Analog Gear News

AVID turntable fans — and avid turntable fans as well, for that matter — will all be interested to learn about this new model. Meet the Relveo, which marks the English manufacturer’s first all-new turntable design in 12 years, and one that’s also intended to help commemorate AVID’s 30th anniversary year.

Created to be a more user-friendly model above their entry-level offerings, the Relveo lands in the middle of AVID’s Master Series lineup and just below the Flagship Series, according to a recent press release. Another factor was “the need to streamline our product range, making the upgrade path and budgeting process clearer for customers,” according to AVID founder, owner, and CEO, Conrad Mas.

The new Relveo table’s design incorporates a high-mass aluminum platter that’s machined in-house. “The Relveo consists of a two-part design with a subplatter, and the two components are joined using modal coupling, a technique that effectively damps resonances across both parts to deliver superior vibration control and sonic performance,” Mas shared with me via an email exchange we had for the specific purposes of this AP story.

Some company background now. Based in Cambridgeshire, England, AVID continue to engineer and hand-make their turntables in-house, just as they’ve done since 1995. They also CNC-machine their own metal parts to micron-level tolerances for precise turntable assembly and operation. Arguably, AVID are best known for their turntables and tonearms — but they also make products across other hi-fi categories including cartridges, amplification, loudspeakers, equipment stands, cables, and accessories.

Back to more table talk! The Relveo’s twin belt-drive design is also said to simplify setup for a range of end users, as AVID shared in a recent press release for the model. The table ships with an outboard DSP-controlled power supply.

The Relveo is available either with or without the AVID Altus 2 tonearm that uses AVID’s recently introduced “dual adjustable bias compensation system,” as the company calls it. As the arm moves across a record’s surface during playback, less force is needed in the middle part of that record to maintain the proper geometry compared to its tracking in the outer-most and inner-most sections. “With our unique dual-bias system, it is now possible to adjust the bias independently for both the outer and inner grooves,” Mas explained to AP. “As the tonearm moves from the outer to the inner grooves, the compensation transitions smoothly between the two settings, resulting in a natural and gradual reduction in bias force where it is needed least.”

The Relveo’s sapphire bearing is part of an inverted design that uses “a single captive contact point, eliminating lateral movement and the rumble noise typically associated with conventional flat-disc thrust bearings,” Mas continued. “This design also prevents micro-wobble of the platter.” Results are reported to include minimized vibration and a lowered noise floor.

The official press release further noted the AVID Relveo table is now available “from AVID’s global retailer network,” and that consumers can purchase theirs from authorized AVID dealers. Relative to that statement, we’ve also learned that AVID recently decided to partner with Playback Distribution to handle AVID’s products and presence at hi-fi dealerships in North America.

The SRP options for the AVID Relveo turntable are as follows: 1) $10,995 with the Altus V2 tonearm, or 2) $8,995 “bare,” i.e., without the tonearm. Note that the Relveo turntable ships without a cartridge, so users can select their cart according to their own preferences and budget options.

For more about AVID, go here.
To find an authorized AVID dealer, go here.