I can remember the first time I set up a record player, and it wasn't pretty.
There was a belt drive to attach, I needed to set the tracking weight and maybe figure out what that actually meant at the same time, all the while making sure not to damage the stylus or any other aspect of the turntable.
Thankfully, once I joined What Hi-Fi?, some twenty years ago, there was far more experienced people on hand to teach me how to do things properly (thanks, Ketan).
Plenty of turntables, especially the best budget record players, have also become a fair bit more "plug and play" in recent years.
But it's still easy to feel unsure if you're new to this world. And even if you've been playing vinyl for many years, there are some key things you should get right in order to hear your record collection at its best.
1. Your turntable isn't level
Your record player's placement and positioning is crucial.
Turntables are, by nature, finicky things, so the surface your record player sits on really ought to be perfectly level so that the stylus tip can sit properly in a record groove.
You can use a spirit level to check this.
If your support is level, then your turntable should be too (often, the platter position is fixed relative to the plinth during manufacture and so should be parallel to start with).
If you do need to make a correction, most turntables have adjustable feet in each corner to help.
2. Bad vibrations
We all know there's nothing wrong with good vibrations, that's what causes sound after all, but on a more literal level, we want to keep vibrations that could affect your record player to an absolute minimum.
So your deck should be placed on something that is low resonance (i.e. less susceptible to vibrations) and as far away from sources of vibration as possible – including other electronics and your speakers. A good hi-fi rack is ideal, a dedicated isolation platform if you're really serious.
Most turntables also have some sort of isolation built into their design. At its crudest, that could be rubber feet, whereas the most effective (and expensive) example is a fully suspended design.
But all record players will benefit from good isolation support that will eat up those external vibrations before they get to the turntable.
3. Your cartridge tracking weight is wrong
The amount of force a cartridge (or specifically, a cartridge's stylus) puts on the groove of a record is known as the 'tracking weight' or 'tracking force'.
If a cartridge's tracking weight is too high, not only can it make your records sound thick, but it can also damage the record over time by putting too much pressure on its groove.
If the weight is too low the sound will be thin and insubstantial and your needle will be more likely to jump off the record when there are imperfections.
If the cartridge on your turntable is pre-fitted, all you need to do is set the tracking weight by turning the counter-weight at the rear of the turntable's tonearm and adjusting the 'bias' (essentially the sideways force) to compensate for the natural inward pull of the record groove.
The tracking weight should be set according to the manufacturer’s recommendation, which is nearly always found in the manual and is commonly between 1.5 and 2.5g (unless it's a DJ deck – then it's often heavier).
This could, for example, read '1.8g', giving you an exact figure, though if an ideal range is provided, such as '1.6 - 2g', go for the measurement in the middle to start with and see how that fares.
Arm counter-weights typically come with markings to help you turn it to the right number, but if they don't, or if you really want to be accurate, we would suggest buying a dedicated cartridge gauge.
Resting the stylus on the gauge's measuring pad, itself placed on the turntable platter, will show you the cartridge's tracking weight.
And don't be tempted, whatever you do, by the 2p trick... (Yes, I made that mistake, too.)
4. Your records aren't clean
What's the point in spending all that effort (and probably money) on your turntable if your records don't sound their best?
To reiterate our how to clean your records advice, carelessness with handling and storing your records can lead to scratches that cause unwanted pops and crackles.
While a few here and there may add to that analogue vinyl experience, you don’t want so many that your listening is hampered.
Firstly, you should avoid touching a record's playing surface by using the outer edges to remove a record from its sleeve.
We'd also make sure that the open end of a vinyl album's inner protective sleeve is positioned inwards, inside the outer cover rather than open to the elements.
Dust on the record surface isn’t as serious as contaminants from your fingers sitting in the groove, but it's still good practise to use a record cleaning brush to get rid of it – especially as you don’t want too much dust being collected by the stylus. If this happens you'll find that the sound will distort noticeably.
5. Low-quality phono stage
The last thing you want to do is to hold your record player back from performing to its maximum potential, and the external component most likely to do that will be the phono stage.
A phono stage (or phono preamp) is necessary for vinyl playback as it gives a turntable's output the boost it needs to work with amplifiers, while also equalising the tonal balance.
Some record players have built-in phono circuits, but it's usually worth upgrading as soon as you can by bypassing them in favour of an external box or an amplifier with a phono stage built-in. Of course, either option is necessary if a record player doesn't have a phono circuit.
In light of vinyl's regained popularity, the majority of stereo amplifiers these days integrate phono stages.
But be aware that, in some instances, this has led to their inclusion being more about box-ticking than actually maximising turntable performance.
We advise you read amplifier reviews and do your homework before buying, particularly if your turntable is a frequently used source in your set-up.
MORE:
How to get the best sound from your turntable
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