Post by davidf on Jul 12, 2017 11:20:06 GMT
Just a few hints and tips to help you get the most out of your turntable and record collection (updated 23/3/2018):
A high quality, sturdy equipment stand is a must if your living room has a suspended wooden floor. Most turntables have a certain amount of vibration absorption via their feet or use a spring suspended plinth, but if the tone-arm is wavering around, it makes it harder for the stylus to track the groove accurately.
Preferably, invest in a wall shelf to remove any possibility of vibrations and resonances reaching the deck via the floor.
Try and keep the turntable interconnect away from mains cables to minimise any possible interference.
Invest in some good quality accessories to keep your records in top condition. If your records aren't up to scratch, the turntable can't make up for it!
On that note, if you have a large collection, it would be worth investing in an electronic vacuum record cleaner - you'll be surprised just how much better some of your older albums can sound! and the more records you have, the more cost effective the machine will be - many places will charge you about £1 per record with these types of cleaners.
A magnifying glass is worth investing in to keep an eye on your stylus - this allows you to see if it's in need of cleaning, or if it's showing signs of wear.
Invest in some decent accessories to help with cartridge alignment and weighting. Getting these right is of THE utmost importance.
Make sure the stand/shelf the turntable is sitting on is level - use a spirit level to ensure this.
And if the deck itself has adjustable feet, make sure the deck itself is level.
If you use a separate phono stage, try not to sit this on top of other electronics, especially amplifiers as you'll be inviting interference.
Little accessories like a record clamp/weight can make quite a difference.
If your turntable has a rubber mat, change it for a different one - there are a number of different mats out there made of wool, cork, acrylic etc, and they can have a surprising effect on the overall sound. Some absorb more vibration than rubber ones, and improve the overall sound of the turntable.
Sometimes, a rubber mat is integral to the functioning of the deck, so as long as your deck allows arm height adjustment, using a soft mat on top of the rubber mat can bring benefits, or at the very least, give you a different sound.
If it still doesn't sound any good, buy a VPI Prime. Only joking. But not really.
Regards
davidf
A high quality, sturdy equipment stand is a must if your living room has a suspended wooden floor. Most turntables have a certain amount of vibration absorption via their feet or use a spring suspended plinth, but if the tone-arm is wavering around, it makes it harder for the stylus to track the groove accurately.
Preferably, invest in a wall shelf to remove any possibility of vibrations and resonances reaching the deck via the floor.
Try and keep the turntable interconnect away from mains cables to minimise any possible interference.
Invest in some good quality accessories to keep your records in top condition. If your records aren't up to scratch, the turntable can't make up for it!
On that note, if you have a large collection, it would be worth investing in an electronic vacuum record cleaner - you'll be surprised just how much better some of your older albums can sound! and the more records you have, the more cost effective the machine will be - many places will charge you about £1 per record with these types of cleaners.
A magnifying glass is worth investing in to keep an eye on your stylus - this allows you to see if it's in need of cleaning, or if it's showing signs of wear.
Invest in some decent accessories to help with cartridge alignment and weighting. Getting these right is of THE utmost importance.
Make sure the stand/shelf the turntable is sitting on is level - use a spirit level to ensure this.
And if the deck itself has adjustable feet, make sure the deck itself is level.
If you use a separate phono stage, try not to sit this on top of other electronics, especially amplifiers as you'll be inviting interference.
Little accessories like a record clamp/weight can make quite a difference.
If your turntable has a rubber mat, change it for a different one - there are a number of different mats out there made of wool, cork, acrylic etc, and they can have a surprising effect on the overall sound. Some absorb more vibration than rubber ones, and improve the overall sound of the turntable.
Sometimes, a rubber mat is integral to the functioning of the deck, so as long as your deck allows arm height adjustment, using a soft mat on top of the rubber mat can bring benefits, or at the very least, give you a different sound.
If it still doesn't sound any good, buy a VPI Prime. Only joking. But not really.
Regards
davidf