Find advice from maPlatine.com to guide you in purchasing your firstvinyl turntable.
Are you a young (or not so young) neophyte? You would like to acquire a vinyl turntable for the first time and like many others are you a little lost? Here is a short guide to give you some purchasing advice on your first vinyl turntable. We will explain which vinyl turntable to choose based on your needs or your budget. What accessories you will need among thehi-fi cells, THEphono preamplifiers, THEcables… We try to answer them here to help you in your choice.
1. Why a vinyl turntable?
2. A vinyl turntable okay, but how to choose?
A. Direct drive or belt drive turntable?
B. Automatic, semi-automatic or manual vinyl turntable?
3. Now that I have my turntable, what else do I need to make it work?
A. The essentials
B. The interview
C. Adjustment tools
1. Why a vinyl turntable?
With the return of vinyl to the market and the flight from dematerialized everything, many artists are releasing their albums in LP versions in stores. Analog is also significantly superior in terms of musicality compared to what a digital source can provide.
If you want to take advantage ofyour favorite groups in the best possible conditions, so on vinyl records, you need to have avinyl turntable !
2. A vinyl turntable okay, but how to choose?
2.1. Direct drive or belt drive turntable?
- Direct training:
This type of training is mainly used on vinyl turntables for DJ and/or radio purposes. The motor is directly associated with the spindle of the turntable which allows instant starts and stops of the latter and of course this allows certain mixing techniques used by DJs (scratch, etc.).
- Belt drive:
On this type ofvinyl turntable, the motor is not linked to the axis of the plate but it is fixed or suspended on the vinyl turntable, or even outside it and causes the rotation of the platter (on which your disc rests) via abelt. This relatively simple principle nevertheless remains musically and technically the most accomplished and the most efficient for domestic and high-fidelity listening.
2.2. Automatic, semi-automatic or manual vinyl turntable?
-The automatic vinyl turntable:
With a automatic vinyl turntable Simply choose the playback format (33t/45t/78t) via a selector and press the “On” button. The arm will operate on its own and will come to rest naturally on the vinyl record at the first song. When the side has been read, it will stand up on its own and return to its support, turning off the motor and therefore the rotation of the plate. Some manufacturers, among others the famousThorens brand, offer vinyl turntables completely automated: Thorens TD 102 A vinyl turntable ;Dual CS 529 BT vinyl turntable…
-The semi-automatic vinyl turntable:
This type of vinyl turntable is very close to themanual vinyl turntable since it contains 90% of the elements. We only added a mechanism that allows him to raise his arm and stop the plate at the end of reading. But it's up to you to put the tone arm back on its support. These types of vinyl turntables often have an audiophile vocation and are mainly represented today by brands Technics (Technics SL-100 C turntable) AndDual (Dual CS 618 Q turntable).
-The manual vinyl turntable:
The manual vinyl turntable alone represents 98% of the audiophile market. As its name suggests, there is no mechanism to assist you in positioning the arm, changing it or stopping the plate. You will have to carry out all these tasks manually yourself and due to their very simple mechanism, they are very reliable. For several years, they have been widely represented by brandsLet go,Pro-Ject,Clearaudio,VPI …
-The USB vinyl turntable :
It simply allows you to digitize your vinyl records to have them on a dematerialized medium! These vinyl turntables are equipped with aphono preamplifier which offers output in USB format. Thanks to a suitable cable connected to your computer via this output and after downloading a small free software (such as Audacity), thisvinyl turntable will allow you to digitize your favorite vinyl records with remarkable quality.
3. Now that I have my turntable, what else do I need to make it work?
3.1. The essentials
- Hi-Fi cells:
THEhi-fi cells are generally delivered with thevinyl turntable that you buy (this is true for vinyl turntables whose price is less than €1000), but if you want to improve the sound quality of your installation it may then be necessary to invest in a new hi-fi cells. In addition, their wear is closely linked to the use you make of them: condition of the records, adjustment of the tonearm, quality of the turntable, etc. The average lifespan of a hi-fi cells oscillates between 400 hours for the least efficient and 1,500 hours for the most prestigious models. If you wish to have more precision on the assembly and adjustment of a hi-fi cells, maPlatine.com invites you to watch the following video:
Many brands offerhi-fi cells very good quality, our favorites are forOrtofon Hi-Fi cellules (cellule 2M Red), Sumiko (cellule Black Pearl),Clearaudio (cellule Concept MC), Dynavector (cellule DV 10X5 MKII) AndGrade (Gold-3 grade).
Note that the choice between aCell Hi-Fi MM AndMC depends on yourphono preamplifier, THEMM cells being the most widespread.
Cellule MM (mooving magnet) : moving magnet hi-fi cartridges, they are the most widespread, the simplest to manufacture and therefore the least expensive. Their diamond is interchangeable, their output level is generally greater than 2mV and this allows it to adapt to all phono preamplifiers on the market.
MC (mooving Coil) : moving coil hi-fi cartridges, they have very efficient technology but are much more complicated to assemble and therefore much more expensive. This technology is reserved for high-end hi-fi cells. Their output level is low, generally less than 0.8 mV, they therefore require a suitable phono preamplifier or a transformer (e.g.:Ortofon ST-7 transformer). However, some MC cells are called high level, that is to say they are overwound, a technique which allows them to have a high output level (generally greater than 2mV) and therefore to be able to adapt to all thephono preamplifiers standards. Note that the diamond is not interchangeable!
-MC transformer:
The use of a transformer is necessary if you have a phono input or aphono preamplifier dedicated only tohi-fi cells say at a high level (MM) and you want to use a low level cell (MC). The transformer also has a considerable influence on bandwidth, tonal balance and transparency. THE Ortofon ST-7 transformer is a very good product of its kind!
