Dual CS 618Q
Richard from Broken Arrow, OK on 3/20/2023
The Dual CS 618Q is a beast of a machine. I got this to upgrade from a Goldring GR1 I bought in 2004. The Dual comes in three finishes. I went with the high gloss black and it is stunning to look at. Very elegant. The fit and finish and build quality are outstanding. It comes with a Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge that is pre-mounted to the headshell and the cartridge/headshell plugs into the tonearm. I had to balance the tonearm and set the tracking. The record won't start to spin until you move the tonearm off the tonearm rest and move it over to the record. When the tonearm reaches the end of a record and spins ten revolutions the tonearm will raise up off the record and shut off. However, there is an on/off switch on the back if you don't want to use that function. The tonearm will have to manually be put back onto the tonearm rest next to the cue lever. The dust cover and hinges work and fit perfectly and it can be removed from the turntable. It also has a phono-pre amp that has an on/off switch. It's a little pricey but the turntable and cartridge sound and look great. It is made in Germany and does what it was designed and built to do - spin vinyl and It does that very well. I play everything from classical to Jimi Hendrix, jazz to the Beatles and it all sounds better than ever. Anyone looking for a semi-auto, mid to highend, direct drive turntable, with a top of the line cartridge I would highly recommend the Dual CS 618Q.
Pros: Fit and finish and build quality. Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge. Great look and wonderful sound.
Cons: Little pricey but you get what you pay for.
1 of 1 found this helpful
Amazing is not enough
Crutchfield customer from MATTHEWS, NC on 3/16/2023
Wow, is all I can say. This is my first "new" turntable, since I bought my last one in the 1980's. Since then I have always bought used vintage turntables. This unit is remarkable. I love every feature, including the fact that they did not skimp on a quality cartridge/stylus. The Ortofon 2M Blue brings music to life! I have a feeling this unit will outlive me, and become a family heirloom.
Pros: - Everything - I did not think I needed a turntable with built-in phono preamplifier, but this allows me to plug in two turntables and compare sound!
Cons: None
1 of 1 found this helpful
Excellent TT
Omar from Mount Juliet, TN on 3/14/2023
After many weeks of internet search, I decided to buy the CS 618Q. Mainly because of the finish and the Ortofon Blue cartridge . The experience with Crutchfield as always A++, the experience with the CS 618Q, so far excellent sound, easy to set up and looks great too. The sound of the mid range is just mind blowing (maybe due to the ortofon blue cartridge) but the plate spin very stable, noise isolation of the TT is really great, I tapped on the table and nothing is going into my speakers anymore. Overall a solid turn table, well built and produce nothing but clear sound with no distractions.
Pros: Beautiful finish, ortofon blue cartridge included, easy to set up, great isolation from external noise, sounds great. Noise isolation feet.
Cons: Not easy to label, feet's don't since to be adjustable.
0 of 1 found this helpful
Dual CS 618Q
Crutchfield customer from Bristol, RI on 1/19/2023
I spent the better part of 2 months researching turntables, those that are sold by Crutchfield and those that aren't. I considered buying the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO turntable or the Pro-Ject Debut Pro Turntable but changed my mind because they use an anti-skating weight that could fall off instead of an anti-skating dial and because the Sumiko Rainier cartridge, although good, was considered to be inferior to the Ortofon 2M Blue by online reviewers. Also, the Dual has auto stop and auto lift whereas the Pro-Jects don't. I hadn't played my record collection in nearly 40 years and was a bit nervous that the sound would be awful when they would be played on a new turntable with a high-quality cartridge. I am happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised when I began playing my records. The sound was magnificent! It rivals what is heard from CDs and in many cases is better. The turntable/cartridge pair is somewhat expensive but definitely worth its price. As always, kudos to Crutchfield for how they do business. I like the fact that they have the owner's manuals available for all their products under the "What's In the Box" section. This gives buyers a heads-up while waiting for their equipment to arrive.
Pros: Excellent cartridge Good build quality Direct drive Auto stop/lift.
Cons: Somewhat expensive.
4 of 4 found this helpful
Dual CS618Q
Arthur from Austin, TX on 1/19/2023
Manageable weight, good sound, easy setup with basic experience. I like it.
Pros: German; better than basic cartridge
Cons: None known at this time
1 of 1 found this helpful
Dual
Crutchfield customer from Bella Vista, AR on 1/10/2023
It was time to replace my stylus on my AudioTech table, and I have been wanting a high-end, quality turntable with an auto-lift function so I didn't get sidetracked and have my vinyl and stylus compromised by spinning on the exit grooves for 1/2hr until I remember what I was doing - The huge bonus was getting Dual quality and a new Ortofon 2M Blue - My vinyl collection is VERY happy. Great turntable for the money - No Cons so far.
Pros: Comes with factory-installed Ortofon 2M Blue with the stable audio improvement of a solid Dual platform -
Cons: NONE
3 of 3 found this helpful
awesome turntable!!!!!
Jon from Marion, IA on 12/23/2022
The Duel is awesome highs midrange and lows are very clear I really like auto stop tone arm lift and direct drive motor the wait was a long time to be available but it was worth it.
Pros: Everything is AWESOME!!!
Cons: No cons
0 of 1 found this helpful
Dual CS 618Q
Leland from Horton, MI on 12/15/2022
7 of 8 found this helpful
Dual CS 618Q
Frank from Hermosa Beach, CA on 12/14/2022
2 of 4 found this helpful
