The Encore not only unlocks the uncanny beauty of vinyl music reproduction, but it also delivers phenomenal value. It starts with our “hybrid” design, which combines the best characteristics of high-mass, low-mass and suspended turntables. We back it up with proven materials, thorough engineering and high-precision fabrication. Listen to the Encore and you’ll hear solid bass, subtle midrange timbres and satisfying, fast transients on the likes of cymbal hits. And you’ll want to hear all your LPs, all over again.

Pure Fidelity “Hybrid” Design

The plinth has a major impact on turntable sound. High-mass designs can have solid bass, but can sound dull. Low-mass designs can have good speed and dynamics, but often sound bright. Suspended decks can have good timing, but may lack bass. To combine the best elements of each design, Pure Fidelity’s founder, John Stratton created the ultimate “hybrid” approach, with intermediate mass based on an ultra-MDF plinth. The result is completely neutral sound. Bass is strong without being sleepy, while the highs are detailed without being bright. Fittingly, when each Pure Fidelity turntable reaches completion, John Stratton proudly signs the plinth.

Ultra MDF Plinth

To realize the benefits of “hybrid” design, the Pure Fidelity plinth is built on a 50-mm core of substantially upgraded Medium Density Fiberboard called ultra MDF. Compared to standard MDF, our ultra MDF offers higher density, better fibers, and better machinability, enabling far more precise assembly. Ultra MDF also helps control resonance, as described below.

Defeating Vibration and Resonance

Like a microphone, a phono cartridge works by converting mechanical vibration into voltage. Crucially, the cartridge not only picks up motion from tracking the record groove, but also unwanted vibration when sound from the loudspeakers impacts the turntable and the shelf it’s sitting on. The cartridge simply cannot distinguish between the music and unwanted vibration, which can degrade playback, damaging musicality and collapsing the soundstage. That’s why the Horizon and Harmony turntables embody an uncommonly thorough program to suppress resonance. The aluminum isolation platform, GAIA™ IV isolation footers, and ultra-MDF plinth all work together to produce music of such pristine clarity, it gives added meaning to our company name, Pure Fidelity.

Highly-Engineered Isolation Feet

To minimize shelf-borne resonance, each machined aluminum foot is isolated from the shelf by silicone O-rings.

Ultra-Precise CNC Machining

To take full advantage of the 6061 aircraft aluminum, we apply computer numerical control (CNC) machining, using custom tools with a repeatable tolerance of 1/1000 inch – one-third the thickness of a typical human hair. We also apply CNC machining to the ultra-MDF plinth, sub-platter, Delrin® platter, and even the high-density foam packing carriers. The result is unit-to-unit consistency of the very highest order.

Ruby Bearing in a Low-Friction Bronze Shaft

By the time it gets to your ears, the output of a moving coil cartridge can be magnified by a factor of 10,000 or more. So even minuscule imperfections in the turntable drive system can become audible issues. For this reason, even though we could purchase 100 steel bearings for the price of a single ruby bearing, we’re sticking with ruby. Ruby offers incredible hardness, with a Mohs scale of 9. (Only one precious stone is harder: diamond.) For similar reasons, we chose bronze instead of the industry standard brass for the bearing shaft. Bronze offers better durability, higher strength and a lower coefficient of friction. The end result of these two materials is a dead silent, near-frictionless drive system.

Perfecting Rotational Speed

The time base of vinyl playback depends on the rotational speed. Of course, any large change in platter speed would cause an obvious change in musical pitch. But even minuscule, momentary speed variations can blur instrumental timbre, placing a veil between you and the music. To maintain speed with utmost precision, Pure Fidelity optimizes the Maestro speed control, AC synchronous motor, pulley, dual drive belts, aluminum/stainless steel sub-platter, and Delrin® platter. The result: an uncanny ability to faithfully render musical timbre.

Conductor Quartz Locked Speed Control

To drive the motor with the utmost precision, we created the Conductor outboard speed control. This features quartz lock to maintain a rotational accuracy of ±0.003%. Because many classic vinyl records predate such precision, the Conductor also provides separate rear-panel pitch adjustments for 33-1/3 and 45 rpm. A robust component in its own right, the speed control isolates the motor drive voltage from the noise, spikes and distortions in your household AC mains, generating a pure sine wave of uncommon stability.

Custom AC Synchronous Motor

To satisfy our stringent requirements, the motor is quiet, stable and free from “clogging” – unwanted pulses of torque. We outfit our 12-volt AC synchronous motor with our own custom modifications that reduce clogging to the vanishing point.

Stainless Steel Pulley and Two Drive Belts

After extensive listening tests of different belt styles and configurations, we selected two drive belts with round cross-sections. It’s by far the best sounding choice for our drive system.

Large-Profile Aluminum/Steel Sub-Platter

Pure Fidelity insists on a sub-platter combining 6061 aircraft-grade aluminum and stainless steel, both CNC-machined to a tolerance of 1/1000 inch. The result is near-perfect roundness and stable speed.

Massive, 36-mm Delrin® Platter

Some manufacturers choose glass platters, believing low mass is the way to go. Others choose aluminum for high mass. But either way, you’re stuck needing some kind of mat on top to tame the resonance and ringing. To overcome this limitation, we chose an inherently non-resonant platter material: an engineering thermoplastic called Delrin. A classic choice for applications that require high stiffness, low friction and excellent dimensional stability, Delrin also shares many of the same properties as the vinyl record. And it has the mass needed to maintain speed stability. We auditioned many other thermoplastics but ultimately chose Delrin for its exceptional sound. You get a very balanced frequency response with an almost organic feel to the music. While Delrin is far more expensive than acrylic, the musical rewards more than justify the cost.

SS-1 Stainless Steel Record Weight

If the record is not properly seated on the platter, your sound can be degraded by vibrations and departures from flatness. That’s why the turntable comes equipped with the SS-1, a solid stainless steel record weight with black felt on the underside. It slips over the record spindle to dampen vibrations and flatten your LPs. The result is an increase in resolution and a lower noise floor. The SS-1 measures 0.75” high x 2.75” wide and weighs 1.6 lbs. (20 mm x 70 mm; 750 g).

Specifications

Mechanics