Clearaudio has introduced two upgraded external power supplies intended to refine the electrical foundation of selected turntables in its range. The Professional Power 12V is designed for the German manufacturer’s Concept and Performance DC turntables, while the Professional Power 24V succeeds the previous supply for Innovation and Ovation models.
Both are transformer-based, stabilised designs housed in aluminium and positioned below Clearaudio’s flagship Smart Power range. They can be specified with a new compatible Clearaudio turntable or bought as an upgrade by existing owners, with black and silver finishes available.
That may sound like a comparatively modest change next to a new cartridge, tonearm or phonostage, but a turntable’s power supply has a direct job: it provides the energy used by the motor to maintain platter speed. In a belt-drive design especially, stable motor behaviour is one part of the wider system that determines whether the platter rotates smoothly and consistently. Clearaudio says its new supplies use professional-grade components, improved filtering and greater headroom to deliver cleaner power and smoother motor performance.
Why a turntable power supply can matter
A turntable motor does not operate in isolation. It is supplied from a power circuit, mechanically connected to the platter through a belt or drive system, and located close to a highly sensitive cartridge generating a tiny electrical signal. Any upgrade that addresses the motor supply must therefore be judged in terms of both electrical stability and mechanical noise control.
In simple terms, a stabilised supply is intended to maintain a more consistent output voltage despite normal changes in incoming mains power or demand from the connected circuit. Filtering is used to reduce unwanted noise carried by, or generated within, the supply. The stated additional headroom refers to the power supply’s ability to accommodate demand without being pushed as close to its limits.
For a turntable, the practical aim is not more motor power in the conventional amplifier sense. Rather, it is controlled, stable motor operation. Variations in rotational speed can affect pitch and timing, while vibration associated with a motor or its power arrangement can potentially find a route into the deck’s chassis, bearing, platter or cartridge environment. The degree to which a supply upgrade changes the end result will depend on the particular turntable, its existing motor-control arrangement, setup and the rest of the analogue system.
Clearaudio describes the Professional Power units as significant improvements over the standard power supplies supplied with its turntables, and says the resulting sound-quality gains are significant. Those are the manufacturer’s claims; no independent listening or measurement results have been supplied with this announcement.
Mechanically optimised transformer design
The two Professional Power models use a mechanically optimised transformer. This is an important point in an analogue product category, where mechanical interference is as relevant as electrical noise. Transformers can themselves vibrate minutely in operation, depending on their design, mounting and the quality of the incoming mains supply. In a turntable system, the goal is to prevent such vibration from being transferred into the component that is tasked with extracting information from a record groove.
Clearaudio says the new transformer arrangement ensures that no mechanical interference is transmitted. The supplies are external rather than built into the turntable plinth, which also separates the mains transformer and its associated electromagnetic field from the cartridge, tonearm and platter assembly. External power supplies are a familiar approach in high-end record players for this reason: they allow potentially noisy power-related components to be physically moved away from the sensitive signal-generating parts of the deck.
It is worth distinguishing this from a universal upgrade. These are voltage-specific supplies made for particular Clearaudio families, not generic accessories to be connected to any turntable with a matching-looking socket. Correct voltage, connector wiring, current capability and compatibility with the deck’s motor electronics all matter. Owners should use the model specified for their turntable rather than assuming that the 24V unit is inherently a performance step above the 12V version; the voltage designation reflects the requirements of the relevant turntable platform.
Professional Power 12V: for Concept and Performance DC
The Professional Power 12V is intended for Clearaudio’s Concept and Performance DC turntables. These models occupy different places in the company’s record-player line-up, but the new supply provides a common route for owners who want to explore an outboard power upgrade without changing the core deck, arm or cartridge.
As with any power-supply change, this is best approached as one element of a properly sorted analogue front end. Before assessing an upgrade, it is sensible to ensure that the turntable is level, the belt is in good condition and correctly fitted, the cartridge is aligned, and tracking force and anti-skate have been set according to the cartridge manufacturer’s guidance. Those basics have a profound influence on playback and ensure that an owner is not attempting to solve a setup issue with an ancillary component.
The Professional Power 12V carries a recommended retail price of $590. It is available in black or silver aluminium, allowing it to be visually matched to a compatible turntable where finish consistency is important in a rack or equipment cabinet.
Professional Power 24V: the new option for Innovation and Ovation
For Clearaudio’s Innovation and Ovation models, the Professional Power 24V replaces the company’s previous version. Clearaudio has not detailed the precise differences between the outgoing unit and this new supply in the launch information, beyond the shared claims of professional-grade components, a mechanically optimised transformer, improved filtering, cleaner power and increased headroom.
The Professional Power 24V is priced at $990 recommended retail. Its higher price should not be read simply as an indication of output voltage or a direct comparison of performance across the two products. These are supplies tailored to different turntable platforms, and the relevant question for a prospective buyer is which one is specified for their deck.
For Innovation and Ovation owners, the fact that the new 24V model replaces an earlier version makes it particularly important to confirm compatibility with the exact turntable generation before purchase. Turntable ranges can evolve over time, and an authorised Clearaudio dealer should be able to establish whether the supply is appropriate for a particular deck and its existing motor-control electronics.
Installation and system considerations
An external supply deserves some care in placement. It should sit on a stable surface with adequate ventilation and with its cable routed tidily so it cannot tug at the turntable or interfere with the tonearm’s movement. Keeping mains leads and transformers away from low-level phono cables is also sensible system housekeeping. A moving-magnet cartridge outputs only a small signal, while moving-coil designs typically produce less still, so the cable between turntable and phonostage should avoid unnecessary proximity to mains transformers and power cables where possible.
Owners should also resist the temptation to use unapproved adapters, substitute power units or modify wiring. A turntable supply is part of the deck’s motor system, not merely a charger-like accessory. The correct Clearaudio model should be selected and connected in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Where an upgrade such as this fits in a system depends on priorities. A worn stylus, poorly aligned cartridge, inadequate phonostage loading or an unstable support will generally demand attention before an external power supply. But for an owner whose compatible Clearaudio deck is already carefully installed and whose cartridge and phonostage are known quantities, the Professional Power supplies offer a clearly defined manufacturer-approved upgrade path centred on motor supply quality and isolation.
Availability and price
The Clearaudio Professional Power 12V and Professional Power 24V are available in black or silver aluminium as optional equipment with a new compatible turntable or as upgrades for existing owners.
- Clearaudio Professional Power 12V: for Concept and Performance DC turntables; $590 recommended retail price.
- Clearaudio Professional Power 24V: for Innovation and Ovation turntables; replaces the previous version; $990 recommended retail price.
For the right Clearaudio owner, the appeal is straightforward: rather than replacing a complete turntable, the Professional Power range targets the motor supply and its mechanical isolation. The final choice is dictated by turntable compatibility, while the value of the upgrade will be most relevant in a well-set-up analogue system where the rest of the playback chain is already performing as intended.
