A Beginners Guide to Buying Your First Turntable

[reubensm]

Recently I was as at a friend's place and saw a Pioneer TT gathering dust, in storage. On inquiring, got to know that it was purchased pre-used as he wanted to get into vinyl. To put it in simple language, I was absolutely shocked to see the kind of turntable he'd been sold. It was evident that a lot of us out there are very keen to get into vinyl while where are some equally clever individuals out there who can easily prey on us. Before taking the dive, it is our responsibility to get to know as much about vinyl and turntables in order to avoid such scenarios. Found this article which I thought is a good start, more can be got with a simple google search.

First Turntable Buying Guide | The Art of Manliness

Also check out:

Beginners Guide to Vinyl Collecting | The Art of Manliness

Here are some things which one must do while looking at pre-used turntables:

Grasp the Record Spindle and make sure there is no side to side movement (this is very important as if there is bearing damage, the turntable is only good to be thrown away)
Rotate the platter and note that it spins in both directions without dragging
Power the unit, Press START, see that the Platter engages quickly and freely
Switch between 33 Rpm and 45 Rpm platter speeds several times
Leave the unit running for 15min or so..there should be no heat, or burning smell!
Press the STOP button and the platter should come to a rest fairly quickly
Next examine the RCA & Ground wires. Look for breaks in the insulation and exposed wires. Does the ground wire have a spade terminal, or is it frayed and bare oxidized wire?
You will want to check for feedback, hum, and ground loops. You will need to actually plug the turntable into an amplifier with a "Phono" input, or a mixer and use headphones to listen for buzzing, or humming.
Now, hopefully you brought a cartridge to actually mount to the tonearm to check for proper channel output.
First check the contacts on the inside of the Tonearm itself. These are spring loaded and prone to corrosion and becoming stuck. Take a sharp pencil and use it to physically push each of the four (4) terminals a bit to see if it still has spring recoil.
Now mount the cartridge to the tonearm and secure the locking ring. Hope you brought a test record to check playback....

 

[captrajesh]

Nice find Reuben. This would be very helpful for wannabe vinyl junkies.

 

[vkirti]

I had come across a similar situation a couple of months ago in Delhi when i was searching for a used TT. Mostly used TT's are sourced by vendors from Junk dealers and then they try to fob off this junk to unsuspecting newbies. I came across situations where TT's were being sold with broken tone arm clamps and I was assured that it is not needed . Also they will bundle a junk cartridge and assure you that you only need to buy a new "needle which costs 6 - 700 rupees and is easily available". Thankfully I came back without buying any of this junk at several so called dealers and went on searching after doing a lot of research online.

 

[reubensm]

Interestingly the turntable which inspired me to put up this article had a shaky platter center spindle and broken dust cover hinges The side-ways movement of the turntable was minute and hence could not have been noticed by the unsuspecting buyer who had no experience with turntables when the purchase was made.

 

[Rolling Vinyl]

Very informative. Thank you.

 

[reubensm]

Another good resource for those who love Garrard:

garrard-turntable on Veengle

 

[kuruvilajacob]

Thank you Reuben for a very informative post. Many Newbees on the Forum and outside have bought used TTs from me. Most of them have bought them without knowing the basics of Vinyl operation. For the first week after they get it, they will have so many queries about it's operation and once they come to grips with the Player, they are happy. So, when you wish to buy a used player, first, try to buy it from some friends of your's who is looking for an upgrade preferably in your own town or take some one who knows about TTs when you find one and you can also follow 'Reuben's Laws' while checking them. If you are buying from other source, first try from members of the Forum and then from reputed sources elsewhere but ensure that f it is coming by courier, it must be well packed or order it from sources who knows how to pack them well.

 

[murali]

I am still undecided about buying a TT, especially caught up in the vintage versus new debates raging on, when I came across this great piece of observation from another forum -

The best sounding turntables are the ones made before you were 16 years old.
In Reply to: Vintage vs Current turntables

Doesn't matter what year you were born.

The next best turntables are the ones that were top of the market when you were 16-25 but couldn't afford but now you can. (With all new plinths, of course.)

Current turntables won't be all that great until the year 2030, at which time they will become classics that excel in PRaT.


cheers.
murali

 

[dgstar2012]

Thank you Reuben for a very informative post. Many Newbees on the Forum and outside have bought used TTs from me. Most of them have bought them without knowing the basics of Vinyl operation. For the first week after they get it, they will have so many queries about it's operation and once they come to grips with the Player, they are happy. So, when you wish to buy a used player, first, try to buy it from some friends of your's who is looking for an upgrade preferably in your own town or take some one who knows about TTs when you find one and you can also follow 'Reuben's Laws' while checking them. If you are buying from other source, first try from members of the Forum and then from reputed sources elsewhere but ensure that f it is coming by courier, it must be well packed or order it from sources who knows how to pack them well.

Dear Sir,

I am having a Philips turntable(Electronic 242) with classic 700, connecting it with Technics SU Z2.

