’s something that I think is frequently underestimated by the public but clearly well understood by AVID.
Interestingly, since the bearing is the same for all three turntables, what remains in terms of differences are the twin belts, the motor, its power supply, and, importantly, the platter. Since the one on the Ingenium is made of MDF while the one on the Sequel is five times as heavy and made from aluminum, my bet is that much of the timbral differences and higher overall accuracy stem from the better platter while the remaining differences stem mainly from the more accurate speed control.
As mentioned, I will of course try other cartridges and also swap the tonearm to see just how great the Sequel is. But for now, the main question on my mind is what would happen when I mounted the same arm and cartridge on the Diva II SP. So, forgive me while I keep indulging myself to go and find out.
Diva with “Ingenium” TA-1 arm and CA-1 cartridge
The Diva II SP is a further enhancement of the Diva II. Although they look very similar, a metal platter is featured rather than the MDF of the standard Diva II, plus a high-quality Tungsten carbide/sapphire bearing assembly taken from more expensive models. Lastly, the SP uses a twin belt drive instead of the original single belt.
Bearing spindle with Tungsten Carbide ball on top.
Bearing outer part with the oil-impregnated bottom section. This bearing will never need any lubrication.
Interestingly, the Diva II SP uses the exact same chassis and bearing as the Sequel and upon a quick glance, one might assume that the only difference is the addition of the lower deck chassis with its spring suspension. This may well be the most distinct difference but a closer inspection unveils that the Diva’s platter is slightly smaller in diameter and it has a smaller motor and a smaller power supply. Still, on balance, I think it is fair to state that the Diva II SP is closer to the Volvere and Sequel than it is to the Ingenium.
Platter with twin belt and mounting aid. After positioning the platter such that the belts are over the motor pulley you rotate it slightly while making sure that the belts are aligned and when they are in place you can remove the aluminum aid.
As with the Sequel, I won’t jump to getting the maximum performance from the Diva right away. First, I want to see what sonic differences are found when moving the TA-1 arm and CA-1 cartridge from the Sequel to the Diva.
Listening
Because the Diva has the exact same distance between the arm board and the platter surface, moving the TA-1 arm was easy as pie. I’ve not heard the original Diva or the Diva II, but after listening to the first track of the first album, it’s clear that the Diva II SP does indeed operate much closer to the Sequel than to the Ingenium, technically, as well as audibly. That’s not too much of a surprise given that so much about it is identical to the Sequel.
The Diva shares what I am by now starting to recognize as the AVID House Sound which is a full tonality with great bass and a gently smooth midrange. But there are two important differences. Dimensionally, the Diva sounds markedly smaller and flatter than the Sequel. Considering that I heard the same, but inverse, when going from the Ingenium to the Sequel, I will assume that the lower deck and spring suspension are largely responsible for this.
Second, and interestingly, the Diva has an even more punchy, planted, and meaty sound than the Sequel. Along with the punchier delivery, the Diva also has shorter, drier, and tighter bass. While all three turntables have great PRaT, the Diva is especially funky. I’m guessing that this is once again a result of it not having a spring suspension.
Differences aside, other similarities include a very similarly natural timbre with similar levels of resolution and transparency, and the tracking, as far as can be discerned using this arm and cartridge combination, is comparable to that of the Sequel.
So far, it’s almost a matter of personal preference with the Diva’s superbly articulate and punchy bass versus the Sequel’s larger and deeper sound and greater sense of flow. Going back to the Sequel, however, forces me to reconsider that statement, for it really is considerably better in every aspect except bass tightness and pacing. The bass may not be as solid and incisive but it does reach deeper. What I notice most is the imaging that is not only deeper and wider but also has the images within it portrayed more precisely. Both aspects are no doubt a function of the beefier motor and more elaborate power supply, coupled with the heavier platter.
Although the Diva definitely sounds dimensionally more compact, what remains is that it does provide the spiciest sound with more bass slam. The Sequel’s nature is just a little bit more relaxed. At this point, with this cartridge and tonearm configuration, I figured that perhaps the Diva would be ideal for those with a healthy appetite for rock music while the Sequel is for those with eclectic collections.
