Basis Audio Bravo
The Bravo delivers a natural, spacious vinyl presentation, combining rock-solid speed stability with strikingly low mechanical noise. The Absolute Sound found its sound pure, warm, airy and dynamically assured, while the Bravo Vector arm tracked demanding records securely. A compact, meticulously engineered route to Basis’ refined, source-disappearing character.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
96/100
Build Quality
94/100
Features Usability
88/100
Value for Money
85/100
Pros
Natural, warm and airy presentation with a broad, deep soundstage, fine articulation and convincing dynamic layering.
Exceptional speed stability and precise timing, supported by the carefully engineered bearing, motor and belt system.
Bravo Vector tonearm tracks superbly without reported mistracking on dynamically challenging records.
Highly non-resonant acrylic construction helps deliver an unusually quiet background with minimal mechanical artifacts.
Cons
The unsuspended design may vary more with stand, room and placement than Basis models using the Resonance Annihilator suspension.
Compared with the higher-level 2200/Vector 4, it gives up some harmonic complexity, dynamic impact, resolution and image flesh-out.
The Bravo Vector lacks the Vector 4’s VTA micrometer, making repeatable VTA adjustment less precise.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 96/100
The Bravo/Vector is described as exceptionally natural, open and finely resolved, with a large yet intimate soundstage and convincing dynamic expression. Its stable drive, quiet mechanical behavior and secure-tracking Vector arm help it disappear as a source, leaving low-level detail, tonal color and musical flow intact.
Overall Sound
96/100
The Absolute Sound calls the presentation “wonderfully natural,” balanced, airy, warm and three-dimensional, with exceptional continuity across a broad and deep soundstage. Listening examples praise its purity, intimacy, articulation, dynamic layering and ability to reveal the scale of demanding orchestral music without strain.
Speed Stability
97/100
The bearing, motor and belt system are credited with unwavering speed stability, clarity in backgrounds and low-level detail, and an absence of cogging effects. The reviewer also heard precise starts and stops, supporting the impression of highly assured timing.
Tonearm Performance
95/100
The supplied Vector arm is said to be free of bearing chatter and to track superbly. The reviewer reports no mistracking even on dynamically challenging records, and finds that the Bravo Vector retains much of the performance associated with the higher Vector 4.
Noise Isolation
96/100
The reviewer found the subchassis and platter effectively silent when tapped, describing a striking absence of audible resonance. Basis’ design is also credited with a remarkable lack of groove-related and other electromechanically induced noise or artifacts.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
94/100
Basis uses stress-relieved solid acrylic blocks for both the subchassis and platter, which the review describes as highly non-resonant. The bearing, motor and belt implementation are also presented as carefully engineered, with performance that supports the deck’s exceptionally quiet and stable operation.
Features Usability
88/100
This is a focused, high-end belt-drive design with 33 and 45rpm operation rather than a convenience-led turntable. The Bravo was specifically developed with a smaller footprint and a simpler setup procedure than other Basis models, while retaining the Reflex Clamp and Vector tonearm package.
Value for Money
85/100
At $13,700 as reviewed with the Bravo Vector arm, the Bravo is positioned as Basis’ entry-level model; a Vector 4-equipped version was listed at $16,000. The review says it was created to bring the company’s established performance to a wider audience at a relatively more affordable price, but does not directly compare its value with competing turntables.
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Specifications
- Type
- Belt-drive, unsuspended turntable
- Speeds
- 33, 45rpm
- Dimensions
- 17″ x 15″ x 5.5″
- Weight
- 28 lbs. including Reflex Clamp and Vector tonearm
Manufacturer's Description — Basis Audio
The Bravo turntable and Vector tonearm offer legendary performance in a smaller package. Enjoy the true musicality and neutral playback that come from Basis Audio’s commitment to extreme levels of precision and exacting execution of designs based on the fundamentals of physics and a love of music.
The Bravo turntable bearing is a high-precision oil-well design that has been proven in other Basis turntables to operate smoothly for decades. The bearings are carefully tested with matching platters and precision ground belts for unwavering speed stability.
The Bravo benefits from an AC synchronous motor with custom magnet assembly used in other Basis turntables for reduced vibration. The only way to have a smoother and quieter motor is with the Basis Synchro-Wave Power Supply. The Bravo motor is freestanding and can be placed either behind the platter or to the left side of the turntable.
The Bravo subchassis is machined from cast acrylic, which provides a rigid, stable, non-resonant support for the bearing and tonearm. The polished clear acrylic is beautiful on its own, or the Bravo turntable can be customized with a blue, red, or black color plate.
The Vector tonearm, first developed by Basis over 25 years ago, continues to be one of the most neutral, well damped tonearms made so any cartridge can perform optimally. The Vector tracks perfectly even the most demanding musical passages. The custom tonearm cable was designed for perfect signal transmission and greater clarity.
Together the Bravo turntable and Vector tonearm bring the music to life with a natural and effortless sound.
“Basis ‘tables and ‘arms are revered for their exceptional ability to get out of the way and reveal new insights into their owners’ record collections. The word “revelation” is frequently used to describe people’s first (and ongoing) encounters with Basis designs.”
– Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound, Issue 341
Products
Basis Bravo Turntable Package includes Bravo Vector Tonearm and Reflex Clamp
Color options: Blue, Red, Black, or Clear
Recommended upgrades:
Vector 4 tonearm with VTA micrometer and Synchro-Wave Power Supply
Verified Dealers
Online Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Basis Audio Bravo
- American Sound — in-store — Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Galen Carol Audio — online and in-store — San Antonio, Texas, United States (website)
- Glenn Poors AV — in-store — Champaign, Illinois, United States (website)
- Goodwin's High End — online and in-store — Waltham, Massachusetts, United States (website)
- HiFi Sound — in-store — Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States (website)
- LP Gear — online and in-store — Henderson, Nevada, United States (website)
- Optimal Enchantment — in-store — Los Angeles, California, United States (website)
- Stereo Squares — online and in-store — Michigan City, Indiana, United States (website)
- Take 5 Audio — in-store — Southbury, Connecticut, United States (website)