Vinyl culture is booming — but when it comes to picking the heart of your system, many music lovers find themselves at a crossroads: buy a brand-new turntable with all the modern conveniences, or hunt for a vintage classic with character and history? Both options have compelling benefits and limitations. Here’s how to decide what’s …
Matching a cartridge to a tonearm can feel like black magic—numbers in strange units, forum debates, and warnings about “resonance disasters.” But the reality is far less intimidating. Once you understand what compliance and tonearm mass actually mean, cartridge matching becomes a powerful tool for improving sound quality and protecting your records. This guide breaks …
How Do I Match Cartridge Compliance With Tonearm Mass? Read More »
Few questions spark more debate in vinyl circles than this one. You’ve lived with your setup for a while, you know its sound, and you’re itching for better clarity, tighter bass, or more realism. But where should the upgrade money go? The turntable—or the cartridge? The answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. But with a clear understanding of …
When Should You Upgrade Your Turntable vs. Your Cartridge? Read More »
In audio, upgrades are everywhere—and so are strong opinions. One person swears by exotic cables, another by vintage gear, while someone else insists you just need better speakers. For newcomers and seasoned audiophiles alike, the real question is simple: Which upgrades actually make an audible difference—and which ones don’t? Let’s separate meaningful improvements from diminishing …
Vinyl has made a massive comeback — and whether you’re rediscovering classic records or starting a fresh collection, picking your first turntable can be intimidating. Unlike digital music, vinyl playback has more moving parts, subtle settings, and sound-quality considerations. Thankfully, modern entry-level turntables simplify all of that — some are plug-and-play, others offer Bluetooth, and …
Look at turntables across different price ranges and a pattern quickly appears: the more expensive models often have heavier platters. Some weigh several kilograms and are marketed as major performance upgrades. That leads to the obvious question: Do heavier platters actually improve sound—or is weight just audiophile theater? The answer is nuanced. Mass can help—but …
You start the turntable, watch the platter spin… and notice it isn’t perfectly steady. The edge rises and falls slightly, or the surface looks uneven as it rotates. It’s an unsettling sight—and it raises a worrying question: Is my platter wobbling, and is something seriously wrong? The answer depends on what’s wobbling, how much, and …
Turntable specs often list speed accuracy to three decimal places, and forums are full of debates about fractional percentages. But when you’re actually listening to records, the real question is simpler: How accurate do 33⅓ and 45 RPM speeds really need to be? The answer lies at the intersection of physics, human hearing, and musical …
How Accurate Do 33⅓ and 45 RPM Speeds Need to Be? Read More »
You cue up a familiar record, and something feels wrong. The pitch is off. Voices sound a little too high—or oddly sluggish. You’re not imagining it. If your turntable is running too fast or too slow, speed accuracy is the issue—and it’s one of the most noticeable problems in vinyl playback. The good news? In …
Why Is My Turntable Running Too Fast or Too Slow? Read More »
You install a new stylus, drop the needle… and instead of clarity and sparkle, you hear distortion, dull highs, or harshness. It’s frustrating—especially when the stylus is brand new. Shouldn’t it sound better right away? Not always. A new stylus sounding bad is surprisingly common—and usually fixable. Let’s walk through the real reasons this happens …