I feel the sound is a bit low. I am new to vinyls, what should i do,

a. should i change the cartridge, i have been advised to buy a new cart like Shure M97xe/Ortofon OM10 etc. Where can i get a 2nd hand cart?

b. should i buy a phonostage. I have heard about Norge 1200 Professional Pre Power Amp, will this suffice my requirement, my local dealer is asking 5000/- for the same.

I want the sound to be crystal & clear & my neighbors should feel jealous of it as I wanna prove VINYLS is better than CD.

I am already using challenger tower speakers which already blowing good with CD's but i wanna same effect in vinyls.

Please revert back.

Regards,

Dipayan

 

[bhaskarcan]

With the OP's kind permission, adding to the 'Reuben's Laws', following links which helped me immensely during my learning years,

Phono CARTRIDGE Mounting, TONEARM Alignment TOOL, TURNTABLE Set-Up, VTA, LTA, Adjustment of BIAS Compensation.

A (Very Long) Primer on Record Cleaning Fluids | Steve Hoffman Music Forums

Care, Handling, and Storage of Audio Visual Materials - Librarians & Archivists - (Preservation, Library of Congress)

Regards,

Bhaskar

 

[jls001]

a. should i change the cartridge, i have been advised to buy a new cart like Shure M97xe/Ortofon OM10 etc. Where can i get a 2nd hand cart?

Unless money's too tight to mention, buy new cartridge. Something like this really cheap and cheerful will also do: http://www.hifivision.com/phono-turntables/44517-90cd-magnetic-cart.html

But do not expect too much of it.

Shure M97xE will be a leap in performance over this Audio Technica. You can buy it in India. I would recommend it for the sonics. An alternative is the Shure M44-7. It is not as refined as the M97xE, but gives you big sound, thumping bass, and tracks really, really well.

The trouble with used cartridges is you don't know how carefully they have been used, and what is the current state of the stylus and cantilever.

 

[kuruvilajacob]

Unless money's too tight to mention, buy new cartridge. Something like this really cheap and cheerful will also do: http://www.hifivision.com/phono-turntables/44517-90cd-magnetic-cart.html

But do not expect too much of it.

Shure M97xE will be a leap in performance over this Audio Technica. You can buy it in India. I would recommend it for the sonics. An alternative is the Shure M44-7. It is not as refined as the M97xE, but gives you big sound, thumping bass, and tracks really, really well.

The trouble with used cartridges is you don't know how carefully they have been used, and what is the current state of the stylus and cantilever.

I did not have much respect for Shure 97 XE earlier. I used to find it had low gain. That was before I bought better Amp and Speakers. With a good system, Shure 97XE is a very good cart. I have noticed that the original Shure M 44-7 sounds much warmer than what comes now. The present carts appear to have very high gain but tracks much better than the older ones.

 

[reubensm]

Met up with a fellow forum member today and we went to check out a Technics SL D3 turntable which was put up for sale locally. The seller was a nice guy and welcomed us quite warmly. Was amazed to see the number of records he had, at first glance, we pulled out a Black Sabbath Greatest Hits album and the AC DC album 'for those about to rock'. Was amazed to see an old KJ Yesudas LP which I recall seeing at a neighbour's home when I was a kid.

Now, to the TT. Sharing this for the benefit (especially first timers) of those who are looking out for pre-used Technics TTs.

The TT was a SL-D3 automatic Technics and the seller was asking for 15k with stock Technics (or some sort of Japanese mass-market) MM cart. Now this is how we started. First took a look at the TT physically. Noticed that is was missing one of its feet (although this may seem irrelevant, remember replacement technics feet are like $20). The Turntable was actually balancing on 3 feet. The dust cover was in very poor shape and was cracked all over the place (this is a sign that this TT was probably stored in someone's godown with some weight over it, was later salvaged and sold, and re-sold). The cosmetics were average overall, but all functions appeared to work. All the key parts on the outside looked original. Noticed that the counter balance weight was screwed fully inward and the antiskate was parked at 0. Started playing the TT, the speed and pitch were ok but the arm was looking dangerously suspicious. It is possible that the tonearm has tracking errors and the seller has got it to track at heavy weight, so that it will lie in the grooves and play. TTs must be always tested with the correct tracking and antiskate force setting. Also the tonearm was pathetically aligned. Probably the re-seller or the current owner had changed the cart without re-aligning the tonearm height and lift platform height. While playing, it looked as though the tonearm was sloping backward, marginally. The tonearm was tracking at its heaviest possible weight which was also suspicious. It was also interesting to observe how the owner handled his vinyl (this is a very important observation when you are out to buy a TT, cause it can have serious implications on the stylus he is offering to you). This guy was rather careless with his records, leaving them on the table like a saucer, without covering or protection. A recipe for collecting in-groove dust and muck, The dirtier the record collection, the more the stylus wear. The heights of ignorance was displayed when we asked him to play a few songs from one of his stored albums. He just took the record to his dining room wash basin and rinsed it, came to the TT with the wet record and started playing it. I definitely would not want to buy a TT from him with cart/stylus as the stylus is definitely not going to be in good shape.

