Avid
Avid Hifi Ingenium Plug&Play
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INGENIUM PLUG&PLAY
Since its introduction in 2013, the Ingenium has been winning awards globally and become the benchmark for entry level audiophile players. With the increased popularity of vinyl, especially with novice customers and younger enthusiasts, in 2018 we raised the bar yet again of this popular design.
Ingenium Plug&Play builds on its predecessor, retaining many features, making some aesthetic improvements and a more straightforward installation. Complete with quality fitted tonearm and cartridge, it is ready to use within ten minutes.... really Plug&Play
"Product of the Year in the Turntable category" - Jeff Dorgay
Key Features
- Sapphire Jewell Bearing
- Vibration Transfer Clamp
- Solid Aluminium Chassis
- Sorbothane Isolation Feet
- Aluminium Platter Upgrade
ENGINEERED QUALITY
Sharing the same design philosophy and features from our more expensive designs, Ingenium Plug&Play has true audiophile credentials and an engineered quality.
Our unique sapphire bearing and clamping system, which efficiently channels unwanted vibrations away from the record to the chassis, reduces the background noise of the record itself, so there is clarity to the music, the performance not vailed but vivid and transparent.
"For a plug and play turntable this was a stonker of a machine" - Janine Elliot
REASSURINGLY AVID
Isolating the turntable is critical to maintain low coloration and we have employed the same optimised elastomer used in our Diva range, giving excellent mechanical isolation of the playing surface, resulting in better information retrieval and resolution.
Ingenium Plug&Play opens the door to quality audiophile reproduction, without the feeling its "just another record player". It's reassuringly an AVID record player at an affordable price.
"Fantastic combination of rhythmic precision and sheer musical energy" -Ed Selley
WHAT'S INSIDE
Clamp
Fundamental in the design of all our turntables, our unique screw-down clamp grounds the record to the bearing, allowing unwanted vibration to pass away to the main chassis. This lowers the noise floor of the record itself, allowing the cartridge to more faithfully trace the groove, giving a more transparent and realistic sound whilst reducing record wear and damage.
Precision machined from solid aluminium and stainless steel, our clamp also automatically flattens all but the most warped records to the platter mat, allowing the cartridge to trace the groove more faithfully and prevents air pockets under the record reducing sound quality.
Platter
Precision machined high density fibreboard (HDF) offers a stable self-damping material to support the record. The cork-based compound mat effectively keeps vibration within the record rather than passing into the platter, so that it is transmitted away through the bearing.
A heavy solid aluminium platter is also available as an upgrade, bringing much improved sound quality and speed stability.
Bearing
Our unique inverted true single point bearing is the heart of all our turntable designs.
A specially shaped sapphire rotates on a captive tungsten carbide ball with no friction, noise or wear. Different to other designs, AVID's bearing has no lateral movement at the contact point, so the platter does not wobble or suffer from rumble noise. The main spindle is tapered preventing standing waves and the single self-lubricating sleeve is maintenance free for life.
Chassis
Machined from solid aluminium, the heavy two and a half by two-inch cruciform shape gives great rigidity between the tonearm and platter. Any movement here and potentially the musical information stored on your records will never be heard. It is also where the bad vibration evacuated from the record through the press fit spindle is harmlessly dissipated.
Feet
The main chassis is supported and isolated from external vibration and feedback from your loudspeakers with our bespoke Sobothane compound rubber. Sorbothane offers exceptional isolation from the harmful effects that would limit your sound reproduction quality.
Motor
Giving dynamic drive and stability to your music, the Ingenium Plug&Play employs a high-powered synchronous motor with the correct power to platter mass ratio, so that the motor is in full control of the platter. The impact on what you hear is instant and likewise the start-up time of the platter, with fast dynamics and authority of sound that a powerful drive system offers.
REVIEW & AWARDS
The AVID Ingenium Plug&Play turntable - Read More
"For many, the Ingenium Plug&Play will be an excellent destination turntable, especially considering that the platter and cartridge can be upgraded further.
There is a point at which analog really draws you in and makes you crave more. I feel getting to this point requires more than the budget tables offer. This is what the Ingenium Plug&Play gives you at a cost that won’t break the bank, yet still provides a reasonable upgrade path should you want even more analog enjoyment. Well done."
