A Turntable Primer — For My Younger Friends

Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn turntable, $90,000.

This is an introduction to the insane world of vinyl. If you want to “get into vinyl,” these are the basics. Fair warning: this is more complicated than iTunes or Spotify, and you can’t put it in your pocket. Then again, there’s more to discover in vinyl, and iTunes and Spotify, if they ever were, are no longer the new thing. For that, you’ll have to turn to something … old.

Beyond amplification and speakers, there are two essential components to vinyl playback. Let’s call them Side A — vinyl LPs — and Side B — a turntable on which to play the LPs you acquire. I’ll also discuss briefly (Side C?) the other components you’ll need to make actual sound. Let’s start with…

Side A: LPs

If you take nothing else from this essay, the most important thing to remember is that LPs were NEVER called “vinyls” back in the day (literally never — I never heard the word “vinyls” until about 2015). So, please, spare us old guys from early coronary episodes. The plural of “vinyl” is “vinyl,” as in, “I bought some great vinyl yesterday.” If a plural makes you feel better, you can say, “I just bought some records yesterday.” Thank you.

Where were we? Right.

The long-playing record is an inherently fragile medium, made primarily of relatively soft petroleum compounds. In practicality, that means that vinyl scratches easily, and foreign objects (dust) on an LP can essentially be cauterized onto the surface by a tiny object (the needle, or “stylus”) traveling quickly through the grooves, creating momentary temperatures that can exceed 300°F. (You can’t feel it because that’s what “momentary” means.)

Any new LP you buy should be flat for the most part, though few are absolutely flat, and a wide, smooth wave is preferable to a sharp warp, which is hard for a stylus to track. If you buy new vinyl that’s not flat, exchange or return it.

New LPs are cool, but new LPs aren’t the real reason to get into vinyl. The real shit is the millions of cheapo used records all over the place, many of which won’t ever be available in any other format. From 1950 to 2000, consumers in the US alone bought over 12 billion (yes, billion) LPs. Only a small percentage of that total is both rare and desirable — the combination that makes something valuable — so most records are worth little more than a few dollars.

You want to check out opera? There are dozens of operas in hundreds of pressings often available for a few dollars per disk. What about Delta blues? There’s 1960s country, surf, Eighties electronica, the roots of hip-hop, three dozen different versions of Beethoven’s Ninth, early classic Count Basie, and 500 other genres if you’re a music junkie. Unless your great-grandfather’s last name was Drumpf, used LPs are gonna be your most economical route.

Generally speaking, you can buy used LPs two ways. The first is online, and the best places are eBay and a rabbit’s warren called Discogs — an Internet clearinghouse for all kinds of 12-inch wax. The crazy-making thing about Discogs is that it’s like a musty basement with four thousand rooms, the kind of shady but fascinating property you always suspected lurked under Hogwarts or Downton Abbey.

There are deals for those persistent and patient enough to seek them out, and even more for the adventure-seekers willing to buy something just because it has a cool cover or you want to discover a genre nobody else likes. (Lounge music from the 1950s is actually pretty rich.)

An original mono pressing of Hank Mobley's self-titled album recently sold on eBay, in mint condition, for $7600.

The upside of eBay and Discogs is supply, especially of specific titles. If you’re looking for something less common — original Blue Note jazz LPs, REM’s original “Radio Free Europe” single, British Beatles pressings with original posters, original RCA and Mercury classical titles, various “audiophile” issues — those sites are godsends. It’s unusual that a title doesn’t pop up there at some point, so if you “follow” a search and have notifications sent to your in-box, you’ll probably track down those grail items sooner or later, as I did many years ago with an original “Stereo Records” pressing of Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, one of my all-time favorite jazz LPs.

The downside of eBay and Discogs is that there are fewer and fewer bargains. I paid $5 in the 1990s for a whole lot of records that fetch over $100 today, because people had no idea what they were worth. Now there’s the Internet, and almost everybody knows what they have.

