Spin Doctor

Follow-Up (from July 2024, Vol.47 No.7)

In Spin Doctor 13, I said that the Acoustic Signature Verona NEO turntable doesn't come with a record weight—or anyway that my review sample didn't. I pressed the excellent Ultra Carbon TC-40 weight from Poland into service in its place. Well, when I went to pack up the Verona to return it, I found a record weight in the box. In my haste and excitement to get the Verona set up and playing, I somehow managed to miss it. Imagine my red face at the AXPONA show when I tried to explain to Acoustic Signature sales manager Robert Hagemann why his beautiful Load S record weight didn't make it into the review. He passed the weight back to me. I promised a follow-up.

At 715gm (1.6lb), the Load S has about ¾ of the heft of the TC-40, which is pretty surprising considering it's made from aluminum alloy rather than the TC-40's steel. The Load S uses five of Acoustic Signature's highly effective silencer dampers to control resonance. Last year, Acoustic Signature head honcho Gunther Frohnhöfer demonstrated their effectiveness to me using two identical platters, one with the dampers removed—that platter rang like a bell when you tapped it—and another with the dampers installed; when tapped, that one felt like it was made from concrete.

While the Load S relies mostly on gravity to apply pressure to the record surface, it also has a collet-type spindle hole that you can tighten by twisting the upper half. In use, I found that tightening the weight made it difficult to remove from the platter, even after releasing the collet, but I expect this will loosen up with repeated use. Sonically, the results were quite similar to the TC-40: Under the right conditions, there is a small but repeatable improvement in resolution and low-level detail with the record weight in place. It arrives beautifully presented in a high gloss painted case, as it should given its not insignificant cost: $749 to $899, depending on the finish.