AVID Ingenium Plug&Play - Read More
"The impression I get from the Plug&Play version is that this is a subtly different beast from the original Ingenium and, in many ways, makes more sense. What it does very successfully is deliver the virtues that AVID holds dear in its design ethos while being impressively easy to get up and running. The slightly limited upgrade path might put some off, but the level of performance on offer from the Ingenium Plug&Play design as it stands will be everything many vinyl fans desire" - Hi-Fi Choice
AVID HIFI INGENIUM PLUG&PLAY Turntable - Read More
"For a plug and play turntable this was a stonker of a machine; a very able arm, excellent motor and a sound that matched. If you have the money to purchase the aluminium platter then this will take the music performance even higher, improving bass end and detail at the top. With the aluminium platter, the AVID HIFI INGENIUM PLUG&PLAY is getting seriously close to outstanding for the price and even with the MDF platter it offers serious value for money. " - Janine Elliot
AVID Ingenium, Diva II SP, and Sequel SP - Read More
"The Ingenium provides superb value for money. In its price class, I think it has virtually no competition. Of course, as an entry-level turntable, it can be improved upon, but I remain surprised at how well-balanced it is and just how engagingly it performs. " - Christiaan Punter
Avid Ingenium Turntable Review - Read More
"The Avid is elegantly simple, beautifully built and extremely flexible. More than any of these things, it is the moment where records cease to be 'fun' or 'beguiling' and instead become the most compelling way of listening to music. Where it not for the fact that I've heard the Acutus so I know how much more Avid has to give, the Ingenium would see me good for the rest of my days. Welcome to the big leagues. " - Ed Selley
Ingenium from Avid: The Company’s Entry Point - Read More
"Should audiophiles save their pennies for an Ingenium rather than buy cheaper and invest in more vinyl? That depends on your needs and requirements. If you want a creditable playback system that supplies the essentials of each record in lively and concise terms then a well-designed budget deck will serve you well. If, on the other hand, you want to get to the bottom of your music, to peel back the layers and reveal the truth of what the music is trying to say and to key into the vocalist’s emotive pathways then a higher end audiophile deck is what you need. As such, the Ingenium is a serious and ideal entry point to such a world. It’s not a budget deck, no, but it is a competitively priced audiophile turntable that oozes quality in both construction and sound and offers an excellent entry point into serious music listening. "
REVIEW: AVID HIFI INGENIUM TURNTABLE - Read More
"If we slot all turntables into three bands of sonic goodness and light called budget, mid-priced and aspirational, an audition makes it clear that the Ingenium is poised just far enough to make it into the mid part of the mid-priced turntable category.... Enthusiastically recommended. " - Peter Familari
TEST: Avid Ingenium Plug & Play: Reduction to the essentials - Read More
"If you are looking for your first (or second) record player that is fully equipped and does not overwhelm the user during setup, you can hardly ignore the Avid Ingenium Plug & Play. At just under 1,400 euros, the new entry-level turntable from Conrad Mas is significantly cheaper than its namesake. It is also more fully equipped and is hardly inferior to the Ingenium in terms of sound. Consequently, I have to give the little Brit a clear recommendation. The overall package of drive and pre-assembled combination of tonearm and pickup is actually really good. The result is an overall sound package that is worth listening to. And one that does not correspond so much to British understatement, but much more to that of an offensive fun machine. So you are happy to accept the slightly greater effort involved in assembly than the name Plug & Play might suggest. Listening to music is all the more enjoyable afterwards. " - Jonas Bednarz
TEST: AVID Ingenium – Well Done - Read More
"What happens when passion for fine mechanical engineering and the highest demands on sound come together? Then a record player like the AVID Ingenium is created. With clever detailed solutions, a well thought-out overall concept, impeccable manufacturing quality and excellent sound. To put it briefly: I claim that for the asking price of the small AVID Ingenium it is at least almost impossible to get something better! " - Jonas Bednarz
AVID Ingenium - Read More
"Although Ingenium is the first turntable in AVID's catalogue, for many music lovers it can be the basis of an analogue system which will stay in their homes for years. And so it will probably be in my case, because infatuated with its sound, I decided to leave it in my system. The price you have to pay for this "cheapest" AVID is not small and I'm not going to say it's a bargain, but it's a very fair deal to say the least. This machine is surely worth the cost. The only problem I haven't managed to solve is how to protect it from dust, but perhaps I should start worrying about it when I'm done with the listening, so I have plenty of time to work it out. "