He was selling the TT with a stock japanese mass market cart. Now, a pre-used technics with stock cart usually goes for about 9k as both sellers and buyers consider these stock japanese carts to be worth less. They are often given by the sellers as goodwill, so that the buyer can take the TT home, plug it in and start listening. When selling technics TTs, sellers normally include a Shure Cart/stylus in good condition and charge around 12.5 to 13k for the combo. This is fair pricing, provided the TT is in more than decent shape with a good dust cover, good dust cover hinges, good feet and a new cart with original new or marginally used stylus. Hence given the work to be done with alignment and of course, the replacement feet, my offer for this TT and stock cart, would have been 8k which is almost like 50% of the asking price. We politely pitched and declined to buy.

Now this is important, when it comes to Technics DD TTs, the manuals are the most pricey. The semi-automatics are the most sort after but not so pricey as the manuals (but sellers usually take undue advantage of this). The fully automatic Technics DD TTs are the lowest end of the chain and are the ones that are in least demand. Bargain heavily if you are being offered a fully automatic Technics TT. Stay away from Technics belt drives.

 

[analogadikt]

Grasp the Record Spindle and make sure there is no side to side movement (this is very important as if there is bearing damage, the turntable is only good to be thrown away)
Rotate the platter and note that it spins in both directions without dragging
....

Sideways play in the spindle bearing can be repaired. No need to throw away the tt.

Platter should be rotated only clockwise in case of changers, automatics and semi automatics. There are very high chances of the mechanism being damaged if it engages while the platter is moving anti clockwise.

Regards,

 

[reubensm]

Sideways play in the spindle bearing can be repaired. No need to throw away the tt.

Platter should be rotated only clockwise in case of changers, automatics and semi automatics. There are very high chances of the mechanism being damaged if it engages while the platter is moving anti clockwise.

Regards,

Yes indeed, its repairable but that's something one must watch out for when one is buying a TT pitched as one in perfect working order. If there are any issues, the seller (if knoledgeable) must disclose.

For changers (familiar only with Garrard), most of them have a breaking system to lock the TT in place. However, this is very true with automatics, especially the plastic lowend entry level ones.

 

[greenhorn]

reuben, what's the difference between a Semi Automatic and Fully automatic TT?

 

[reubensm]

reuben, what's the difference between a Semi Automatic and Fully automatic TT?

Very simple. An automatic is fully automatic, which is, you select a disk size (not available on the low end plastic TTs), press the start button and the tonearm takes off automatically, lands the stylus at the start of the record and starts playing it. When the complete side is played, the tonearm automatically lifts off (this is called auto-return) and returns to base. On Technics DD automatics, you have a setting with positions from 0-10 which help you repeat the entire side automatically, by the number of times (additional to the very first instance of playing) which you've selected (this is more like the loop feature on winamp wherein the entire playlist keeps repeating over and over again). Of course, all automatics can be operated in manual mode by using the lift mechanism of the tonearm. If used in manual mode, wherein the tonearm is placed manually at the start of the record, the tone arm returns automatically to base, after the side is complete.

Semi-automatics have only the auto return function so you'll have to manually place the stylus at the beginning of the record (using the cue function or my manually lifing and placing).

For manual turntables, the stylus has to be placed manually at the start and also has to be lifted and returned to base, manually after the side is complete.

Hope this helps

 

[ANILKUMAR]

Nice one Reuben.

 

[Naturelover]

Great piece for TT newbies!!

Now this is important, when it comes to Technics DD TTs, the manuals are the most pricey. The semi-automatics are the most sort after but not so pricey as the manuals (but sellers usually take undue advantage of this). The fully automatic Technics DD TTs are the lowest end of the chain and are the ones that are in least demand. Bargain heavily if you are being offered a fully automatic Technics TT. Stay away from Technics belt drives.

This pricing, is it true only of Technics DD TTs or all TTs? What are the reasons? Does the auto return interfere with SQ?
Will the needle on a manual TT get damaged if it is left on the record for a little while after the record has finished playing?

 

[Saket]

Great piece for TT newbies!!



This pricing, is it true only of Technics DD TTs or all TTs? What are the reasons? Does the auto return interfere with SQ?
Will the needle on a manual TT get damaged if it is left on the record for a little while after the record has finished playing?

In my limited exposure to TTs and in my personal opinion, I do not think that the auto mechanism interferes with the SQ. What I understand is that the auto mechanism engages only when it is called for and is not kept in contact of the tonearm while playing a record. This is strictly for an optical auto mechanism which engages & dis-engages by using optical sensors. Not have much idea if the mechanical mechanisms can induce permanent noise or vibrations to the tonearm.

For your other question, in a manual TT the tonearm would not return after the performance, and the disc will keep on spinning. In this situation, the stylus will rest in the lead out groove until the disc is rotating or until the tonearm is taken off manually. Not exactly damage, but certainly the stylus will wear on the lead out groove. Also, IMO, the quality of cut on the lead out groove is not as good as the music area, hence the wear may be a little more. I say this on the basis of the extra noise that comes from the lead in or lead out grooves.