AR XA

About the AR XA

The Acoustic Research AR XA is a classic manual, belt‑drive turntable featuring a three‑point, spring‑suspended subchassis that isolates the platter and tonearm from motor and external vibrations. It uses a low‑power AC synchronous motor driving a lightweight two‑piece aluminum platter via a rubber belt, a design that yields very low rumble and wow & flutter and meets or exceeds NAB broadcast standards for speed accuracy and noise performance. The integrated AR tonearm is a simple, neutral‑balance, manual arm with basic tracking force adjustment and no conventional anti‑skate, emphasizing low mass and rigidity over additional features. Introduced in the early 1960s (commonly cited as 1961) at a very low price, the AR XA became highly regarded for its sound quality, engineering, and value, and is widely recognized as one of the most significant suspended‑subchassis belt‑drive turntables of all time. It is a historical/vintage model and is no longer in production.