An Esteemed British Hi-Fi Maker Just Gave Its Entry-Level Turntable a Standout Upgrade

The new model harnesses 40 years of the brand’s turntable expertise.

Published April 7, 2025

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Updated April 7, 2025

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Vertere Acoustics is a British audio company known for its extremely high-end, meticulously engineered turntables … which are well out of most people’s price range. For example, its flagship model, the RG-1 Reference Groove, goes for $33,495.

While still expensive, the company’s entry-level line of Dynamic Groove turntables are a little more attainable. Its DG-1 and DG-1S can cost between $4,000 and $9,000, depending on the tonearm and cartridge package.

Now, the high-end audio brand is replacing the DG-1S with a new Dynamic Groove turntable, which it’s calling its “most refined DG model to date.”

Vertere DG-X Dynamic Groove

Upgraded components

At first glance, the Vertere DG-X looks quite similar to its predecessor, the DG-1S. The belt-drive turntable has a striking design with a three-layer cast acrylic plinth — with a transparent middle layer with built-in lighting so that it illuminates while playing — along with the brand’s signature flat tonearm.

However, Vertere upgraded the DG-X with an improved motor drive, power supply, and suspension and gave it a more refined three-layer plinth structure. According to the brand, the updates help the DG-X turntable further “eliminate unwanted resonance and deliver fresh sound clarity.”

Additionally, the DG-X features a redesigned “Groove Runner X” tonearm and comes with a new Sabre Lite moving-magnet cartridge, the latter of which promises to be an improvement on the brand’s Magneto cartridge, which came with the DG-1S.

Plug-and-play ready

Aside from the upgraded components, the other big difference is that Vertere redesigned the DG-X to make assembly easy. The counterpoint, anti-skating and tonearm are all correctly set up to work with the cartridge out of the box. In fact, Vertere claims that the DG-X can be set up and ready to play in under 15 minutes.

Additionally, the Vertere DG-X has a modular design that makes it easy to upgrade various components (including the tonearm and the cartridge) in time. The tonearm is also detachable, so should you have to move the turntable, it’s not quite as precarious an endeavor.

Given the plug-and-play nature of the DG-X, as well as it still being one of the company’s most entry-level models, Vertere is marketing the turntable to vinyl enthusiasts who are “curious newcomers to seasoned audiophiles.”

Albeit, I doubt many “curious newcomers” will want to spend quite this much on a turntable.