Mis à jour le 26 February 2019.
The Elac Miracord 90 turntable marks the German brand’s 90th anniversary. It’s a belt driven turntable equipped with an Audio-Technica phono cartridge specially made for this turntable and fitted with a Microline diamond stylus.
Elac Miracord 90: solid aluminum platter
Each part of the Elac Miracord 90 has been specifically designed to reduce vibrations and unwanted noise, starting with the chassis’ central part which has been optimized to ensure optimal damping. The weight of the turntable’s aluminum platter, no less than 6.2 kg, creates a stability that favors a steady rotation speed. The platter sits on a plinth fitted with a hardened steel axis, which itself sits on a 8mm ruby ball. The two roller bearings are made of bronze.
Elac Miracord 90: German belt
The drive system is powered by a motor mounted onto two textile spiders, effectively decoupling it from the turntable’s chassis. The rotation speed may be selected via a switch with two positions (33 and 45 RPM) which also offers pitch adjustment (+/- 5%).
Elac Miracord 90: MDF and aluminum chassis
The Elac Miracord 90’s MDF chassis is entirely encased in aluminum and has an acrylic overlay. The substantial 5.5 kg chassis is supported by four highly elastic silicone feet which are responsible for completely decoupling the turntable from the surface.
Elac Miracord 90: carbon tonearm
The Miracord turntable is fitted with Elac’s proprietary design straight tonearm made from carbon fiber and equipped with a standard ½” head-shell. The tonearm is fitted with a graduated counterweight and features an anti-skating mechanism that is also balanced by counterweight. Moreover, the mounted phono cartridge was designed specifically for the Elac Miracord 90 by Audio-Technica.
Elac Miracord 90: exclusive cartridge
The Audio-Technica cartridge was specifically designed for the Elac Miracord 90 turntable and is fitted with a Microline diamond stylus. This sophisticated diamond features an extensive frequency response, an excellent channel balance and a remarkably pronounced stereo separation. The design of the nude diamond (the diamond and stylus are made from a single piece) efficiently transmits vibrations to the aluminum cantilever. The cartridge has PCOCC copper (Pure Copper Ohno Continuous Casting) toroidal coils and a powerful anti-vibration system. Audio-Technica’s Vector Aligned technology ensures first-class magnetic performance thanks to precisely positioned magnets. These features result in an extremely linear frequency response curve and outstanding sensitivity, making the cartridge compatible with all phono preamps.
The RCA connectors are composed of gold-plated sockets and a ground connection, in addition to a high-quality analog RCA cable. We decided to use a Graham Slee preamp with this output.
Elac Miracord 90: listening impressions
For this review, we used the Graham Slee Communicator 2 RIAA phono preamplifier. To complete the system, we used Klipsch RP-8000F speakers which we connected to the Lyngdorf TDAI-3400 connected hi-fi amplifier using Viard Audio Silver HD12 HP cables.
The listener is soon won over by the Elac Miracord 90 turntable and its Audio-Technica phono cartridge thanks to a highly accurate sound restitution. Without a doubt, the turntable’s two main strengths are its vitality and natural sound restitution. The tonal accuracy is just as striking. The dynamic range and tempo variations are delivered flawlessly. Completely immersed in the music, we catch ourselves tapping our foot along with the beat. Vocals are highlighted perfectly and the soundstage is wide and detailed.
The Elac Miracord 90 confirms its qualities when listening Serge Gainsbourg’s Aux Armes et cætera for instance. The stereo effects are rendered faithfully. Consequently, restitution is lofty and meticulously organized. There’s no exuberance in the highs, and the mids are rich. The Elac Miracord 90 Carbon turntable delivers a smooth, coherent and particularly gentle and relaxing sound restitution. It’s an unprecedented and intoxicating sound experience when listening to good records and we recommend pairing it with a high-quality external phono preamp.
Elac Miracord 90: conclusion
The Elac Miracord 90 turntable benefits from great construction quality and captivates attention with a sense of rhythm and accurate sound restitution. It’s undoubtedly one of the best turntables in its category. The Audio-Technica cartridge guarantees exceptional accuracy during playback. In a nutshell, it’s a perfect pairing for those who are looking for a well-rounded and perfectly calibrated latest generation turntable to get the most out of their best vinyl records. Celebrating Elac’s 90th anniversary, the Elac Miracord 90 turntable expertly maintains the German manufacturer’s craftsmanship.
What we liked:
- The soft and detailed sound restitution.
- The good workmanship.
What we would have liked:
- A dust cover.
