It was Dick Clark who once said that “if it ain’t in the grooves then it ain’t in the grooves” when talking about hit records and specifically radio payola. Mafia-influenced record promoters could buy their way into 1970s radio programmer’s offices. They could buy their song up the charts but they couldn’t make it a true hit. They couldn’t make it a true number one record.
Today, we all know that turntables are back and in a big way. Is it a high resolution audiophile format? Nope. It isn’t even close. You can have a bad ass turntable like the Rega Planar 1 and/or one of the finest audiophile grade phono preamps like the Schiit Mani 2 but not get the best audio performance that is easily attainable from today’s most entry-level audiophile digital streaming but Millennials don’t care. They follow the trends. They love trendy, retro-facing technology and don’t give a damn about quality.
With that said, if you want to get the most out of your audiophile turntable here are some good tips:
- Keep your records clean. There are all sorts of record cleaning system that you can use from a $79 Groove Washer Mondo Kit to a more automated Record Doctor VI to the most professional grade products from the likes of Isonic record cleaner which uses ultra-sonic power like a tooth brush, to clean your records amazingly well.
- Find a location for your turntable that is flat and solid. Vibrations are bad enough in the basic operation of audiophile vinyl. External vibrations are even worse. Find a rock-solid location for your turntable and run with that.
- Don’t buy highly used or worn vinyl. Spend the extra money for new records and care for them with kid gloves.
- Invest in a very good phono stage. Being able to bring the levels of the signal up to reasonable gain so that your audiophile preamp is nothing but helpful.
- Keep a dust cover over your turn table when you aren’t using it. Most good turntables come with a clear, Lexan or acrylic cover. If not, for less than $100, have one made.
If you spend a little time and a little attention, you can get a lot more out of your analog audiophile pursuits and that is our goal with this site. We hope we’ve helped you with some good advice and tips.