Vertere DG-1S Turntable: The Death Star Is Approaching

Vertere Acoustics have pulled back the curtains on an updated version of their award-winning Vertere DG-1S Turntable and the changes are not superficial; the unique design turned a lot of heads and raised some interesting questions about the suspension and tonearm when it was first introduced. The new changes are designed to take this turntable to another level of performance.

Touraj Moghaddam, CEO and Founder, has a long track record of innovation in the turntable category going back to the Roksan Xerxes, and there is a lot going on with the DG-1S that is definitely not conventional.

The job of a record player is very simple and very linear,” explained Touraj Moghaddam, “the most accurate measurement of something going past the stylus and throwing it from side to side over 1000 times every centimetre.”

The improvements to the Vertere DG-1S are designed to deliver higher resolution replay, greater dynamic contrasts, and improved stereo separation with greater precision while simultaneously keeping the musicality that the original DG-1 delivered.

Having had the opportunity to listen to the original Vertere DG-1 in two separate high-end audio stores in London, I was immediately impressed by the innovative tonearm that provides a very stable and adaptable platform for cartridges.

The choice of cartridge had me slightly perplexed; the DG-1 was sold with a rebadged Audio-Technica AT-VM520EB in a different body, and it felt like a rather inexpensive stock cartridge for such an expensive turntable.

You can certainly use a wide range of cartridges on the DG-1S and that is one of the benefits of the tonearm design.

The DG-1 is a lightweight design that delivers the presence and impact of a higher mass turntable like a VPI; just without a dense MDF plinth and 2-inch aluminum platter. It had an excellent sense of flow and detail and it felt rather obvious that the cartridge was holding the overall sound quality back.

The DG-1 excelled in the low end and I was surprised that such a thin deck could compete with much more expensive designs in that regard. The industrial design is truly unique, but the sonic performance is the real star of the show.

The Vertere DG-1S will launch in September with the original Magneto cartridge for $4,995 USD; an increase of almost $1,000 over the original turntable when it was released over 3 years ago.

Upon closer inspection, the tonearm is actually more robust than the original design and we suspect that it works better now with a wider range of cartridges.

The design of the platter is also rather interesting; the markings help with cartridge alignment which is a rather clever touch.

One thing I still don’t like is the placement of the speed button which is far too close to the belt; it seems odd that it can’t be moved even a few centimeters from the button. Odd.

If you are in the market for a Rega Planar 8 or Planar 10, the DG-1S should most certainly be on your audition list. We hope to get a review sample in October and will share our thoughts when we do.

DG-1S Features

• Advanced, improved, microprocessor-generated electronic motor drive for the best possible drive
• Fully Programmable and Copper/Stainless Steel shielded Motor Drive PCB – allowing for future upgrades
• Low voltage 24 Pole Precision Synchronous Motor, with its dedicated motor drive supply precisely adjusted for lowest motor noise and vibration
• Improved super-accuracy polished stainless steel, high aspect ratio, main bearing spindle and main bearing housing with Tungsten Carbide super-precision Ball
• High precision CNC machined aluminium alloy drive pulley
• High Precision Machined Aluminium Alloy Platter with bonded PETG Record Interface Mat and Cork/Neoprene/Nitrile bonded underside plus resonance control disk
• Noiseless and Stiction eliminating Thread Tonearm Bearings, each made up of hundreds of 3 microns thick twined Nylon 6.6/6 strands horizontal and two Kevlar threads vertical
• Twin Bonded five-layer Polymer sandwich non-resonant Tonearm Beam
• One piece, Gold Plated Flexible PCB Tonearm Internal Wiring
• Stainless Steel Main Balancing Counterweight and Tracking Adjustment Weight with azimuth adjustment
• Three new design adjustable feet with Resistive Felt Pads
• Non-resonant, triple sandwich Cast Acrylic Main and Sub Plinth structure with improved intercoupling and coupling to the steel main-chassis for rigidity and structural support
• Low frequency compliant, Tuned Silicone rubber integrated isolation system
• Bespoke clear precision silicone rubber round ‘belt’ – stable with temperature and humidity
• Non-resonant clear Polycarbonate dust cover with elegant Integrated hinges

The Skinny

Improved platter bearing – The precision machining and polishing operations have a higher tolerance with the variation halved statistically. The super smooth finish bore with the precision Tungsten Carbide interference fit ball delivers lower noise, lower rumble, a lower effort for the motor and less rotational variability.

Groove Runner S tonearm – The arm beam is now constructed from a five-layer polymer laminate bonded to a second five-layer polymer laminate. The PCB flex signal carrier is bonded in-between the two laminates. The profile of the arm and bearing has improved the counterweight/bearing/headshell/cartridge alignment.

Improved tonearm bearings – The Vertical Kevlar thread bearing is now adjustable for tension and azimuth. The Horizontal nylon thread bearing is now fitted with greater precision to ensure even greater consistency.

New Motor Drive software allows separate adjustment in two steps, initially the sine wave voltage and then the cosine wave adjustment at the final stage for the absolute lowest noise and vibration. Improved coupling between the three plinths – improves resistive damping and reduces noise

For more information: vertereacoustics.com/dg1-s