About The NAD C 588 Turntable
NAD's is well known for innovative, high performance, yet affordable, turntables. While the basic operation of a turntable seems simple, extracting all the musical energy from the record grooves without exciting destructive resonances requires both science and art. Let's take a closer look at each of the elements of the C 588 with an explanation of the choices NAD made.
Electronic Speed Control: Having exact pitch (speed) is important, but human hearing is much more sensitive to momentary changes in speed which we express with the terms Wow and Flutter. As its name sounds, Wow is a slow cyclical speed variation. The most severe example is the sound of a severely warped record, where the stylus travels faster on the rising side of the warp and slower on the descending side, causing abrupt changes in musical pitch. Flutter is what we call very fast and small variations that are usually generated by the motor. The C 588 addresses both of these problems with proven and effective solutions. A specialized, high precision, synchronous clock motor is both very smooth and accurate, especially when driven from a stable AC voltage. To ensure a clean and stable AC voltage NAD isolate the AC Mains by first converting it to a clean DC voltage, and then electronically generating the precise AC frequency to regulate the synchronous motor. Using a specially formulated belt to drive the platter further filters and isolates any remaining vibration. All rotating parts are made from aluminium alloy machined to very tight tolerances to eliminate any eccentricity or vibration in the drive system.
Tonearm & Cartridge: The C 588 tonearm features a custom designed carbon fibre tonearm shaft with a fixed metal head shell and a decoupled counterweight with magnetic anti-skate compensation. An Ortofon 2M Red cartridge is factory installed and offers superb tracking and a delicately nuanced full range sound. The C 588 uses a longer than usual 9" tonearm to optimize overhang and reduce the tracking angle error. To perfectly align the stylus NAD include adjustments for azimuth and vertical tracking angle, and there is a gauge to calibrate the alignment, a rarity at this price point.
Closing The Triangle: To fully realize the micro-dynamics of music requires a very tight mechanical coupling of the platter and the tonearm. This forms a triangle, as vibrations can travel from record being played, to the platter, through the shaft and bearing to the base (plinth), up the arm mount through the arm pivot and down the arm to the cartridge and stylus. There are many separate parts in this path and some of them are required to move relative to one another through mechanical bearing interfaces. If there is any play in these mechanical interfaces musical energy will be lost. This is why NAD has paid strict attention to precision machining, assembly, and testing that is so important in a turntable.
Resonance Control & Isolation: Reducing all spurious vibrations to a minimum is critical to getting the best result when playing vinyl. Since these vibrations can come from various sources, both internal and external, the materials and dimensions must all be carefully calculated to reduce and balance all the resonances to prevent a build up of energy at particular frequencies. To isolate external vibrations from the loudspeakers or footfalls bouncing the floor, NAD use a massive MDF base with specially tuned vibration damping feet, along with a thick non-resonant dust cover. The choice of glass platter, felt pad, MDF base, and carbon fibre tonearm, were carefully considered to work together to limit and reduce spurious vibration.
Our Take On The NAD C 588 Turntable
They say a great chef can make delicious food from very basic ingredients, while a cook without training can make a mess of even the finest and most exotic ingredients. NAD is a Five Star Chef in the audio world, designing award winning products for more than 45 years now. We think the C 588 hits a sweet spot for performance and value by using very simple high quality parts and precisely engineering them to work together in perfect harmony. This results in a feast for the ears that will last for years and bring new life to your existing record collection while preserving it for the future.
Main Features & Specifications
- Belt Driven Turntable 33/45
- 10mm Glass Plater with Felt Pad
- Precision Alloy Sub Platter
- Precision AC Motor
- Isolated AC Power Supply with Universal Voltage
- 9" Carbon Fibre Tonearm with Fixed Head Shell
- Ortofon 2M Red Cartridge Preinstalled
- Vertical Tracking Angle and Azimuth Adjustment
- Rigid MDF Plinth
- Metal Feet with Tuned Isolation
- Low Resonance Dustcover
- Detachable High Quality RCA Cable with separate Ground
Technical
- Speeds: 33⅓/45 rpm, manual speed change (78 rpm possible with special pulley)
- Speed Variance: 33 rpm: < ± 0.35 %, 45 rpm: < ± 0.30 %
- Wow & Flutter: 33 rpm: < ± 0.12 %, 45 rpm: < ± 0.11 %
- Signal To Noise: - 70 dB
- Power Supply: Universal switch mode power supply, 15 V DC/0,8 A, 100-240 V AC, 47 - 63Hz
- Power Consumption: 5 W max/ 0.3W standby
Tonearm
- 9" Carbon Fibre Tonearm with Fixed Head Shell
- Downforce Range: 0 - 3.0 grams (0 - 30 mN)
- Supplied Counterweight System: Counterweight for cartridges: 6 - 13 g
- Effective Tonearm Mass: 9.5 g
- Effective Tonearm Length: 230 mm
- Overhang: 18 mm
Ortofon 2M Red Cartridge
- Frequency Range: 20-22.000Hz
- Channel Separation: 22dB/1kHz
- Output Voltage: 5.5 mV
- Recommended Load Impedance: 47 kOhms/Amplifier connection: MM-input
- Compliance/Stylus Type: 20µm/mN – elliptical
- Recommended Tracking Force: 1.8 grams (18 mN)
- Weight: 7.2g
General
- In The Box: Packed with your C 588 you will find
- Switch mode power supply (SMPS) with interchangeable plugs
- Counterweight
- Audio cable connector (RCA-to-RCA lead)
- Single adaptor (for single LP's)
- Allen keys 1.5mm and 2mm for possible setting of the tonearm
- Stylus pressure gauge
- Plastic tool for tonearm bearings
- Paper cartridge alignment tool with two null points
- Black felt mat for the platter
- White cotton gloves
- Finish: Black
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 435 x 125 x 340 mm (Lid Closed)
- Shipping Weight: 9.2 kg
- Manufacturer's Warranty: 2 Years
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE