The NAD C588 turntable features a custom-designed carbon fiber tonearm shaft with a fixed metal headshell and an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge for superb tracking and nuanced sound. The turntable also pays strict attention to precision machining, assembly, and testing to reduce spurious vibrations and features a variety of adjustments for optimal alignment.
NAD 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.
The C 588 features a custom-designed carbon fiber tonearm shaft with a fixed metal headshell and features a decoupled counterweight and 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 include a gauge to calibrate the alignment, a rarity at this price point.
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 move relative to one another through mechanical bearing interfaces. If there is any play in these mechanical interfaces musical energy will be lost. This why NAD has paid strict attention to precision machining, assembly, and testing that is so important in a turntable.
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 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 fiber tonearm, were carefully considered to work together to limit and reduce spurious vibration.
