The vinyl movement still continues to gain momentum – for some it is the rekindling of an old flame, for others it is the beginning of a new love affair, you might even say Audio Affair! I fall in the latter statement, after inheriting my first turntable – a Trio KD 1033 with Ortofon Cartridge, the model escapes me now, I was hooked. Vinyl seemed so much more interesting, better art work and how did this disc with grooves create that sound!?
There has never been a better time to start looking for a turntable, there are offerings in the majority of budgets, every sort of feature you could imagine and here we have complied five top tips for choosing from the vast array available!
1) Choosing A Retailer
If you are new to turntables then you may not be read up on all the terms and technicalities, this is not a problem, or something you should worry about – you wouldn’t be expected to fix a car if you had no prior knowledge! Speaking to an expert means you will get the most fror you money and a turntable that you will get many hours of enjoyment out of. After sales support is also key, knowing that there is someone on the end of phone who can help guide you through setting up will keep your mind at rest – here is me setting up a Roksan Radius in store:
Delicate adjustment to Uni-Pivot Nima arm ensure the correct down force and tracking angle.
2) Choosing a manufacturer
There are many, each offering there own efforts towards vinyl replay, my advice is simple: choose a manufacturer with good standing, for example Pro-Ject, these guy seem to be going from strength to strength and if you are looking for a budget turntable – in my opinion they are one, if not the best: for example the What Hi-Fi 5 star award winning Essential:
Looks simple, it is – this is bonus if you are new to turntables, do be fooled though the sound is complex and engaging!
3) Sound properties
The way a system sounds can be entirety the preserve of the owner, choosing component parts in order to attain a specific image or tonality. In this respect turntables can sound very different from each other. Lets start by ignoring the cartridge, yes you can argue this holds the majority but the arm, platter and plinth also make difference to the sound, for example on budget turntables you will quite often get a steel platter, hollow not solid – this has its own resonance which can be imparted on the overall sound – especially if your existing equipment is of a higher level, such a scenario can be seen on the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon, don’t get me wrong I adore this turntable nothing touches it in its price class but if you own one of these get an acrylic platter this removes the ringing, takes clarity up a level and allows instruments to hang better! Further to this you should choose a turntable based upon a sound you are looking for, from my experience sandwich platter such as those made from MDF are a little softer, a little more retro sounding – true to the smooth analogue sound traditionally associated with record replay. Other platter materials such as glass can give a brighter presentation and I find acrylic to give a thoroughly modern response.
4) Choosing A Cartridge
Some turntables do not come with a cartridge – once you reach a certain level manufacturers will not include a cartridge, choosing a cartridge can be a daunting process if you are unsure what to look for but with a little research it will not be difficult in the slightest – first thing you need to ask yourself: how much am I looking to spend, they vary widely in price, from £25.00 or so up to and above the astronomical heights of 10k, in theory the more you spend the more you get, i.e quality of component parts – when deciding the all important question of how much you should factor in the cost of the turntable for example, if you have a SME 10 at 5K then you would be looking at something such as the Cadenza Blue. Moving magnet and moving coil – MM magnet tend to cheaper and have a changeable stylus, MC’s are more expensive work to greater tolerances deciding which is best for you will come down to: Budget, the ergonomics of your system and what sort of sound you are looking for, why not give me a call now and discuss your options 0121 224 7401
5) The final Stage
Finally now you have your turntable and cartridge in mind it time to look at Phonostages, put simply the output from you turntable (phono cartridge) does not have enough gain to be of any great volume into a line level input (CD,AUX etc) some amplifiers will have a dedicated phono input – this is useful but if you want the most from your system then I recommend an outboard unit – these will have the own dedicated circuitry and PSU, this heralds large benefits in the Hi-Fi arena (look at Naim.) There are various out there but the two main types are MM and MC the same as cartridges, some do both, some one type and others you can use a Step-Up transformer with (Call me!) We have a wide range of stages available and great prices, such as my budget friendly favourite – the Trichord Dino MKII.
Trichord’s Dino, small package, big sound and smooth lines makes it a cut above.