Note: This guide was written in 2016 so some prices and information may have updated irl since then. The information is still useful.
Introductory FAQs #
So, does vinyl really sound better than digital?
This is a whole can of worms I’m not going to get into. Everything that has been written about the subject already has been written, including on this subreddit.
Why should I buy a turntable with a fancy counterweight and all that junk?
The most simple explanation is this: these features help ensure the best possible playback of your records. The least amount of skipping, the sound quality will be best, and the least amount of record wear. I go over these in the anatomy of a turntable section.
So does that mean “P-mount” turntables are bad?
Not necessarily. They’re definitely simpler, since they lack adjustments. The cartridge you use will be important. Some are made specifically for their tonearms, and some are just standard mount carts that have been adapted to fit in a P-mount tonearm. P-mount turntables are not in production any more. But they are definitely a step above turntables made today that lack adjustments.
What about turntables that have an adjustable counterweight, but not antiskate?
Some tonearms are designed not to need antiskate. So don’t dismiss a turntable simply for not having adjustable antiskate.
What’s the difference between the cartridge and stylus?
The stylus is inserted into the cartridge. It “reads” the groove and the cartridge picks this up, thus creating the audio signal. They are interchangeable, meaning if your stylus breaks you don’t need to replace the whole cartridge. (Remember, this is a guide for beginners, so I’m not getting into moving coil carts at the moment.)
Are belt drive turntables better than direct drive turntables or vice versa?
Neither is inherently better. There are good and bad designs of each.
Do I need a cueing lever?
No, but it makes placing the stylus down on the record much easier. This guarantees safety for your stylus and records.
What’s so special about a removable headshell?
It allows you to change cartridges much easier. If you don’t plan on swapping through cartridges, this shouldn’t bother you.
What’s a “phono preamp”?
When the album is being “cut”, it’s modified (via equalization) to boost high frequencies and reduce low frequencies. This helps to make the grooves smaller, and reduce surface noise. A phono preamp corrects this equalization (and provides gain) so the signal sounds right.
Where do I find one of these phono preamps?
Some turntables have them built in. So you could plug one of these turntables into your home theater stereo (for example) and be good to go. Most turntables do not have a built in phono preamp. Almost all vintage receivers and a few new ones have a “phono input”, which is the same as a phono preamp.
If my turntable doesn’t have USB output, how can I connect my turntable to my computer?
You can use an external USB audio device, or a phono preamp with USB output. More on this later.
Why do records have different “revolutions per minute”?
Think of it as bitrate and MP3s. Higher bitrate (or RPM) should sound better than lower bitrate. The trade off with a higher RPM is that it allows less time for the music on each side. That’s why 45 RPM editions of single LPs become double LPs.
How do I switch between the different speeds? And is 78 RPM playback necessary?
Most turntables made today allow you to change speeds by manually lifting the belt up and changing its position. Some turntables allow you to hit a button (or flip a switch) and you’re good to go. 78 RPM playback isn’t important unless you plan on listening to really old records, which aren’t made of vinyl at all. They’re made of another material, shellac.
But wait, I see 33 RPM and 33 1/3 RPM on different records?
They’re the same thing, it’s just short hand to leave off the “1/3”.
What’s important about pitch control and a strobe light?
These let you fine tune the speed to play at exactly at the desired speed. Or if you’re into messing around with the sound, you can make your records sound faster or slower
Anatomy of a Turntable #
What to Buy, What NOT to buy #
Recommended New Turntables Under $500 #
Note: Prices may differ since this guide was written.
Why Vintage? #
Why vintage?
Anyone who has been on this sub, or pretty much any vinyl related forum, will hear the recommendation to “go vintage” or “look used”. Vintage turntables are far cheaper than new ones, for the same quality. A vintage turntable that costs the same as a new turntable is likely to be a better turntable. Why is that? Well for starters, there is no set price for used items. Most people selling vintage turntables just want to get rid of them, and so you can end up with a quality turntable for cheap. Not every vintage turntable you find will cheap, but most times they’re cheap. With persistence and a bit of luck you can score one for a good price.
