By Alex Pearson
Even if you have never before had a turntable of your own, it is not necessary for you to be an expert on the ins and outs of turntable engineering in order to understand what needs to go into the purchasing process. In order to understand just what merits the high-quality turntables from the inferior turntables, all that you have to do is be aware of some basic components.
Platter
You will certainly want to be aware of the platter. Simply put, the platter is a rotating element of the turntable upon which the record spins. The platter draws its power from the turntable’s motor, and beneath it, there is a mat that separates it from the record. Essentially, the mat serves as a form of cushioning for the record while providing a more secure grip and some mild dampening of the vibration.
Tonearm
Just about everyone is familiar with the characteristic arm that extends above the record and depresses the needle onto the vinyl as the record is rotating. The design of the arm is made in a way that facilitates a smooth and consistent rate of sound and speed on every point of the record’s circumference. The part that keeps the tone arm in place is called the queuing device. The queuing device keeps the contact smooth, and this can either be manual or automatic.
Cartridge and stylus
One of the lesser-known qualities of the turntable is the cartridge/stylus. The stylus is often times called the needle, and the cartridge serves as the support system for it. Turntable aficionados will typically express the belief that an extra investment in a high-quality cartridge is just about always worth the additional expense. The stylus is the only part of the entire turntable that actually physically touches the record’s sonic grooves, which means that any enhancements to this particular component can be very influential.
Preamp
One of the basic elements of turntable operation is the conversion from phono to line level. The output signal produced by the turntable is called of phono signal, and a photo preamp is used in order to convert it to the line level signal (or AUX signal). Some turntables have been internal preamp, and other turntables might require an external preamp.
Price
As with any delicate piece of equipment, the price that you pay for turntable will usually be indicative of the overall quality that you can expect from it. You will generally always get what you pay for, though it is still entirely possible to get a very smoothly-performing turntable for a relatively economic price. There are many enthusiasts who will spend many thousands of dollars on the best of the market, though the more basic models can still provide you with a wonderful listening experience as long as you know exactly what to expect. Lower-and turntables will give you the bare minimum, though their sound quality will not be quite as sharp and there will not be quite as much upgrade potential. Upscale turntables will generally have a much sharper sound and a higher capability of being enhanced with additional components.
This Guest Blog was written by Jessica Kane, a music connoisseur, an avid record collector, and a writer for SoundStageDirect.