Avid’s Ingenium turntable reviewed - Read More
"The turntable itself is excellent, though, offering superb mid-range insight and detail with an organic, powerful bass that will provide a secure foundation for any rhythm. For many, the Ingenium will be the only turntable they’ll ever need. "
Simplify, and add lightness - Read More
"Options or not - for me, the small Avid in the basic configuration we tested pretty much marks the point at which analog playback stops being just a nice and perhaps nostalgic sound alternative to CDs, downloads or streaming. This is where things get really serious and - provided you choose suitable playing partners and professional adjustment - you can venture into spheres that remain inaccessible to digital listeners. "
Der Vorbildliche - Read More
"The Avid Ingenium is consistently thought through and of outstanding craftsmanship. The sound quality is accordingly rewarded with i-fidelity.net highlight status. The price is really very low in relation to the performance. In this class there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that could get in the way of this Brit. With its role model function, it has what it takes to bring many responsible listeners back to vinyl or entice them to try it out for the first time. Avid boss Conrad Mas knows every detail of his drives in his head. He names the problem areas and explains his solution. He gives the impression that he will not let anything stop him on the way to product perfection. " - Olaf Sturm
Ingenious - Read More
"When you consider that the Ingenium allows for a very wide variety of arms to be attached, you have a turntable that has the potential to make a great many vinyl lovers very happy indeed. " - Ed Selley
HIFI WORLDS: Ingenious! - Read More
"As such, the Ingenium is a good entry point to such a world providing classical piano is not your interest.Otherwise, this is an affordable turntable that oozes quality in both construction and sound and offers.an excellent entry point into serious music listening."
AVID HIFI INGENIUM P&P - Read More
"As an affordable route into AVID HiFi’s brand of high-end vinyl replay, the Ingenium offers more than a glimpse of the performance of the company’s pricier models. And while an upgrade of the cartridge somewhere down the line will improve the turntable’s ultimate performance, it’s clear the money spent on manufacture has gone to all the right places. The real ingenuity of the Ingenium is that the whole package is far greater than the sum of its parts; this is no-frills, high-end audiophilia at an extremely attractive price " - John Pickford
Einfach ingenial? - Read More
"And that from tender to hard. Due to its freshness, directness and immediacy, the AVID has a natural affinity for the hotter styles of pop, rock and jazz, but it developed in the elegiac, finely balanced "Les adieux" by the Sebastian Sternal Trio at least a certain sense for more introverted styles. AVID's Ingenium Plug & Play is a turntable with high and further expandable potential - and therefore simply "ingenious"! " - Matthias Böde
EEN SPELER ZONDER POESPAS - Read More
"If I had to point out any downsides, they are really small downsides. First of all, that loose motor. Even though the purpose is clear, it is not practical. It is easily replaceable. The simple audio cable that connects directly to the arm is soldered. This is precisely where a good shielded cable can have such a major influence on the final sound, it would have been nice if you could have made your own choice. "
Avid Ingenium Plug & Play - Read More
"The Avid Ingenium Plug & Play is a closed analog >>economical<< system that is internally consistent and therefore allows you to listen to records in astonishingly good quality. Changes are not desired or necessary at any point - If you get a taste for analogue listening with this record player, you will either remain permanently satisfied or later use the higher realms of the English manufacturer. " - Olaf Sturm
AVID INGENIUM P&P - Read More
"excellent reproduction; fine-tuned combination of drive, arm, port" - Miroslav Láb
Die Freude am Erleben - Read More
"The Ingenium Plug & Play gives every type of music that certain something, always remaining balanced and dynamic. A wide space opens up, the finest details sometimes give way to unbridled joy and drive. This is due to the pickup; if you swap it for a higher quality one, you benefit from an additional 2 sound points when classifying it as a drive/tonearm. The powerful motor requires a stable base. Handling it requires that the vinyl fan devotes himself entirely to the haptic process - an intense experience. " - Alexander Rose-Fehling
SPECIFICATIONS
| DRIVE | BELT DRIVE |
| SPEEDS | 33.3 & 45.0 RPM |
| PLATTER MASS | 2.5KG |
| BEARING | INVERTED STAINLESS STEEL |
| THRUST POINT | TUNGSTEN CARBIDE/SAPPHIRE |
| SUSPENSION | ELASTOMER |
| TONEARM | AVID TA-1 |
| CARTRIDGE | AVID-CA1 |
| MOTOR | 12mNm AC synchronous |
| VOLTAGE INPUT | 100-240VAC 50/60Hz 4 Watts Max. |
| DIMENSIONS | 370 x 305 x 130mm (WxDxH overall) |
| NET WEIGHT | 5.9KG (13LB) |
