Vertere SG-1/XtraX

Turntable package £44,605

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Hundreds of high-end products have passed through What Hi-Fi?'s test rooms over the years. Given the hefty prices involved, it will come as no surprise to find that the vast majority have been well-made and elaborately engineered. Most look imposing, some even manage to look luxurious, but we can't recall a single one that we would call pretty.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that, but in dimly lit surroundings, the Vertere SG-1's strategically placed LEDs embedded in the sumptuous acrylic plinth is a lovely sight. 'Pretty' seems the best word for it, though you can always turn off the illuminations if you don't like them.

Now, let's not take this too far. Any record player that costs the same as a typical electric car needs more than good looks to justify the outlay. Fortunately for this Vertere Acoustics package, the foundations look rock solid. Its designer (and company founder), Touraj Moghaddam, has been in the turntable game for 40 years, and all that experience shines through in the engineering and design of this package.

RIGIDITY AND LOW RESONANCE

Our review package consists of the SG-1 turntable with Imperium motor drive (£25,305), the Pathfinder tonearm (£13,500) and the XtraX moving-coil cartridge (£5800). It was supplied with Vertere's top-end HB mains cable, which costs a rather hefty £2950 on its own.

The Vertere SG-1 has a layered construction, with each level made from high-grade CNC-machined cast acrylic, a material chosen for its rigidity and low-resonance properties.