VERTERE DG X

The Vertere DG X is, in fact, a turntable package made up of the DG X record player, Groove Runner X tonearm, Sabre Lite moving-magnet cartridge and DC2 Challenger power supply.

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The entire thing arrives fitted, adjusted and ready to go – but don't confuse the simple, almost plug-and-play nature of the DG X with a lack of seriousness. This Vertere device is a high-end turntable in every respect, just one that doesn't (unlike a lot of competing designs) make you jump through hoops in order to find this out.

Technical highlights and original thinking are everywhere with this thing. The turntable itself uses brass alloy and tungsten carbide along with aluminium alloy to create its drive and rotational systems; they're embedded in an unusually shaped plinth made of three layers of acrylic arranged in a non-resonant sandwich. Naturally Vertere has included some internal illumination to make your turntable glow gently. And the platter is topped by a cork/neoprene/nitrile mat that the manufacturer is adamant will have a positive effect on sound.

Safe from arm

The Groove Runner X tonearm is a weird flat shape to minimise resonance peaks, and is made of two bonded lengths of five-layer polymer. It's tri-point articulated (so it feels quite wobbly) and has updated mechanisms.

That Sabre Lite cartridge is designed to offer a lot of the performance of the ultra-pricey Sabre MM model. Of course it's optimised in every respect to be the perfect partner to the arm and the turntable. And until recently, the DC2 Challenger power supply was an expensive option; now Vertere is bundling it with the DG X package.

The result of all this is a record player that sounds about as complete and absorbing as anything like this sort of money can buy. Frequency response is even from top to bottom, and tonality is well judged: it seems happy to get out of the way of recordings and let them express their sound in the most natural and unforced way. It's beautifully balanced in this respect.