Are vintage turntables “good to go” like new turntables are?
No. Some will require minor work, and some might require more extensive work. I will discuss troubleshooting later on.
Where can I find vintage turntables?
If you’re in the US, your local craigslist is the obvious candidate to look for a turntable. Searching “turntable” will produce the most and best results. Other search criteria to consider are “record player”, “turn table”, “direct drive”, “belt drive”, or by brand such as “technics”. If you don’t live in a populated area, you might encounter some difficulty finding a quality vintage turntable on craigslist.
Countries outside the US have equivalents to craigslist: Canada has Kijiji, Australia and UK have Gumtree.
Other places to check are garage sales, flea markets, and thrift stores (such as Goodwill). For the first two, arriving early is crucial to getting the goods. Arrive at a garage sale or the flea market late, and you may have lost a great opportunity. Goodwills are random, from my experience. Getting there early is better on weekdays than on the weekend. New merchandise comes out randomly as well. If you finish work early, try going after work everyday for a week. Go straight to the electronics section.
If you know of any family members who have a turntable sitting around collecting dust, you can ask them about it. Don’t assume you can take it, however.
Finally, there’s eBay. However, problems associated with buying anything on eBay apply here as well. You don’t have the luxury of testing out the turntable. And then there’s been experiences of people ordering a turntable, only to have it get damaged in shipping. If you do go the eBay route, order from someone who is experienced with selling turntables on eBay.
Receivers, Speakers, and Phono Preamps #
Cartridges, Styli, and Headshells #
Tracking Force and Antiskate #
Tracking Force
Tracking force is the amount of force (in grams) that the stylus puts down on the record. Also known as VTF (Vertical Tracking Force). Proper set up of VTF is crucial to having your records sounding and playing good. Too little VTF and you’re likely to have skips, mistracking (when the stylus loses proper contact with the groove), and increased record wear. Too high VTF will also wear out your records, and will negatively impact the sound quality.
Many manufacturers recommend setting it at the middle of the range. So if your cartridge says 1.5 to 2.5 grams, set it at 2 grams. See how that works. If you’re experiencing distortion near the end of the record (also known as Inner Groove Distortion), then up the VTF and see if that helps.
Antiskating
Antiskate is a force that brings the tonearm towards the outside of the record. The idea being that without antiskate, the stylus will ride up against the left side of the groove. Antiskate will help keep the stylus centered in the middle.
Setting AS can be tricky. Setting it to equal the VTF is commonly done. I recommend the same for simplicity.
Cartridge Alignment #
Testing A Vintage Turntable Step 1 #
Testing a Vintage Turntable Step 1
First I check to see if the platter spins, and if it spins at the correct speed. Most turntables start their platter when the tonearm is placed over the platter. Some have a switch, button, or lever to start them.
Example 1: Sanyo Q25 Plus
Plugged it in, raised the cueing lever to the up position, and brought the tonearm over the platter. Platter started to spin, and I was able to verify that the speed was steady with the strobe light on the default 33 RPM. Switched to 45 RPM; also correct speed. This turntable is good to go to the next step.
Example 2: Sanyo TP1020
Plugged it in, raised the cueing lever to the up position, and brought the tonearm over the platter. Platter started to spin, BUT the speed would fluctuate every few seconds on the default 33 RPM. Switched to 45 RPM, and noticed the same speed instability. I played around with the pitch control, which did make it faster/slower. But the speed fluctuations continued. This turntable is not good to go to the next step, and I need to fix it.
Knowing that the TP1020 was a direct drive turntable, I searched Google for information on erratic direct drive speed. The solutions I found all pointed towards dirty speed pots. I did the same thing and it worked. I was able to verify that the speed was right with the strobe light. I later had this same exact problem with 2 other direct drive turntables. The same solution worked on them.
Example 3: MCS belt drive
Plugged it in, raised the cueing lever to the up position, and brought the tonearm over the platter. Platter did NOT start to spin. Switched to 45 RPM; same problem. Took the platter off to find that there was no belt connecting the motor to the subplatter. I was able to verify that the motor was working when I moved the tonearm over where the platter should be. Ok, so the motor isn’t at fault.