Now that I have compared all three turntables using the same tonearm and cartridge, it is time to step up the game and see what more can be achieved when changing the entry-level CA-1 conical MM cartridge for the much more respectable 700-euro Dynavector 10×5 Shibata High Output MC cartridge.
Hi, Christian!
Could you compare sound of Avid Diva with Thorens Td1601?
Kind regards,
Jurica
Hi Jurica, certainly, this is already on the agenda:-)
Hi Christiaan,
you tried an almost mind-boggling variety of combinations. Thank you! You left out only one: trying the OL Illustrious arm on the Diva or Sequel. I’d be curious how it compares with the Audio Origami. Thanks for always bringing insightful reviews!
It felt as quite mind-boggling at times, for sure, hahaha. Indeed, a comparison with the Illustrious would certainly be interesting. However, that would require some sort of modification by means of an adapter ring since the clearance in the gap underneath the Avid’s arm board is wide not enough to fit the Illustrious arm’s 3.7 cm nut. And even if it would fit, I wouldn’t want to do that with my own arm. The Illustrious is more tweaky than it would seem upon first sight. Now that I have gotten it carefully calibrated to sound just right on the Calypso deck, I don’t want to throw off the settings again. That said, I might still do the comparison at some point in the future when reviewing a new Origin Live tonearm and if I can be supplied with the required adapter ring.
Oh, sorry! I thought the Illustrious was perfectly compatible with Rega armboards. That’s what they say. As far as not wanting to mess with a prefect setup, I agree. I have the same arm…
As far as the geometry of the mounting hole in the Avid’s top adapter plate is concerned, yes, it should be compatible. But it’s not the Rega board that is the issue. The OL nut is too large to fit in the Avid’s relatively narrow integral arm extension cavity (that is below the Rega adapter plate). I would either need a large diameter ring to clamp the arm on the bottom part of the Avid’s extension section or a narrower nut and then it should work just fine.
I see, thank you!
Hi, I know this review is a few months old now but I thought you might be interested in my set up. AVID Ingenium p&p, Aluminium platter, RB880 tonearm and a newly fitted Audio Technica OC9XSH cartridge. This sounds incredible.
Cheers
Darren.
Hi Darren, nice to hear you opted for the Ingenium. Have you listened to the standard MDF version in comparison with the aluminium platter?
Hi Christiaan,
Sorry for the late reply your message went into my junk folder.
My Ingenium came with the MDF platter, it’s not bad to be honest but sounds dead compared to the aluminium one. Timing should be improved as well due to the weight. Not cheap but I’m very pleased with it.
Ah yes, that happens sometimes:-) Thanks for your feedback, sounds like you’re hearing what I suspected and the aluminum platter is indeed a worthy upgrade. Good to know!
Hello Christian,
Thanks for review of the Avid turntable range. I was really curious about your results. I am using a avid ingenium turntable for nearly a year and I wa really impressed by the sound. Before that u used an dial 621 turntable frob th good old seventies, which was fine for listening to music but I always wanted to have a new one and it took some time to find the right player. My local hifi dealer was really impressed by the ingenium and it was the first time hearing from these brand. After purchasing it I started to upgrade the ingenium with the michell tecnoarm II, which was a huge improvement soundwise and for near ky two weeks I have the metal platter spinning on my turntable which was a huge step in musical reproduction, especially in the the midrange the body is thicker and more or stable and the Soundstage is wider and details are much clearer to differentiate. I am using an audio technica vm 95sh and I want to di an upgrade with an Hana ML or with an Nagaoka 500. Which cartridge would you prefer. I am using a perreaux Amplifier with an perreaux vp3 Phono stage?
Hi Christian, between the Nagaoka and the Hana, it is mostly a matter of choosing between pacing, dynamics, and attack (Nagaoka) and smoothness, fluidity, and refinement (Hana). And also, the cart needs to match the tonearm. The Tecnoarm is a modified Rega RB250 and knowing that the Nagaoka works well with the Rega arms, I’d say that is a safe bet, unless you want a more soothing and friendly sound, in which case the Hana might be better.