-The stylus (or diamond):
It represents the stylus of yourcellule hi-fi MM, it is the stylus which enters the microgrooves of your vinyl record and sends the sound back to you. If you are satisfied with yourcells but the diamond reaches the end of its life (approximately after 700 hours of listening) you do not have to change everything! Buying a stylus is enough to give new life to your vinyl turntable and it will cost you less than if you had to buy the hi-fi cells in its entirety. To find out how to change a diamond, we invite you to watch the following video:
- How to choose your Hi-Fi cell?
This of course depends on yourvinyl turntable, the arm associated with it, yourphono preamplifier and of course also your budget. Each hi-fi cells has more or less a sound signature which will add to the more or less significant coloration induced by your vinyl turntable and by your system (the space in which your equipment is installed also comes into play). We advise you to call us for advice that is perfectly adapted and personalized to different situations.
Discover our maPlatine.com favorites on our site and do not hesitate to read the description of each product to give you a more precise idea of what would suit you most in terms of hi-fi cells !
-The phono preamplifier:
The sound is obtained by the movement of the diamond in the grooves of the vinyl record. These ripples create modulations at the output of thecells. These are too low a level to be processed directly by an amplifier so they must be pre-amplified. Thus, in 1954, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) proposed a standard based on the curves of the RCA and Victor companies. Very quickly, all companies adopted this pre-emphasis which we now call “RIAA”. Most vinyl records pressed after 1955 were therefore recorded with RIAA filters. It is for this reason that it is necessary to use aphono preamplifier when playing a vinyl record. Amplifiers are made for that, you might say... Yes, but these days, fewer and fewer of them have the necessary phono input if you want to connect your vinyl turntable to your amplifier (97% of amplifiers do not). To do this, you will need to take an additional step in your installation so that the sound coming from your vinyl turntable reaches your speakers!
But his role doesn’t stop there!! In fact, thephono preamplifier also fixes engraving curves. So it uses an inverse curve: schematically, the vinyl is engraved following a bell curve, and an anti-bell curve is applied to reading. This allows the bandwidth of a vinyl to be lowered to around 20 Hz (bass).
You now understand better why the phono preamplifier is so essential.
-The cables:
And yes! For this whole little world to work you will needcables between each element of your Hi-Fi installation.
Between your vinyl turntable and your phono preamplifier, you need what we callphono cables.
All items that are connected to your amplifier, such as thephono preamplifier need to be connected viamodulation cables.
Finally, for your devices to be plugged into the mains socket you will needpower cables.
There is obviously something for all budgets but it is strongly recommended to dedicate to yourcables a budget proportional to the rest of your installation.
3.2. The interview
There are manymaintenance and cleaning products whether for yourvinyl turntable or for your vinyl records.
- Maintaining your vinyl turntable:
In order to keep your turntable in good working order and for as long as possible, many vinyl turntable cleaning kits exist. To remove impurities from your diamond you can use Pro-Ject's Clean it, to maintain your turntable spindle you can use Grease it ensuring perfect rotation of your platter.
- Maintaining your vinyl records:
In order to extend the life of your vinyl records and maintain maximum sound quality, there are manymaintenance products and accessories and in many different brands.
First of all, demagnetizing your vinyl records makes your sound quality significantly higher, for this many antistatic brushes exist: the anti-static brush ASB-1 from the Japanese brandFurutech was a great success! The brushBrush It from homePro-Ject or the brosse LP CLEANER SILVER from homeAudioquest are also very effective. The DEMAG demagnetizer from Furutech can also prove to be a very good investment!
Then, to clean your records you can use maintenance cloths associated with the productsPure Groove de Clearaudio whose composition degreases the surface of the vinyl record and dissolves the impurities buried in the groove. THESpin Clean Record Washer System is also an excellent cleaning tool if you want to restore the youthfulness of your vinyl records! Very easy to use, it works wonders! maPlatine.com explains how to use theSpin Clean in pictures:
For a more substantial budget, we find record washing machines, with for example the Spin Clean or theNew ofHummingbird.
Are your discs warped? Here too there is a solution, it is certainly an investment, but when you like your LPs you don't count! This is the vinyl flattener, for example we find theFlatten-Itat the house ofPro-Ject.
3.2. Adjustment tools
If you want to get the most out of your installation, make sure yourvinyl turntable is well adjusted.
Pro-Ject AndClearaudio stand out in this area with numerous tools. So to adjust your arm, you can use theAdjust it from homePro-Ject and for adjusting yourhi-fi cells the brand offers you theAlign it. At the house of Clearaudio, a single tool allows you to make the two adjustments mentioned above (arm + cell): thearm axis adjustment template IEC-Alignment gauge. This ensures optimal reading and in the event of a cell change, these tools will be very useful to you!
To adjust the rotation speed of yourvinyl turntable, find for example thekit speed light source + test record from chez Clearaudio.
Cell scales are also very useful. They make it possible to control with extreme precision the pressure exerted on thephono cells. This optimization has a direct impact, among other things, on tonal balance and dynamics. In addition, the quality of this adjustment is essential to increase the lifespan of your diamond and your vinyls. The cell scaleWeight Watcher ofClearaudio or the Measure it DS from homePro-Ject are references in the field.
*****
This is in a few words what you need to know if you are buying a vinyl turntable for the first time. Now that you are up to speed, we invite you to read the practical sheets if you wish to go further:
The history of the vinyl turntable
The vinyl turntable – part 1
The vinyl turntable – part 2
The cells
Phono preamplifiers
MC Transformers
A little technique
