Parts of a Record Player – Turntable Anatomy Explained

Marc HenshallNew to Vinyl, Vinyl 1012 Comments

Record players and turntables are outstanding feats of engineering. I hear all the time from new vinyl collectors about how amazing they find the playback process of a vinyl record.  It’s little wonder folks find the mechanics of how a record player works so fascinating. After all, it’s a miracle the process even works at all! In the following guide, … Read More

How to Position Your Turntable

Marc HenshallNew to Vinyl, Vinyl 101Leave a Comment

When setting up a HiFi system, every detail counts. Where you place your turntable in relation to the rest of your audio system is particularly important, as we’re dealing with a physical playback mechanism. Everything that comes into contact with your turntable or causes resonance will affect how the record tracks, and in turn, how your records sound. Today, we’ll … Read More

How to Replace a Turntable Cartridge

Marc HenshallNew to Vinyl, Tech Talk, Vinyl 1012 Comments

There are several reasons you might want to replace your phono cartridge. You could be upgrading the stock model shipped with your turntable, or you might be looking to replace an older model on a used deck. Either way, it’s important you take care to install your new cartridge with care and attention to detail. As we always say at … Read More

Conical Vs Elliptical Stylus For Your Turntable

Marc HenshallNew to Vinyl, Tech Talk, Vinyl 1012 Comments

When selecting a cartridge for your turntable, you will undoubtedly come across some new terminology if you’re new to the world of vinyl records. The Hi-Fi world is full of technical jargon, and vinyl is certainly no exception.  The bottom line here is there are many different stylus shapes. The stylus (sometimes referred to as the needle) is the little … Read More

How to Fit a Cartridge on a Headshell

Marc HenshallNew to Vinyl, Tech Talk, Vinyl 1012 Comments

There are many reasons why you might want to replace the cartridge on your turntable tonearm. You could be looking to upgrade the performance and sound quality, or you might be looking to play older mono records or even vintage 78s. In some cases, you might purchase a turntable used and simply need to fit a new cartridge of your … Read More

How to Clean Your Turntable Stylus – Without Causing Damage

Marc HenshallCleaning Vinyl, New to Vinyl, Record Care, Vinyl 1015 Comments

Your record player or turntables’ needle (better know as the stylus) is the first point in the audio signal chain. It is the instrument responsible for directly tracking your record and beginning the process of transforming an otherwise useless groove into sweet, sweet music. For it to perform at its best, you need to keep it clean. If you allow … Read More

Automatic vs Manual Turntables

Marc HenshallNew to Vinyl, Vinyl 1018 Comments

When choosing a new turntable, there are many factors to consider. In most cases, your final decision will come down to a balance between price, features, quality, and personal preference. One aspect that is often misunderstood is the choice between automatic and manual turntable designs. After all, if you can remove effort and work by purchasing an automatic deck, why … Read More

Do You Need a Mono Cartridge to Play Mono Records?

Marc HenshallTech Talk, Vinyl 10129 Comments

Up until the late 1950s, commercial music was mixed in mono. Even then, it took some time for stereo to take off, and it wasn’t until the late 1960s that stereo went mainstream.  In the early days of stereo, many engineers took the opportunity to experiment and play with the format. It’s not uncommon for the stereo version of a … Read More

What Does Direct-to-Disc Vinyl Mean?

Marc HenshallTech Talk, Vinyl 1012 Comments

When collecting vinyl records, you might come across the following terms associated with a special release: live to vinyl, direct-to-disc, or direct-to-acetate. All of these terms refer to the same process, which as they suggest, is the practice of recording directly to a vinyl-disc cutting lathe without first recording to magnet tape or digital storage. Before the advent of magnetic … Read More