The Vienna show was an opportunity for Acoustic Signature to celebrate its 30th anniversary with two new models. The first of these is a new entry-level turntable, the Merlin NEO, the only one in the lineup to be sold exclusively as a bundle with the TA-500 NEO tonearm.
While we go into detail about the Double X in VUmètre No. 66 FR, this article is an opportunity to discuss the brand’s new entry-level model. As soon as it arrives in France, we’ll give it a listen to determine whether we’ll approve it for a second review on Acoustic Signature, or if we’d rather start by telling you about a more established turntable like the Hurricane or the Typhoon -from which the Merlin borrows some of its technologies.
While the Merlin NEO is designed to make the German brand more affordable, it incorporates the key technologies found on all the brand’s other turntables, including the DTD (Duraturn Diamond Bearing) bearing and the CLD (Constrained Layer Damping) aluminum anti-resonance damping system, complemented by AVC vibration control.
The externally mounted, digitally controlled motor operates at 33.33 and 45 rpm; its decoupling prevents any transmission of mechanical vibration from the motor to the main chassis -except, of course, to the platter via the thin belt connecting it to the platter. And while the platter doesn’t weigh the 10 kg (20 Ils) of a Double X, it does weigh 5.8 kg (12.8 Ibs) -the same as the Maximus’s- and is also made of anodized aluminum with a layer of bitumen on the underside.
For this first Acoustic Signature model sold exclusively as a package, the Merlin NEO is paired with the excellent TA-500 NEO tonearm -the top model in the line- which is already perfectly suited to minimizing vibrations thanks to the ultra-rigid structure of its tube. The cable connected to it is an Audioquest Golden Gate, featuring RCA connectors so it can be plugged into any phono preamp.
Available for order now, the Merlin NEO is sold with the tonearm but without a cartridge, in a silver or black finish, for 3 998 €.