These days the real fun, as it always was, is haunting the little record stores in the middle of nowhere, prowling record fairs with a half-million records to while away a rainy Saturday, garage and estate sales, and other catch-as-catch-can sites. At those spots, obviously, you’re more likely to discover water-warped Don Ho and Jefferson Starship dreck for which paying a dollar is paying a dollar too much. But once in a while you’ll find a great lot of 1960s jazz (original pressings or not), early Rolling Stones and Little Feat disks that weren’t used to roll joints (“blunts,” you call them these days), or a dozen weird Yma Sumac titles (weird and amazing shit — seriously, Google her). If you keep your cool you can walk off, nonchalantly, with a weekend’s listening adventure for a lousy $20.

If you’re gonna think about buying an LP, as with all collectibles, condition is everything. It’s pretty easy to “listen through” minor pops, but serious noise is a problem for most people. So you gotta inspect the goods.

In general, your fingers should never touch the LP surface that plays. Tilt the LP out of the jacket so the edge slides into the slot between thumb and forefinger, and use the pad of your middle finger to “catch” the spindle hole, while the rim rests against your bent thumb. Voila, no body oil or dust on the LP surface — that stuff leads nowhere good.

However, when inspecting a used LP, you might run your fingernail lightly over a scratch. If you can feel it, that’s a virtual guarantee that you’ll hear it. Unless it’s something you really want, pass. If you’re buying from a reputable seller, you should get a guarantee on condition, so if something is listed as “Mint-minus” or “Very Good-plus,” and it’s really just a snap-crackle-and-pop fiesta, you should return it if you paid real money. Needless to say, garage sales don’t work that way.

If you get deeper into collecting, you’ll want to invest in a record-cleaning machine eventually. You can get something really basic for less than $100, and, to answer your question, yes, it’s worth it. The good models with powered turntables and vacuums start at about $500, and there are even ultrasonic cleaners that run into the many thousands. People swear by ’em, but if you’re even curious about that kind of thing, you’re probably way past the rational bounds of this basic guide.

Mostly, though, you should get into this because you love music and you want to discover really cool stuff you wouldn’t otherwise find. Forget the stuff that’s on CD that won’t ever make it to iTunes. There are literally tens of thousands of LPs that will never see a more recent medium. You’ll buy some duds — obviously — but go out there and explore. It’s a riot.

So, if you have friends with vinyl collections, you may have already inferred everything I described above. But the more intimidating element may be …

Side B: The turntable

First, let’s be clear about what a turntable does. A turntable has only two basic jobs. It should spin at a constant speed, and it should isolate the stylus/vinyl communion from extraneous vibrations. (The stylus vibrates in the groove. It does not want other vibrations interfering, because that messes up the sound. Right?)

Technics direct-drive turntable. You can't see the motor under the platter.

For all practical purposes, there are two types of turntables. The first is “direct-drive,” in which a motor directly under the platter drives a spindle attached at the center to the platter on which the LP sits. The second type is “belt-drive,” in which a motor, isolated in some way from the platter, turns a belt that wraps around the edge of the platter, or sometimes on a smaller disk attached underneath the platter.

Music Hall 9.1 turntable. Note the pulley and belt on the left corner.

Neither type of drive system is “correct.” On the lower end of the pricing scale, direct-drive tables tend to have more reliable speed stability, which contributes to music’s continuity. But direct-drive tables also transmit some of the vibration of the motor to the platter, and that often muddies the sound. I tend to favor belt-drive turntables, but reasonable people can and do disagree. This whole discussion, however, is not likely to occupy any brain space for the first-time turntable buyer.

There are several sources of good, basic turntables out there. Considering a used table could get you a great deal, but because much of the business of a turntable involves moving parts, I advise people to be careful when buying a used turntable. That is not to say it’s not possible to get a good one — just that older turntables in particular can be dicey.

If you want to investigate the used market, I’d advise looking at three sources. First is the local record shop or electronics repair outfit. Many of those places offer guarantees, but be sure you know what the “guarantee” means. If a shop says, “Exchange only,” and you bought the only $200 turntable they have, and it isn’t what you want, you could find yourself with a $200 credit toward nothing useful to you. Find out what turntables they have, and take the brands and model numbers home to do some actual research before firing up the Venmo.

