AVID is back with something actually new — and in today’s vinyl-saturated, copy-paste turntable market, that’s worth paying attention to. The new Relveo (£6,900; $10,995; €8,995) is the first ground-up design the British analogue specialist has released in 12 years. While AVID has steadily refreshed its existing lineup in recent years, this is their first all-new deck in over a decade — and it just so happens to drop in time for the company’s 30th anniversary.
Conceived and engineered by AVID founder and CEO Conrad Mas, the Relveo is handmade in England and meant to represent everything the brand stands for: serious engineering, no shortcuts, and an obsessive commitment to sound quality. It’s built around a new conical suspension system — a departure from AVID’s traditional design language — that offers isolation, stability, and a far easier setup than some of the more temperamental high-end rigs out there.
Other highlights? A newly reimagined high-mass platter, an advanced outboard DSP-controlled power supply, and industrial design that makes it look as serious as it sounds. AVID says the Relveo distills three decades of analogue innovation into a single product, and for once, that’s not marketing fluff — there’s clearly a lot of R&D here.
The deck ships with AVID’s multi-award-winning Altus V2 tonearm (normally £1,650 on its own), which features precision bearings and the company’s unique dual adjustable bias system. It’s designed to extract every last groove of detail, and yes — if you already have a tonearm you love, the Relveo can be purchased without it.
In a market crowded with overpriced clones, badge-engineered OEMs, and “lifestyle” decks that care more about looks than sound, the Relveo feels like an actual statement. It’s unapologetically audiophile, handmade, and backed by three decades of analog know-how — from a founder who still runs the shop. Not bad for a company turning 30.
One of the first things that jumps out — and not subtly — is the price. At £6,900 in the UK (and a wallet-bruising $11,000 in the U.S. thanks to current tariff headaches), the AVID Relveo is stepping into the ring with some serious heavyweights. At this level, it’s not just about looking good or ticking audiophile boxes — you’ve got to deliver.
This isn’t entry-level or even mid-tier territory. The Relveo is priced to go head-to-head with top-end models from VPI, Clearaudio, Rega, Kuzma, Pro-Ject, and Thorens — and in a market already flooded with $5K–$15K turntables, it’s going to take more than “handmade in England” and a fancy suspension system to make waves.
That said, AVID has the credibility and the engineering chops to justify the price if the Relveo lives up to the performance promises. But with U.S. buyers staring down an $11K price tag — before cart and phono stage — the margin for “almost” is razor thin. This one needs to be exceptional. Not just good.
Inside the AVID Relveo: High-End Turntable Tech Built in the UK
The Relveo features a custom-designed power supply built specifically for its high-torque motor. Housed in its own dedicated enclosure, it uses AVID’s latest-generation DSP signal generator — the same tech found in their reference-level turntables — to ensure rock-solid speed accuracy. A large mains transformer feeds the system, effectively isolating the turntable from fluctuations in the power grid and eliminating noise at the source.
Each power supply is individually calibrated to its matching motor, fine-tuning performance while reducing unwanted vibration. The result? Tighter speed control, more torque, and the kind of clean, dynamic bass and transparency you expect at this level. It’s not just about powering the platter — it’s about extracting as much detail and musicality as possible from the groove.
The table is driven by a high-torque synchronous motor — significantly more powerful than what you’ll find in most competing designs. That extra muscle, paired with AVID’s twin-belt drive system, isn’t just for show. It’s there to ensure the platter starts and stops with precision, keeping timing locked in and bass response tight.
This setup helps eliminate the kind of low-end overhang that can blur transients and smear detail. What you get instead is speed, control, and musical timing that feels immediate and unforced — the rhythm and flow of the music preserved exactly as it should be.
The Relveo’s clamping system is classic AVID: a single-action record clamp machined from solid aluminum with a stainless steel grounding point. It flattens warped records to the platter surface and channels unwanted vibration directly through the spindle into the subchassis. That vibration control isn’t just for spec sheet bragging rights — it lowers the noise floor and pulls more detail and realism from your records.
The platter itself is a high-mass, edge-weighted design precision-machined from a solid billet of aluminum. It’s built for high rotational inertia, meaning rock-solid speed stability and momentum. Coupled to the motor hub through AVID’s proprietary bearing design, the system eliminates lateral movement and kills off rumble that plagues lesser turntables.
AVID’s new resin-impregnated felt mat provides the ideal surface for controlling resonance. It reflects vibration back into the record, directing it down the spindle and out through the subchassis. The spindle itself — derived directly from the flagship Acutus — is press-fitted into the chassis for maximum energy transfer. At the top, a captive tungsten carbide ball mates with a sapphire jewel thrust point, creating a self-centering, maintenance-free bearing system that runs dead silent.
The subchassis, cast from large-grain aluminum, is engineered for maximum rigidity and minimal energy loss. It locks the tonearm and bearing together with precision, while a special coating damps high-frequency vibrations so that both high and low frequencies decay in sync. The result is a sound that’s clean, neutral, and tightly focused.
Suspension is handled by AVID’s newly developed conical Sorbothane system — a high-absorption elastomer that tackles both vertical motion and micro-vibrations. It’s especially effective in rooms with suspended floors, helping the Relveo remain stable and composed even in less-than-ideal setups. In short, the table isolates like a champ, letting the music through while keeping external noise out of the equation.
AVID Relveo Turntable – Specifications
- Drive System: Twin Belt Drive
- Speeds: 33.3 RPM & 45.0 RPM (adjustable)
- Platter: 7.0 kg precision-machined aluminum
- Bearing: Inverted stainless steel with tungsten carbide/sapphire thrust point
- Suspension: Conical 3-point elastomer system
- Tonearm Fitting: Includes AVID Altus V2 tonearm (Adapters available for alternative tonearms)
- Motor: 24V AC synchronous motor (12mNm torque)
- Power Supply: Outboard DSP-controlled vari-speed unit
- Voltage Input: 100–240VAC, 50/60Hz, Max power consumption: 20 watts
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 440 x 370 x 200 mm (overall, including tonearm)
- Net Weight: 13.3 kg (29 lbs), excluding power supply
The Bottom Line
The AVID Relveo is a serious turntable with the engineering pedigree to match its price — £6,900 in the UK and a steep $11,000 in the U.S., thanks to tariffs. It’s the company’s first truly new deck in over a decade, and it shows: from the newly developed conical suspension to the DSP-controlled power supply and precision-machined bearing system, this isn’t a cosmetic refresh. It’s a statement piece built to challenge heavyweights like Clearaudio, Kuzma, VPI, Rega, and even high-spec Pro-Ject and Thorens models.
For buyers seeking a handmade British deck with real-world engineering substance — not just badge prestige — the Relveo earns a place in the conversation. It won’t be for everyone, but that’s kind of the point. In a market flooded with turntables that feel like reissues of reissues, AVID’s Relveo is refreshingly original — and built like it means it.
For more information: AVID Relveo
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