A complete Clearaudio front end: the three-speed Performance DC AiR turntable with the carbon-fiber Tracer tonearm.
The Performance DC AiR is Clearaudio's three-speed belt-drive table for listeners who want a serious analog front end without the size of the Innovation. Its AiR coreless DC motor is decoupled from the plinth and drives an aluminum sub-platter by flat belt. Above that sits a 40 mm (1.57 in) POM platter with a weighted rim, riding on Clearaudio's patented CMB bearing: an inverted design with a polished ceramic shaft in a sintered bronze bushing and a magnetically levitated upper half. The resonance-optimized body is a sandwich of compressed wood between two aluminum plates. The Tracer tonearm uses a sapphire horizontal bearing and a ball-bearing vertical axis, a stiff, light carbon armtube and an underslung counterweight that lowers the center of gravity. An aluminum headshell makes azimuth easy to set, and the anti-skate dial is within easy reach.
Tracking Angle spent several months with exactly this table and arm and found speed stability, vibration control and arm resonance all excellent, and the reviewer was reluctant to send it back. At about 10 g effective mass, the Tracer suits medium-compliance moving coils and many moving magnets. The arm comes hardwired with Clearaudio's Sixstream cable and RCA plugs, so setup is simple. Ask us which cartridge suits your phono stage.
| Drive | Flat belt, decoupled AiR coreless DC motor |
| Speeds | 33⅓, 45 and 78 rpm |
| Speed accuracy | ±0.05% |
| Platter | 40 mm (1.57 in) POM with weighted rim, aluminum sub-platter |
| Bearing | Clearaudio CMB ceramic magnetic bearing, inverted, ceramic shaft in sintered bronze bushing |
| Chassis | Compressed wood sandwiched between aluminum plates |
| Tonearm | Clearaudio Tracer, included: 9.4 in (239.12 mm) effective length, 222 mm mounting distance |
| Tonearm effective mass | About 10 g (Tracking Angle) |
| Tonearm bearings | Sapphire horizontal, ball-bearing vertical |
| Cartridge weight range | 3.5–17 g |
| Tonearm cable | 1.1 m Sixstream, RCA, hardwired |
| Dimensions (W × D × H) | 16.5 × 13.0 × 4.9 in (420 × 330 × 125 mm) without tonearm |
| Weight | 24.3 lb (11 kg) |
| Warranty | 5 years (Clearaudio) |
Pearl Audio is an authorized Clearaudio dealer. Call or visit our Portland showroom to talk about matching a turntable to your system.