Online there are two reputable clearinghouses for used audio equipment. USAudioMart (and its sister site, CanuckAudioMart) is sort-of homegrown, with basic features and layout. Still, it tends to be haunted by real audio nuts, so most of the products are in good-to-excellent condition and fairly priced. You’ll find turntables from a few hundred to many thousands of dollars. You won’t find a whole lot in the $200–$300 range, but they come up from time to time. If you do find one in your price range, be sure to do your research before jumping on something. And be sure to pay with PayPal, or another service that guarantees your purchase and will refund your money if you run into an unscrupulous seller or a turntable that arrives DOA.

Bigger and slicker is Audiogon — same concept but, well, bigger and slicker. There are more items for sale at Audiogon, and because sellers pay a fee (they don’t on USAudioMart), you may feel like it’s a little safer. Still, same advice: Be careful, and don’t hand your money over to anybody without some assurance that you’re protected if a transaction goes south.

Finally, Craig’s List is a pretty solid place to buy a turntable; I bought one for my daughter from a nice guy in NoVa who was moving to California. Advantage: They’re close, and you can look at the product before you buy. Disadvantage: No guarantees. Also, it’s Craig’s List, so, y’know.

For used turntables, I’d recommend the same models that I’m going to list as new below. If the table is less than two or three years old, it’s probably in good condition, but since the market is hot, you’ll probably have a good deal if you get more than about a third off of the original price. Anything at 50% off or better is worth snagging if it’s a model you want.

In order of price (new models only), here are a bunch of really good turntables by reputable companies. These companies’ other models are also well made and reputable. As models ascend in price, they generally feature better suspension (usually the feet) for isolation, stronger motors for better speed control, and platters and tonearms made of better materials. As I said, any of these models would also be bargains in the used department. I’m linking to many of them at Music Direct, a Chicago vendor whom I know. They are reliable and reputable.

U-Turn Orbit
https://uturnaudio.com/products/orbit-basic-turntable
The U-Turn is the probably the cheapest model that I’d advise somebody to consider. (I know there are $99 turntables out there. I’d strongly advise you to save up for something better.) The U-Turn is $249 with the phono preamp built in. The models listed below are better, but if you want to spend the least you can and still get a nice unit, this is a good choice. Other U-Turn models ascend in cost and seem fairly priced as well. There are very few used U-Turns available on eBay, which is usually a sign of owner satisfaction. If you poke around eBay more, be sure you know whether any given unit includes the preamp, for pricing purposes — and because you'll need a phono preamp. (See below.)

Pro-ject Debut III
https://www.musicdirect.com/turntables/Pro-Ject-Debut-III-Turntable-Bundle
This is a very attractive deal at $299 (originally $465) — especially since it has a fine cartridge pre-installed. I’m not sure you can do better, even used. These are new units — I assume Pro-ject is introducing a newer model and looking to clear old stock — and I don’t know how long the deal will last.

Rega Planar 1
https://www.musicdirect.com/turntables/Rega-Planar-1-Turntable-Black-DEMO
This is the turntable I bought used for my daughter (I paid $300), and it’s a great entry-level table for $475 — let alone the open box deal at $379. I assume they have only one. Move quickly if you can swing it, and be sure to account for the cartridge and phono preamp if you need them too.

Pro-ject RPM-1
https://www.musicdirect.com/turntables/pro-ject-rpm-1-carbon-turntable
Super-dope looking table from a great Swiss manufacturer, $499. Yes, it comes in colors other than red.

In truth, as long as it’s in good condition, you could buy almost anything by Rega, Music Hall, Pro-Ject, or VPI and be confident it’s a great turntable. For older models, Rega (again), VPI (a bit more expensive), Yamaha, and Denon (the latter two are almost always direct-drive) are highly regarded.

