10.4 What turntable should I buy?
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This article is from the rec.audio.* FAQ, by with numerous contributions by Bob Neidorff others.
10.4 What turntable should I buy?
Despite improvements in motor technology, most great turntables
use belt drive. Rubber roller (idler) drive sounds the worst.
Select a turntable with a very heavy platter for the least wow
and flutter. Give the platter a rap with your knuckle. It
should not "ring" like a cymbal. It should feel and sound dead.
Also look for a turntable that has good isolation from base
to stylus. With the amp on and the turntable selected, but
with the turntable motor off, put an old record on the
turntable, lower the stylus onto the record, and then tap
the edge of the base. Not too hard, you don't want to send
the arm flying. At worst, you will hear a quick 'thump'
followed by silence through the speakers; if you're lucky,
you'll hear nothing at all. If the sound continues beyond a
quick 'thump', the mechanical isolation is not great, and you
should look at some other make. When you perform this test,
be sure to unplug the turntable power cord.
If the turntable has a tonearm, try to evaluate the arm,
too. A good arm should be adjustable in height. A good arm
should allow cartridge adjustments. A good arm will be very
rigid and have no bearing play. A good arm should accommodate
a wide range of cartridges. Despite this, some arms work
better with high compliance cartridges, while others are
at their best with low compliance. Ask.
Turntables by Denon, Dual, Linn, Michell, Oracle, Pro-Ject,
Rega, Sota, Thorens, and VPI are recommended. If you want a
turntable on a budget, consider the NAD 5120 at approx. $160.
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