{"id":28555,"date":"2012-11-09T17:24:18","date_gmt":"2012-11-09T23:24:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artofmanliness.com\/?p=28555"},"modified":"2021-06-04T20:01:58","modified_gmt":"2021-06-05T01:01:58","slug":"a-beginners-guide-to-buying-your-first-turntable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/lifestyle\/gear\/a-beginners-guide-to-buying-your-first-turntable\/","title":{"rendered":"A Beginner\u2019s Guide to Buying Your First Turntable"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Women<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note: This is a guest post from Cameron Schaefer<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

So, you\u2019ve decided to get into vinyl. Perhaps the story I shared last month about my own journey into record collecting<\/a> piqued your interest. Maybe you inherited a great collection from a family member or got inspired by the collection of a friend. No matter what your path was to get here, the first hurdle most people must clear is that of buying a turntable. As with any electronic equipment, the options are endless, price range vast, and feature sets diverse. With no past experience the process can be a little intimidating, but fear not. I was in the position of clueless beginner a short time ago and can report back that once you learn a little lingo and make a few decisions regarding your needs and desires, there are a lot of really great turntables out there just waiting to find a cherished place in your home.<\/p>\n

Note: This guide is not for those wanting to DJ, scratch, etc. While some of the turntables covered below would work for that sort of thing, it\u2019s a completely different area of expertise. What we\u2019re focusing on is beginner audiophile turntables. \u201cAudiophile\u201d is a fancy way of saying people who are interested in producing the highest quality sound.<\/em><\/p>\n

Basic Components of a Turntable<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Image Source<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

While one doesn\u2019t need an engineer\u2019s knowledge of turntable design, it\u2019s good to have a basic understanding of the main components and how they work since they will pop up routinely in the discussion. In short, a turntable\u2019s sole purpose is to put a needle on a record to produce music. Seems simple enough, but when you take into account that a single record groove is smaller than the width of a human hair, you start to understand the importance of precision in such an operation. When someone pays $5,000 for a turntable, much of what they\u2019re paying for is nothing more than increased precision and stability. With those two factors in mind, the following are the key components that go into re-creating the sound contained on the record with as much accuracy as possible.<\/p>\n

Plinth (Base) \u2013 <\/strong>The foundation of the turntable that supports the rest of the components. Generally, the base has feet attached to it to help ensure stability (which is key to good playback). The plinth can be made from a variety of materials including wood, plastic, or metal.<\/p>\n

Platter \u2013 <\/strong>The rotating component upon which the record rests\/spins. In general, the heavier the better (less vibration). It is powered by the motor and generally has a mat that is placed between its surface and that of the record. The mat provides a cushion for the record, provides grip, and also helps with vibration dampening. The speed of the platter must be set to match the cut of the record (33RPM, 45RPM, 78RPM). The vast majority of turntables will play both 33RPM and 45RPM, but one often has to buy a modification kit or buy a separate turntable to play the older 78RPM format.<\/p>\n

Tonearm \u2013 <\/strong>The arm that swings out over the record and allows the needle to make contact with the vinyl as it spins. The arm is designed not only to get the needle on the record, but also to maintain a consistent sound\/speed on both the outer and inner circumference of the record. If the design of the arm is poor it might sound slow on the outer tracks and fast on the inner ones. The cueing device (the part that holds the tonearm) is the mechanism that lifts and lowers the tonearm and is a fairly sophisticated piece of machinery that should be handled with care. The job of the cueing device is to provide smooth initial contact with the record without any lateral movement (so you don\u2019t scratch across your vinyl). The cueing process can be automatic (push start and it does everything by itself) or manual (user places arm over record). Audiophiles tend to prefer manual because there are less parts to disturb the tonearm\u2019s motion.<\/p>\n

Cartridge\/Stylus \u2013 <\/strong>This one can be confusing because a lot of terms here are used interchangeably to mean the same thing when people speak in generalities. A stylus is commonly referred to as a needle, and a cartridge is the housing that supports the stylus. People often use the term cartridge when really they just mean stylus. At any rate,when discussing turntables, the old-hands often say the same thing, \u201cSpend some extra money to get a good cartridge.\u201d Since the cartridge houses the stylus, which is the only part of the turntable actually making contact with each tiny sonic groove on the record, it makes sense that even slight upgrades to this component can make substantial improvements in sound quality. With that said, many turntables offer a high-quality cartridge and stylus as part of their basic package.  Just remember, the cartridge should only need to be replaced if you are making specific upgrades or if it is obviously damaged. Your stylus, however, might need to be upgraded due to degradation that may not be visible.<\/p>\n

The Endless Quest for Sonic Perfection<\/strong><\/h3>\n

People will say that vinyl isn\u2019t as good as digital alternatives because of the multiple points of sound degradation that can occur along the path from the record to the ear of the listener: breakdown of vinyl, needle degradation, equipment quality, receiver quality, speakers, etc. We\u2019re happy to report that they are all correct! There are a lot of possible places where sound quality can leak, but that doesn\u2019t deter us in our effort for a listening experience that is far superior to laptop speakers and iPods when it\u2019s done even halfway well. We\u2019re talking about shifting the focus of the music experience from whatever is on<\/em> to exactly<\/em> what you want to be hearing \u2013 which is about deep, active listening and enjoyment. Yes, the nicer the quality of all the equipment you get, the more enjoyment you might get out of it at some point. But, there is also something to be said about very basic setups that just produce the sound nicely and allow a delightful experience. It\u2019s a hobby, friends, there is no “finished.”<\/p>\n

Buying a New Turntable<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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While there are many great turntables to be had on the used market, the piece of mind that comes with buying a new turntable and knowing that it has never been touched, dropped, or mishandled is often worth a great deal. Before heading off to your nearest record or electronics store it\u2019s a good idea to have answered on your own, even if loosely, the following questions:<\/p>\n

1) Price Range<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 As with most things in life you get what you pay for. However, the great thing about vinyl is that it can be experienced with abundant pleasure even with a very basic setup. You have to start somewhere and many audiophiles and sound enthusiasts with systems in the tens of thousands of dollars look back fondly at their initial turntable\/stereo setups as the birthplace of a lifelong passion.<\/p>\n

A few price ranges to be aware of:<\/p>\n

Sub-$100<\/strong>: There are a multitude of low-budget turntables that will accomplish the basic tasks of getting needle to record. If you\u2019re looking to dip your toes in the water without a large commitment, one of these might be a good option. However, be aware that with a low-end table you will often be sacrificing a certain amount of sound quality. As we mentioned earlier, it would be a terrible shame to decide the format wasn\u2019t for you simply because much of the magic was being zapped by a poor quality turntable. Additionally, the ability to upgrade individual components is often quite limited with lower-budget tables, meaning if you want to upgrade you\u2019ll likely need to buy a whole new turntable.<\/p>\n

$300-$500:<\/strong> This is really the sweet spot for beginner audiophile turntables. The sonic difference between many of the offerings in this price range and that of sub-$100 will be distinct in most cases. Additionally, the turntables in this price range will often be configured to allow for a multitude of performance upgrades for individual components (cartridge, belt, stylus, etc.). A couple of Google searches and you will quickly find that three turntables in this price range continually pop up as leaders in both value and performance, and any of them make a fine first turntable:<\/p>\n