This Dual is easy to use, has a built-in phono stage and sounds great
TURNTABLE
We could easily begin by reminiscing about the Eighties, when Dual dominated the budget turntable market. But instead, let’s go back a few months to our review of the company’s new affordable model, the CS 418. Given Dual’s lack of impact in the decades since its heyday, this deck was something of a surprise, being, at £499, a terrific performer for the money.
Could the pricier, but closely related, Dual CS 518 build on these solid foundations, we wondered?
More sophisticated
Given a little extra budget, Dual’s engineers decided the best way of improving on its entry-level turntable was to change the arm to a more sophisticated twin gimbal bearing design. This new arm promises improved performance as well as greater compatibility with more ambitious cartridge designs than the pre-fitted Ortofon 2M Red. This well-regarded Ortofon moving magnet is also a standard fit on the cheaper deck too. Tonearm apart, the CS 518 is much the same as its junior sibling – and that’s no bad thing.
Its MDF plinth is a pretty solid affair and nicely finished in black vinyl. At this price level, this Dual comes up against rivals such as the new Pro-Ject Debut Pro (£699) and Rega’s evergreen Planar 3/Elys2 combination (£799). It can’t quite match them for aesthetic appeal, but then again, the CS 518 includes a phono stage that can be switched in and out of circuit depending on your system and needs. This is potentially really useful, considering many price compatible amplifiers don’t include such a circuit.
The tonearm certainly looks and feels better than the one used in the CS 418, though it still falls short of the well-engineered slickness of those found on the Pro-Ject or pricier Rega Planar 3. Practicality is a positive though, as it has a detachable headshell, which makes swapping cartridges simple.
Elsewhere we have a belt drive, a DC motor that is decoupled to reduce any transfer of vibrations into the main structure, and a choice of 33⅓, 45 and 78rpm speeds at the twist of a dial. The aluminium platter is reasonably weighty and would ring quite strongly if it weren’t for the heavy rubber mat that sits on top.
This Dual is a simple deck to set up. The cartridge comes pre-installed so all that needs to be done is fitting the platter and tonearm counterweight, setting the arm bias, and then plugging the record player into your system with the supplied cables.
Every turntable benefits from being put on a level, low-resonance support that
