Clearaudio Celebrity Al Di Meola Edition - A true work of art

Foto © Clearaudio electronic GmbH | Clearaudio Celebrity Al Di Meola Edition

The new Clearaudio Celebrity Al Di Meola Edition is a turntable dedicated to the legendary guitarist Al Di Meola.

It was during High-end 2023 in Munich that the Managing Director of Clearaudio electronic GmbH, Robert Suchy, met jazz guitarist Al Di Meola. He was the guest of honour at this year’s High End Society Service GmbH and proved to be a true HiFi enthusiast and vinyl lover during his visit. Inspired by the charismatic nature of Al Di Meola, the idea was born for a very special project, namely to create a unique turntable that would reflect his passion for music.

It was High-end 2024 when the result of this collaboration between Al Di Meola and Clearaudio electronic GmbH could be marvelled at for the first time, in the form of the new Clearaudio Celebrity Al Di Meola Edition turntable, which in turn is to establish the new Clearaudio Celebrity Series and is now available.

The Clearaudio Celebrity Series

Clearaudio electronic GmbH announced its intention to establish a product line that honours the great artists of our time on the occasion of the first presentation of this concept. The fact that this is being done with a turntable dedicated to jazz guitarist Al Di Meola is probably primarily due to a chance meeting at the High-end 2023 in Munich, which in retrospect proved to be a stroke of luck, as the corresponding turntable not only bears the artist’s name, but was actually created in direct collaboration with him.

A total work of art

Clearaudio electronic GmbH describes the new Clearaudio Celebrity Al Di Meola Edition as a total work of art, a product that combines music, design and technology at the highest level.

It is a record player that not only looks great, but also embodies the history and passion of an extraordinary musician.

Focus on the guitar

As the guitar is Al Di Meola’s trademark, it was decided to use this instrument as the basis for the record player bearing his name. Initial ideas were developed together with the artist and Clearaudio electronic GmbH even visited the wood supplier to select the perfect material for this unique project.

The chassis was designed to resemble the body of an electric guitar, with the material being highly compressed wood fibres. It is logical that typical elements of an electric guitar were integrated into the design, for example the volume control of the guitar in this case is a multifunctional control element that can be used to start the turntable with a simple push of a button and change the speed between 33 1/3 and 45 revolutions. In so-called calibration mode, this control can even be used to fine-tune the speed.

High-tech on the inside

It is therefore fair to say that this turntable has the finest high-tech inside, especially as the manufacturer states that the turntable platter is driven by a precise flat belt that runs through the so-called Tacho-Speed-Control (TSC) from Clearaudio electronic GmbH. This technology monitors the speed in real time and automatically adjusts it to changing influences such as belt tension or temperature fluctuations. In addition, the speed is automatically calibrated at every restart, guaranteeing optimum performance at all times.

The motor, which drives the platter via a flat belt, also relies on special technologies, namely the so-called Innovative Motor Suspension, or IMS for short, which serves as effective decoupling and is intended to prevent sound-damaging vibrations from the outset. This technology was adopted from the Clearaudio Reference Jubilee.

Special Clearaudio Profiler tonearm

According to Clearaudio electronic GmbH, the new Clearaudio Celebrity Al Di Meola Edition is rounded off by a special version of the Clearaudio Profiler tonearm, the Clearaudio Profiler Celebrity tonearm. The company is also using a drive that is ready to play immediately. The tonearm in question is therefore fitted ex works with an MM cartridge system, which also bears the name Clearaudio Celebrity, as stated.

Prices and availability

It is a unique turntable whose special significance should be emphasised by a strictly limited edition. The Clearaudio Celebrity Al Di Meola Edition package will therefore be limited to just 1,000 turntables, making it a true collector’s item. This turntable will be offered in black or rosewood veneer. The recommended retail price is € 3.950,-. To emphasise it again: this is a limited edition of only 1.000 pieces, with a signed special release album and plectrum included in the package.

Getting to the point

The Clearaudio Celebrity Al Di Meola Edition is a unique record player that not only looks great, but also carries the history and passion of an extraordinary artist. This is how the German record specialist Clearaudio electronic GmbH describes the result of its intensive collaboration with the jazz musician Al Di Meola, which is to form the basis for the new Clearaudio Celebrity Series.