Hi all! I just bought the Ingenium turntable. I will upgrade to aluminium platter asap. But there is one thing that bothers me, I have a lot of different mats also a brass mat, which is 3mm thick, I cannot find a way to adjust the tonearm height so I can experiment with the mats, some of them I have are even thicker than 3mm. Is there a way to make the adjustment??
The tonearm and turntable offer no means of height adjustment/VTA. But you can insert thicker washers between the tonearm and arm base.
Thank You for your kind answer. Ok, I will try with the washer, although this is not really an optimal solution …
With this tonearm and all entry-level Rega tonearms, that’s the only solution there is. Of course, there are better tonearms with more adjustment features and the Ingenium is well worth the extra expenditure that comes with higher-end tonearms.
With regards to adjusting the tone arm height, look at the Mitchel Engineering VTA. I have it and it very good. Also tone arm is very limited due to the very small hole. I decided upon RB880 and This works very well with the Ingenium. I also have an ATOC9XSH cart and the metal platter. Hope this helps, Darren
Excellent suggestion, Darren! I was not aware this existed for 3-point tonearm fixations.
@Dejan, look at Michell VTA Adjuster 2 or VTA Adjuster 3. I think you will need the latter. Also note that this adjuster raises the tonearm height by a few mm even at its lowest point.
Hi Christiaan,
thanks for your review, all you write sounds really credible and as far as I can say is clearly audible too. I used the Avid Diva II first with a Jelco 250 SA and a Goldring 2500, then I changed the pickup to a Transrotor Uccelo Reference (improved GR 1042) then I bought an Roksan Tabriz Zi and finally a Acoustical Systems FIDELES pickup. Every change was a nice step upward the audiophil ladder. Lately I changed the deck and went to the Avid Diva II SP, this meant to take four or fives step at once. Now the sound is so detailed, vivid, three dimensional and rhytmically precise that I can hardly believe it. Do you think with another tonearm (SME perhaps?) the journey could go even further?
Thanks and best regards
Nice! The AVID’s basis is so good that every step you take reaps benefits. I have no personal experience with Jelco tonearms but I do know that really good arms can cost, well, an arm and a leg. In other words, I’m afraid that you’ll again hear clear improvements as you upgrade the tonearm. However, a more expensive arm is not always better, sometimes, the match is less ideal and you actually go backwards. SME tonearms have a great reputation but you can no longer get one new. Alas, there are too many good arms out there and I’ve heard too few of them for me to make a proper recommendation.
Today, I upgraded my Avid Ingenium with an Van den Hul DTT Special cartridge. The Tonarm I use is a Michell Tecnoarm II and it sounds outstanding. I can highly recommend an upgrade of the Ingenium. I also use the metal platter, which brings big improvements on the overall sound and Imaging.
Even if the Ingenium sounds surprisingly good at the price, I am not a big fan of the MDF platter. As I understand it, the difference between it and the upgrade metal platter is similar to the difference in weight: substantial!
Hey Christiaan, really nice comparison of arms, loved it! Thanks to you I ended up purchasing an Audio Origami PU7 tonearm for my AVID Volvere.
Really impressive bit of kit in combination with the AVID. The Volvere is physically the same TT as the Sequel and therefore I anlso encounter the same issue regarding the headshell rubbing the record clamp on the inner lead out grooves. Except for me the issue doesn’t occur with a few records, instead it happens with nearly all my records.
For alignment I used the Dr Feickert protractor and aligned according to Baerwald.
I was wondering if you ever managed to sort this issue. Maybe this can be fixed with a different kind of clamp? Not sure whether the thread on the AVID spindle is proprietary… maybe the AVID Acutus clamp would leave a bit more room for the headshell….
Your possible knowledge regarding this issue would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Martijn, alas, I did not manage to solve this issue. Finding another clamp might be hard even if you find one with the same thread, because the AVID clamp also pushes the record down at the edges, and you want to precisely reproduce this. I would suggest asking AVID about this, maybe they are willing to supply a clamp with a slightly smaller outer diameter.
Thanks for the advice, will do!