Side C: Other considerations

Cartridge

Your turntable needs a cartridge – the block that sits at the end of the tonearm and carries the stylus (the needle) through the groove. Cartridges range in price from about $30 to many thousands of dollars for hand-wound, rare-materials Japanese jewels. Each one sounds different, but unless you’re interested in comparing them, I think you can safely assume that Grado, Ortofon, Rega, Sumiko, Music Hall, and Denon make universally fine cartridges. If you buy a used turntable, and it’s not more than $1000, the cartridge is likely included. (People who buy expensive equipment usually like to select their own components.) Obviously, be sure you know what you’re getting before you buy.

Cartridges are incredibly fickle about installation, and these days many turntables come with cartridges pre-installed. Professional installation means your vinyl will sound better, and the cartridge will wear less quickly too. I recommend finding somebody with proper tools and some experience to install yours if the turntable doesn’t come with one.

Phono preamps

Because it’s not really possible to stamp an accurate musical analog (“analog” — got it?) onto a piece of plastic, a phono cartridge “reads” the grooves, which vibrates some tiny magnets in its body, and thereby the cartridge outputs a very faint, very fucked-up electrical signal. A phono preamp takes that faint, fucked-up signal, corrects it, and amplifies it to a normal level (a “line level”) before sending it on to a regular “line” preamplifer. For this reason, a phono preamp is not optional.

In the old days, every preamplifier, integrated amplifier, or receiver had a phono preamp built in. These days, some do. If yours does, you don’t need a separate one. (You don’t even want a separate one, because that would double-correct the faint, fucked-up signal, making it so loud it will overload your preamp. And it will also sound fucked-up, in the reverse direction.)

The only stand-alone phono preamp ever produced by McIntosh, current model, $2000

These days, some turntables have phono preamps built in. That not only solves the problem, but it eliminates a box and an extra set of cables. The U-Turn turntables (above) can be purchased with one attached. Same for some of the newer models from other manufacturers.

A VPI turntable with a small phono preamp built in, just to the right of the tonearm

If yours doesn’t have one attached, and your preamp/amp/receiver doesn’t have a phono input with a built-in phono preamp, you could basically buy anything by Pro-ject, Music Hall, NAD, Cambridge Audio, or Rega sight-unseen and be confident it'll work well. (The last two will probably be a bit more expensive than the others.) Expect to spend about $100 for an entry-level model, maybe a little less if you can find one used. (Since these are electronics with no moving parts, used equipment should generally be safe.) Of course, if you absolutely must unload a spare $5000, you can find a bunch of exotic, high-performance phono preamps at or around that price too. Go wild.

By the way, there are lots of cheapo Chinese-made phono preamps on eBay, but I don't know anything about them and assume their warranties are meager, if they have warranties at all.

Speakers

You need an amplifier between the line preamp and your speakers — again, not optional. However, many of the self-amplified speakers these days (i.e., speakers with line preamps and amplifiers built in) allow you to cut down on both cost and the number of boxes by getting “active” instead of “passive” (i.e., unamplified) speakers.

For all-in-ones, I highly recommend anything by Audioengine. If you want to keep it simple just get the most expensive model you can afford. I have a pair of A-2 attached to my kids' desktop computer, and they sound great. The A-2+ (newer model) starts at $249, but you can get 20% off by shopping their refurbished models, which are commonly available, and they have a few 20% off sales each year. If you want a single box, their B-2 bluetooth speaker is supposed to be great, but I've never heard it, and it's almost a sure bet that the A-2+ will be better if you can accommodate them. Of course, the A-2+ doesn't have Bluetooth, in case that matters. http://audioengineusa.com/Store/refurbished

There are other models. If you want something more ambitious I’m happy to talk, but unless you have more than $1000 to spend on all of this, I can't imagine why you'd go for something else when the AE’s are so good for the money.

I’m gonna stop there. Obviously no one piece can cover this entire topic; millions of pages have been filled by hundreds of gallons of ink on these topics. But if you have questions, feel free to email directly and I’ll do my best to suggest something reasonable: bravermanp@gmail.com

Hope this is helpful!

PhantomTides

Sounds&Words

how to “get into vinyl”