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Audiophile Direct-Drive Turntable with MM Phono Preamp and Ortofon 2M Blue Cartridge
For decades, direct-drive turntables from Dual have been famous for their quality and reliability. The rumble free direct-drive motor system in the CS 618Q keeps the RPM totally stable, while operating without noise or vibration.
This audiophile turntable is loaded with features. The advanced twin gimbal precision tonearm is partnered with a factory-installed Ortofon 2M Blue phono cartridge, which is a significant step-up from the 2M Red offered with entry-level CS-series models. Other features include a built-in MM phono preamp and a hinged dust cover.
"The Greatest Value for the Money"
"If you've read my other reviews, you know that I was a loyal Dual user for decades. I thought Dual 'tables offered the greatest value for the money and produced fine sound. The CS 618Q not only carries on that tradition, it ups the ante," reports Thom Moon, soundstageaccess.com, August 15, 2023.
"If you listen primarily to vinyl and have a good collection, you should audition the Dual CS 618Q because it rivals, and in some cases surpasses, other equally priced or more expensive turntables on the market."
"Well Worth Auditioning"
What Dual is supremely good at though is delivering a consistently engaging take on a wide spread of musical styles, all encased in a turntable that feels like it will last a very long time indeed," notes Ed Selley, HiFi+, January 9, 2024. "This all round ability and day to day user friendliness is likely win Dual a whole new generation of enthusiastic converts and it is well worth auditioning."
"A Very Stable and Clear Performance"
"From the start, the Dual turntable delivers a very stable and clear performance when plugged into our usual Burmester 088/911 MkIII and ATC SCM50 reference system," reports What Hi-Fi? magazine, April 18, 2024.
"There is a good amount of detail retrieved from the records we play, with ample space for instruments and vocals to flourish. There’s no sense of the performance sounding cluttered or any track getting too complex for the CS 618Q to handle; it takes it all in stride, remaining composed as we spin through various genres with Four Tet’s 'There Is Love In You,' Beethoven’s symphonies and Elliott Smith’s Either/Or album.
Twin Gimbal Tonearm and Precision Platter
The CS 618Q boasts a straight, statically balanced tonearm with an advanced twin gimbal design. Four precision pivot ball-bearings provide smooth and accurate tracking. The adjustable tonearm features provide the option to change the phono cartridge in the future should you wish to upgrade and to alter the tracking force and anti-skating accordingly. The convenient auto-stop feature includes an automatic tonearm lift to reduce wear and tear on the needle as it moves to the end of the record.
The heavy aluminum die-cast platter uses a heavy rubber mat for resonance damping along with a solid platter bearing with a hardened steel spindle in a brass bushing.
Quartz-Stabilized Electronic Speed Control
A turntable as easy to use as the CS 618Q would never insist that you wrestle with belts to change speeds. Operation couldn't be simpler. The precise optical speed control lets you select 33 rpm, 45 rpm, or even 78 rpm with the twist of a knob.
Built-in Phono Preamplifier
There is no obligation to use an outboard phono preamplifier with CS 618Q. This turntable comes with a built-in phono pre-amplifier. It can be either connected to the phono input or the line input at the amplifier. The built-in phono stage can switched on or off via a switch in the back. If you choose to, you can bypass the phono stage and use one of your own, or one built-into your amp or receiver of choice instead.
Includes Ortofon 2M Blue Cartridge
Ortofon's 2M Blue moving magnet phono cartridge features a new, improved engine that provides an increased output of 5.5mV, an optimized sound reproduction, and a high level of sonic accuracy. The 2M Blue adds more dynamics and resolution, sounds more open and reproduces more details than its highly popular 'little brother,' the bestselling 2M Red cartridge.
England's What Hi-fi? magazine honored the Ortofon 2M Blue by naming it as one of the ten "Best Cartridges 2020." According to the article, "This is a step up from the 2M Red in the number four slot in this list, and as such it's a little more pricey," reports Joe Svetlik. "So, sound? The Blue delivers a real sense of vitality to recordings, and brings a good sense of timing to proceedings… This is a very capable little cartridge indeed."
The 2M Blue Nude boasts an elliptical diamond stylus and split pole pins with a copper wire. Split pole pins are an invention that enables moving magnet cartridges to have a flat frequency response, as with a much higher-priced moving coil cartridge. Split pole pins were invented by Ortofon, and were originally presented in the 500 series and Super OM series.
