Clearaudio Celebrity Al Di Meola Edition Review
Does the Clearaudio Celebrity Al Di Meola Edition combine innovative guitar-shaped design with the typically excellent Clearaudio sound quality and user-friendliness? Find out what this unique turntable can really do.
At HIGH END 2024 in Munich, we already got to admire it: the Celebrity Al Di Meola Edition turntable from Clearaudio. The idea for this turntable actually emerged a year earlier, at HIGH END 2023 in Munich. At that time, Al Di Meola was the brand ambassador of the world’s largest audio fair. The folks at Clearaudio got to know the jazz guitarist in person, and they decided to start a joint project. Thus, the idea for the Celebrity Al Di Meola turntable was born. Since the musician’s trademark is his guitar, it was obvious that the turntable should also adopt the shape of an electric guitar.
In May of this year, the Clearaudio Celebrity Al Di Meola was then presented at the fair, and it was one of the turntable highlights in Munich. There are only 1,000 pieces of this special turntable worldwide. Naturally, each model carries a corresponding plaque showing which limited edition of the 1,000-piece series you managed to snag. Our test unit is number 21.
Turntable in a guitar shape
The Clearaudio Celebrity Al Di Meola’s fundamental feature is the guitar-shaped chassis. It almost looks like we just need to attach a neck, string it up, and we’d be ready to jam. This visual impression is reinforced by the speed control, which resembles the volume knob of an electric guitar.
If you don’t like the genuine rosewood veneer with the white edges, you can also choose a more classic color variant. The Clearaudio Celebrity Al Di Meola is also available in high-gloss black. The white edges can be found here as well. We find both color combinations exceptionally attractive.
Deciding which one is more appealing – we cannot do that. By the way, the Clearaudio reminds us directly of the idea behind the MoFi Fender PrecisionDeck turntable.
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This special edition appeared with the original paint design of the legendary Fender bass guitars in sunburst style.
However, that had a classic rectangular turntable look and not, as implemented here, the stylishly curved shape of an electric guitar.
Installation
As an experienced turntable manufacturer, Clearaudio knows that setting up a record player can quickly present beginners with obstacles that seem insurmountable. That’s why the Erlangen-based company designed the Celebrity Al Di Meola to be easy to assemble. Almost everything is already adjusted, and we only have to perform a few simple installation steps. This includes attaching the feet and installing the belt. Please don’t forget: first stretch the belt over the sub-platter and motor pulley, then guide the belt around the tachometer axle. If you forget the tachometer, the platter spins at a wildly high speed. The tachometer continuously monitors the system’s RPM, ensuring no speed fluctuations occur.
Next, we place the platter on top, which is made of heavy plastic.
The feet of the Celebrity Al Di Meola must then be adjusted so that it is level. Clearaudio includes a bubble level for this. After turning the counterweight at the end of the tonearm, we set the tracking force of the cartridge. This is 2 grams, or 20 millinewtons. Since not everyone has a suitable scale at home, Clearaudio came up with something clever. In the package, we find a pivoting scale. We place it under the cartridge and let it lower onto it. If the pivoting scale neither tips forward nor backward, the correct tracking force is set.
The azimuth of the headshell and the anti-skating are already factory-set. That should all be correct. If not, Clearaudio explicitly recommends consulting a professional instead of tinkering with the turntable on your own. The friendly Clearaudio colleagues at the service hotline will be happy to help if needed.
Features
We already mentioned the tachometer or Tacho Speed Control (TSC), which monitors the platter speed in real time. Not only that: it also recalibrates the speed each time you power it on. Clearaudio wants to ensure that the revolutions per minute are always correct. Interestingly, we can also trigger the calibration ourselves. To do so, simply use the tip of a pen to press into the small recess on the rear of the turntable next to the power button, labeled “Calibrate.” Then wait 5 seconds, and the turntable recalibrates. This can take up to 10 minutes. If, during calibration, the two LEDs of the speed display flash green and red frantically, then you forgot to guide the belt over the tachometer – just so you know.
Another feature is, of course, the speed or standby switch. It looks like an electric guitar’s volume knob. That’s pretty cool. Pressing it once wakes the turntable from standby and gets it spinning at 33 1/3 revolutions per minute. This is indicated by the green LED marked 33. Pressing it again increases speed to 45 RPM, and pressing it once more returns it to standby.
You can also switch to standby by pressing the knob for a longer time.
We find it a bit confusing that Clearaudio’s own website mentions that the switch can also be used to calibrate speed. It is said that you can turn it in calibration mode to adjust the speed. However, thanks to the TSC, the calibration mode appears to run automatically. We have not found a manual mode.
The motor has been decoupled by the Innovative Motor Suspension (IMS) to minimize vibrations and unwanted interference. This technology ensures that no vibrations are transferred to the chassis, guaranteeing clear and uncolored sound.
Furthermore, the bearing consists of a polished and hardened steel axle running in a bronze bushing and resting on a Teflon thrust pad. The platter is 30 mm thick and made of high-density, dimensionally stable engineering plastics. Together with the CNC-precision-machined aluminum sub-platter, this is intended to provide exceptional smoothness and stability.
