The Clearaudio Compass is a ready-to-play turntable built to bring genuine high-end analogue sound within easy reach. The Clearaudio Compass is the result of a development process spanning more than two years, and it arrives fully set up out of the box for listeners who want to experience vinyl rather than spend time tuning a deck before the first record drops.
The Clearaudio Compass’s Precision Bearing and Platter System
Clearaudio concentrated its know-how on what is acoustically relevant for the Clearaudio Compass, building the design around a precise bearing working together with an exactly manufactured platter-sub-platter system. That foundation is paired with the new T1 tonearm, giving the deck a tracking arm developed specifically for this model rather than an off-the-shelf design borrowed from elsewhere in the range.
Simple Operation, Purist Design
Despite its high-end ambitions, the Clearaudio Compass is designed around simplicity of use. An intuitive toggle switch on the underside activates the desired speed between 33⅓ and 45 rpm, while the tonearm is lowered gently via a precision-turned aluminium cueing lever. Height-adjustable feet with integrated decoupling help the Clearaudio Compass sit level and keep external vibration away from the cartridge.
Handmade in Erlangen
Every Clearaudio Compass is manufactured by hand at the brand’s own facility in Erlangen, Germany, using precision-machined components and selected materials chosen for long-term durability. The plinth is built from medium-density fibreboard and is available in black or silver, with a massive steel plate on the underside adding stability and supporting low-resonance playback. That combination of purist elegance and technical sophistication is intended to make the Clearaudio Compass as much a design object as a piece of audio equipment.
An Entry Point Into a Wider Analogue Range
Within Clearaudio’s own catalogue, the Compass sits as an accessible entry point below turntables such as the Concept MC covered previously on this site, letting the brand extend its ready-to-play philosophy to a lower price bracket without compromising on the bearing and platter engineering that defines its higher models. For listeners stepping into vinyl for the first time, the Clearaudio Compass offers a way in that still carries clearaudio’s “handmade in Germany” credentials.
Pricing and availability
Clearaudio has not published a retail price for the Compass on its international site; buyers should check with an authorised Clearaudio dealer for current pricing and availability in their region. The turntable is sold in black and silver finishes with the acrylic dust cover included as standard.
Key specifications
- Type: ready-to-play turntable with new T1 tonearm
- Speeds: 33⅓ and 45 rpm via underside toggle switch
- Weight: approximately 8.4 kg
- Dimensions: 435mm wide, 340mm deep, 120mm high
- Plinth material/colour: medium-density fibreboard, silver or black
- Base: massive steel plate for stability and low resonance
- Cover: high-quality acrylic dust cover with stainless steel hinges
- Feet: height-adjustable with integrated decoupling
Related reading: ClearAudio Concept MC And Concept MC Signature, another ready-to-play turntable from the same manufactory in Erlangen.
