The following review is about the Clearaudio Performance/Talisman cartridge combination
any general impression or comparison to other brands is referring to this specific combination.
I have owned this turntable for about a month and have chosen It after methodically searching the market and listening to many other brands some of them very satisfying.
What makes It very special is except It’s brand’s (..er “clear”) sound which could be a personal preference matter is the staggering levels of detail,ambience and energy It extracts from my records and all that by at the same time being magically neutral for a record player..
I have listened to other combinations from michell pro-ject and rega in this price range and despite being very good each in It’s own way they all gave their distinctive colour to the sound which of course for many vinyl fans can be a good thing but not for me..
This turntable/cart combo is totally neutral and revealing in a way you’ll only find only in far greater price ranges than this and gets out the character of the recording including It’s quality as also the performance of the artists followed by a swarm of detail and musical information at the edges of audio spectrum,being at the same time totally balanced and disciplined across the wide frequency range .This level of neutrality of course sometimes can be a bad thing because you’ll clearly hear It when the recording is bad but don’t worry,even then It is presented with such a passion that you’ll be able to enjoy It.
That last remark brings me to refer to the character of this turntable cart combination which is a very discreet but profound lyricism in the way music is presented almost like the recordings are being played from a passionate musician who is trying to remain true to the original ...perfomance...
I have also listened this turntable with the maestro wood cart as a demo and from what I recall It has the same character except for the wide frequency range and some of the ambience and detail which is quite natural since maestro wood is an mm cart.However this
doesn’t take away It’s value since It still sounds magical and is in a class of It’s own compared the competition.
However If somebody likes the sweet wooly sound or an intense character in analogue playback they better look elsewhere,but even for them as for anybody,listening to it is an experience they owe to themselves.Even the people who cant afford It should listen to It so that they know what to look for in analogue playback quality.
To conclude If you value clarity,neutrality and musicality you can’t do better than this at this price range and even higher.The only reason I don’t say this turntable/cart is a giant killer is that It already is a giant not only in performance but also in price (2700 Euro) but it’s worth every cent and It is highly unlikely to upgrade It except If spending more than three times It’s price...

Pros:
Everything! Amazing value very musical,neutral,detailed sound.
Magnificent across a wide audio spectrum..

Cons:
A bit “salty” price.It can be too neutral and revealing for some.

This is an excellent turntable. it sounds very lively and dynamic. the rugged construction is very sturdy and combined with the rubber feet it really does the job of isolating vibrations. setting up the arm takes a little effort so I'd recommend getting someone to do it for you unless you're experienced. I have it setup using the phono stage on my Rotel RA1062 and it is pure bliss. no noise or hum. the ceramic bearings make the acrylic plate practically float.

Story:
After having a Transrotor porcino turntable for a couple of years with Benz en Denon cartridges, i bought the Performance in 2007 after hearing it in a quality shop. I was astonished about the pure en powerfull presentation and good looks of course. I bought it as a special package consists of the Maestro mm cartridge, Direct wiring Carbon Satisfy arm, magnetic bearing en magnetic decoupled feet.
The soundquality with good recordings is excellent. Very transparant, powerful, dynamic and joyfull. No warm sound here. Speedstability is also very accurate. It doesnt spin too fast or to slow, just right!
The motor/belt is also very quiet and the arm very stiff. With the magnetic bearing there is almost no friction and rumble. So the turntable itself has no character of its own. But as always it needs a very stable support to perform at best. If you do that and you have a decent phono-pre, you can hear exactly what's in the grooves and nothing else.

Strengths:
Soundquality
Construction
Arm
Price
Looks

Faults:
No lid, thats it