Solution? Bought a new belt. Fixed the problem. I wanted to make sure that the speed was right, but there was no strobe light. I downloaded an RPM calculator for iPhone called iRPM, and was able to verify the speed that way. There are similar apps for other phones.
Example 4: Dual 505-2
Plugged it in, raised the cueing lever to the up position, and brought the tonearm over the platter. Platter did NOT start to spin. Switched to 45 RPM; same problem. Checked to see if there was a belt attached to the motor and subplatter. There was a belt!
Obviously the problem couldn’t be a lack of a belt. So I did some research on the Dual 505 not starting. People said that the switch that engages the motor was stuck. Temporary solution was to rock the tonearm between rest and over the platter. Eventually this engaged the motor. It would still get stuck occasionally. The better long term solution was to take the turntable apart and spray Deoxit over the switch that engaged the motor. I also found this information online.
Even though there was a belt, I replaced it because it was old. After replacing the belt, I then verified the speed using the iRPM app.
Testing A Vintage Turntable Step 2 #
Testing a Vintage Turntable Step 2
Once we know that the turntable spins, we can do some preliminary play testing.
Example 1: Sanyo Q25 Plus. This turntable came with a cartridge on it, and the stylus appeared to be in good condition. I cannot assume it’s in good condition, and will just test it out on a worthless LP. Researched what cartridge and stylus was on it so I could find the recommended VTF. I mounted the cartridge in the middle of the headshell and set the VTF to the middle of the range, with the antiskate to the same. Played a record all the way through without problems. Auto-return kicked in at the end of the LP. Played it again just to make sure, and again it worked fine.
The results were all pretty much the same with my Sanyo TP1020, MCS, and Dual. Except if the turntable came without a cartridge or the stylus was destroyed, then I used a spare cart to test it out.
Ok, let’s look at some hypothetical scenarios.
No sound. Record plays, but you’re getting absolutely no sound? First, rule out the rest of your equipment. Try a known working source (i.e. CD/DVD player) with known working speakers. Redo all the connections, from turntable to receiver, to make sure everything is plugged in right.
Still no sound? Test the continuity to ensure the signal from headshell wires to RCA plugs is working. If there is continuity from headshell wires to RCA plugs, then the cartridge is at fault. However, it’s very unlikely for a cartridge to fail. If there isn’t continuity between headshell wires, then the problem lies in the tonearm wires, or the RCA cables.
Sound is present, but it sounds all quiet and tinny. Culprit is that the signal is not getting any phono preamplification.
*If you’re using a receiver with a phono input, ensure that the turntable is plugged into this input and not another input.
*If you’re using an external phono preamp, ensure that it’s turned on.
*If you’re using a turntable with a phono preamp built in, make sure it’s turned on.
Sound is REALLY loud and distorted. This happens when the phono preamplification is being doubled.
- If your turntable has a built in phono preamp, make sure that it’s turned off if it’s plugged into a phono input. If it’s turned on, it cannot be plugged into a phono input.
- If you’re using an external phono preamp, make sure it’s not plugged into a phono input.
- Review Receivers, Speakers, and Phono Preamps
There’s a loud hum. Sounds like your ground wire isn’t properly connected.
Do’s and Don’ts of Vinyl #
Treat your records and set up well! This may be a little obsessive, but this is a finicky format.
Do read the manual to your turntable (if available). Check vinylengine.com
Don’t not learn the inner workings of your turntable
Do research and ask for help when something isn’t working
Don’t go in feet first tearing apart your turntable
Do hold your records correctly
Don’t put your greasy fingers on the grooves.
Do store your records vertically
Don’t stack your records horizontally
Do keep your components separate
Don’t stack your components
Do keep your speakers off the same surface of the turntable
Don’t put your speakers right next to the turntable
Do keep your records clean
Don’t let them get dirty
Do use a stylus that’s known to be in good condition
Don’t use a questionable stylus
Do use a brush every time you play a record
Don’t play the record with dust on it
Don’t half ass it
Don’t just guess the alignment
(P-mount owners can ignore that last one)