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Turntables
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Before the advent of iPods and MP3 and before even the CD, vinyl records were the music format of choice for music lovers around the world. Many feel that the unique analogue sound of records is still better than CD or MP3, which might just explain the turntables enduring appeal. After a low point in the mid-1990's turntables have begun a renaissance. If current trends continue, then it could only be a matter of a few years time before sales of turntables actually outperform CD players again! In order to buy the right turntable for you, we need to take a look at what makes a turntable and the different types available.
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Belt drive turntables
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As the name suggests, this uses a belt, connected between the motor and platter in order to 'spin the deck'. The vast majority of turntables use this type of drive mechanism and for good reason. The rubber belt not only drives the platter but also absorbs vibrations from the motor, helping to promote a quieter, lower distortion sound quality. Belts are also very cheap and easy to replace. More advanced belt-drive turntables might feature enhanced engineering solutions such as a decoupled motor unit and/or suspended chassis. A decoupled motor means that the motor unit is mounted in its own separate casing. This has no physical contact with the rest of the turntable (except the belt) making for even greater isolation and better sound quality. A suspended, rather than solid, chassis makes the turntable less susceptible to external sources of vibration. If you're putting your turntable on a piece of furniture rather than a dedicated wall shelf, it may be worth choosing a suspended design.
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Direct drive turntables
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The only disadvantage with belt drive turntables is that they can be slow to start and stop. This is frustrating for DJs and is the reason why most professional turntables are direct drive. With the motor working directly beneath the record, torque is far stronger and, therefore, start and stop times are dramatically reduced. The downside is that vibration is more likely to occur, compromising the sound quality. For this reason we recommend using a belt drive turntable for domestic use. The only exception to this is the limited number of turntables that use an electro-magnetic drive system. This is fast and contact-less for perfect isolation. It’s also expensive and, again, unnecessary for domestic use.
There are two further parts to the turntable that make up a complete package; they are the tonearm and cartridge.
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Tonearm
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The tonearm is the arm part of a record deck and has the important task of holding the cartridge correctly and ensuring it tracks properly. As with all parts of a turntable, better sounding tonearms are better engineered. A tonearm won’t usually sound better with extra features but it will if it’s precision built.
What to look for:
A superior quality and, hence, better sounding tonearm will usually feature a one piece arm tube. This means that the entire length of the arm tube has been fabricated or cast from a single piece of metal - usually aluminium for light weight. In some cases the arm tube may be made from carbon fibre. At worst, the arm tube will be made from moulded plastic, which is far from ideal in terms of sonic ability. A good quality bearing is also important although this is harder to check - here it’s best to rely on product reviews. The quality of the cable passing through the arm tube is also important. Look out for mention of silver-plated copper cable and also look for RCA phono sockets that allow you to use your own interconnect from the base of the tonearm, rather than poor quality ‘static’ interconnects. All good quality turntables also offer the following adjustments.
Tracking weight
A rear-mounted counter weight lets you adjust the weight to match the cartridge used. Generally, an under-slung or off-axis counter weight will sound slightly better as it lowers the centre of gravity, allowing the cartridge to track the grooves of the record more faithfully. Adjust the tracking weight to the specification of the cartridge - usually around 1.5 grams.
Anti-skating
The tonearm's natural inertia would allow it to 'skate' across the record. For this reason a counter force is required. This is known as anti-skating. Anti-skating should be set to the same value as the tracking weight. For example, if the tracking weight is 1.5 grams, set the anti-skating to 1.5. Adjustment is either by a small wheel that activates a counter spring or by a tiny weight suspended by wire. In some cases, turntables may also feature a height adjustable arm. This is known as...
VTA - Vertical Tracking Angle
This allows for height adjustment of the tonearm to suit different heights of cartridge or even thicknesses of platter mat. The aim is to keep the tonearm as level as possible when playing a record. Too high at the back and the bass will sound overblown. Too low and you risk mis-tracking and a lightweight bass.
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Cartridge
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The cartridge is the small block at the record end of the tonearm. It’s the body that holds the diamond stylus and translates vibrations from this into a (weak) electrical signal. Generally speaking, there are two types of stylus.
MM - Moving Magnet
The most popular type of cartridge is identified by the removable stylus.
MC - Moving Coil
Generally gives a higher quality sound but output is even lower than MM and you can’t replace the stylus - annoying when a new cartridge costs upwards of £200!
Whatever the cartridge it must be correctly aligned within the tonearm. Special templates are available for this and usually supplied with the turntable or tonearm.
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Phono stage
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When using a turntable, it's always important to make sure you have a phono stage somewhere in the loop. The output from a record deck is far lower than from any other source and therefore needs amplifying further. A phono stage, or pre-amp, can be built into the turntable or amplifier or is available as a separate standalone unit - ask in-store for advice. Make sure that the phono stage you use matches your cartridge. For example, an MC cartridge requires an MC phono stage.
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Other features to look for
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The best sounding turntables are usually the most simple but there are a few other features that you may want to consider:
USB socket
A USB socket lets you connect the turntable straight into your home computer. This can be useful if you want to transfer your vinyl on to your PC's hard drive. Matching software is usually included with USB turntables. Also, nearly all turntables that have a USB socket also have a built-in phono stage.
Pitch control
As the name suggests, this lets you adjust the pitch of the music. It can be useful for DJs and music and dance teachers but has little use on domestic turntables.
Speed adjustment
All turntables play 33rpm records. If you want to play singles (45s), or even 78s, then you need a turntable with speed adjustment. In some cases this is done by moving the belt from one pulley to another. In others a mechanical or electrical switch makes the adjustment. Although it might seem crude, physically moving the belt is usually the best option as it�s reliable and won�t affect the sound quality! Some turntables will also play 78 discs. Be aware, though, that for the correct sound you�ll usually need to change the stylus or cartridge to a special 78rpm compatible one.
Visit any one of our 52 stores nationwide if you have any further queries on audio visual, flat screen TV or turntables. As always, Richer Sounds aims to stock a wide variety of turntables and you can check our comprehensive range at our website www.richersounds.com
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