Getting the most from your turntable, and record collection.

Just a few hints and tips to help you get the most out of your turntable and record collection.

Records can sound amazing. Better than many people think they can sound, but it's very easy to end up with the opposite experience. Make sure your turntable is working the best it can - it's a precision piece of engineering. Unless it's got Crosley written on it.

Firstly, your choice of turntable will directly affect the quality you can obtain from your records. As mentioned, turntables rely on precision engineering to sound good, so "you get what you pay for" is a very relevant statement.

Many 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 because of walking on a suspended wooden floor, it makes it harder for the stylus to track the groove accurately. There are isolation platforms and feet that can be added to help reduce or eliminate vibrations, but it might be worth investing in a wall mount shelf to remove any possibility of vibrations and resonances reaching the deck via the floor.

Make sure the stand/shelf the turntable is sitting on is level - use a spirit level to ensure this. If the deck itself has adjustable feet, make sure the deck itself sits level, even if the surface it sits on is not.

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 and stylus in top condition. If your records aren't up to scratch or the stylus that sits in those grooves, 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 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 £1-2 per record to clean them with these types of cleaners, so long term, would be a good investment.

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.

Different types of cartridge stylus have an ideal usage window where you're getting the best from them - after that, wear will start to degrade your listening sessions. As recommended by Audio Technica:

conical stylus - around 500 hours

elliptical stylus - around 300 hours

microlinear stylus - around 1000 hours

shibata stylus - around 800 hours

The above may be less of an issue for Moving Magnet cartridges where the stylus can easily be replaced, but Moving Coil cartridges don't have that luxury - although some manufacturers offer a trade in discount on a replacement cartridge.

Based on the above, factor in the cost of regular replacement when purchasing a cartridge. If you play for say, 1000 hours a year, buy a microlinear stylus, or three elliptical styli for the same period of time.

Keeping your vinyl clean helps extend the life of your stylus...

Invest in some decent accessories to help with cartridge alignment and weighting. Getting these right is of THE utmost importance.

If you use a separate phono stage, try not to sit this on top of other electronics such as amplifiers, or too close to the turntable as you'll be inviting interference.

Small accessories such a record clamp/weight can make quite a difference.

If your turntable has a rubber mat, consider changing it for a different one - there are a number of different mats out there made of wool, cork, acrylic etc, and all can have a surprising effect on the overall sound. Some absorb more vibration than others, some decouple the record from the platter more, some dampen the platter more etc etc, and some might suit your turntable better than others.

Look after your stylus and it'll look after your records. Look after your records and they'll last you a lifetime.

Feel free to contact us for any advice.

davidf

info@thelittleaudiostore.co.uk

david@thelittleaudio.company