Clearaudio also reveals that with a wow and flutter of less than ± 0.05%, the Celebrity Al Di Meola turntable ranks among the most precise devices on the market.
Cartridge
The Clearaudio Celebrity Al Di Meola uses the in-house Celebrity MM cartridge, which was developed specifically for this special edition and reminds us of the Clearaudio Performer V2. It’s a high-quality MM system that stands out for its precise sound reproduction and robust construction. The total system mass is 14.3 g (± 0.2 g), and its frequency response covers 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The output voltage is about 3.6 mV at 1 kHz and 5 cm/s, ensuring good compatibility with most phono preamps. With a channel separation of 24 dB at 1 kHz and a channel balance of only 0.8 dB, the Clearaudio Celebrity MM should offer impressive stereo imaging and detail.
The tracking ability is 80 µm, which indicates very detailed playback of the record grooves. The cartridge also has a coil impedance of 0.66 kΩ and a coil inductance of 400 mH. The ideal values for load resistance are 47 kΩ and for capacitive load 100 pF, which are standard values for MM phono preamps.
The Celebrity MM’s cantilever is made of aluminum and features an elliptical diamond cut. This should guarantee precise groove tracking. The stylus compliance is 15 µ/mN. The cartridge body is made of anodized aluminum, giving it not only high durability but also an elegant appearance.
Sound Quality
As befits a turntable named Celebrity Al Di Meola, the device includes an Al Di Meola record. It’s the 1977 album “Elegant Gypsy.” It’s the guitar virtuoso’s second studio album, and with over 2 million copies sold, it’s his most commercially successful. Unfortunately, it’s not at all to this tester’s taste – too wild and turbulent – but it does demonstrate just how virtuously Al Di Meola masters the guitar. The turntable makes the red vinyl shine acoustically.
The guitar hits and rhythms ring out lively, punchy, and clear. The stereo image is harmoniously structured, and a pleasantly wide soundstage develops. Meanwhile, the speed stability is beyond doubt. The Clearaudio is also a master of smooth operation. Absolutely no motor noise interferes with the vinyl playback. On the nearly 60-year-old GDR album “Bald nun ist Weihnachtszeit,” the Celebrity MM glides securely through the groove and conjures a balanced sound. Even the many scratches on the heavily played record hardly bother it.
On Gregory Porter’s album “Take Me To The Alley,” the singer’s voice is finely drawn without being overemphasized, and the low frequencies sound warm and full. The bass has a really pleasant punch.
We also play our album of the month, Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.” Right on the first track “In The Flesh?” we hear how masterfully the turntable handles rocking guitars, and Roger Waters’ voice, with its broad, soft echo, floats around us in stereo sound, inviting us to listen to the entire concept album. We should not forget how well individual instruments and soundscapes can be localized, despite the wealth of tones and sounds. Here, you can see that the MM cartridge truly delivers.
The overall performance of the Celebrity Al Di Meola is very balanced, and we would describe it as a true all-rounder. Certainly, the sound of the MM cartridge doesn’t reach the heights and transparency of the new Rega cartridges (test from page 68), but we won’t hold that against the Clearaudio. After all, this is about the overall concept of design, function, and sound – and it works. With this, Clearaudio has created an exceptional turntable that performs almost as masterfully as Al Di Meola himself and will not only excite fans of its namesake “godfather!”
Conclusion
The Clearaudio Celebrity Al Di Meola Edition turntable impresses with its unique guitar-shaped design that superbly combines user-friendliness and sound quality. Thanks to its simple installation, it’s also suitable for beginners, while high-quality components like the Celebrity MM cartridge deliver precise and balanced audio experiences. The Tacho Speed Control ensures a constant rotational speed. Although the MM cartridge’s sound does not reach the absolute highest transparency, the turntable offers a harmonious overall package that particularly appeals to jazz enthusiasts and fans of Al Di Meola—though not exclusively!
Special Features
- Unique design
- Tacho Speed Control
Advantages
- Easy installation
- Very good sound quality
- Excellent speed consistency and motor quietness
Disadvantages
– Relatively high purchase price
Equipment
- Device Class: Turntable
- Price Category: High-end range
- Manufacturer: Clearaudio
- Model: Celebrity Al Di Meola Edition
- Price: $3950
- Dimensions (B/H/T): 46 × 14 × 36 cm
- Weight: 10 kg
- Information: www.clearaudio.com
Technical Data
- Cartridge: Celebrity MM
- Motor: AC motor
- Drive: Belt
- Control: Manual
- Connections: RCA (Cinch)
- Built-in Phono Preamp: No
- Built-in DAC: No
- Bluetooth: No
Ratings
- Playback Quality: 56/60 → ~9.3/10
- Features/Finish: 14/15 → ~9.3/10
- User-Friendliness: 13/15 → ~8.7/10
- Adjustments: None
- Interim Score: 83 out of 90 points → ~9.2/10
- Price/Performance: Very good → 9/10
- Overall Result: Excellent, 92% → ~9.2/10
Brand new Limited Clearaudio Celebrity “Al Di Meola” Edition turntable!
Brand new Limited Clearaudio Celebrity “Al Di Meola” Edition turntable! We visited Clearaudio at the Vienna Finest Audio Show ...
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