Select and integrate audiophile-quality components

 A properly set up turntable system, compact disc player or music streaming system played with audiophile-quality recordings provides a virtual musical experience as designed by the mixing engineer and mastered as the artist intended.

 An audiophile’s raison d’être

Something is inspiring about the turntable and the audiophile that seemed to be joined at the hip. Perhaps, audiophiles came to fruition during the analog era. Even today, you will find more avid audiophiles with a turntable system instead of a CD player. Could it be about sound quality, or is it because of the potential interaction with the turntable akin to keeping a pet or indulging in a hobby despite the plug-and-play convenience of the CD player? One thing is for sure, you would likely be seated and listening instead of going about your usual activity because you would be hard-pressed to monitor the stylus as it reaches the end of the groove. I believe these unique propositions compel an emotional connection because tender loving care is required just like minding a pet that would inevitably lead to a deeper love for the activity.

 A turntable system comprises four basic elements: the table, tonearm, cartridge/stylus combo, and the phono stage. This interplay between these four elements forms a complete analog system. The process begins with the stylus that vibrates while undulating inside the record groove at a speed synchronize by the turntable’s motor. This caused the cantilever to vibrate in tandem and a signal is generated by the electrical coils interacting with the magnet assembly inside the cartridge housing. A low-level signal is sent via the cable inside the tonearm and to a phono amplifier. The phono-amp incorporating a standard RIAA circuit curve equalizes the signal which is then amplified via the designer’s proprietary circuitry to a usable signal for the preamplifier to manage. The analog system is perhaps the most daunting to configure and calibrate which requires some skill, TLC, and accessories to tweak and perform optimally. For many, it’s an intimidating format and therefore most modern-day audiophiles would shun this iconic medium for the much friendlier digital alternative of plug-and-play.

The Table: This includes the plinth (housing/chassis), suspension system, drive mechanism, and platter with the associated platter mat. Four types of drive mechanisms would bring the table up to speed (pun intended); idler wheel drive, belt-driven, idler wheel with a belt, and direct drive. In the belt drive system and idler system, noise is generated due to rotation irregularities or belt vibrations that result from aging. The idler system includes a drive train where a capstan rotates against an idler wheel, which in turn transfers the rotating energy to the platter. I will not discuss the idler wheel and idler wheel with a belt here because they are the first drive mechanism used in turntables and are presently only available on antiquated turntables today. Nevertheless, there are newer drive system technologies that utilize none of the traditional drive mechanisms mentioned but instead use an induction motor system which will not be explained in this article because of its rarity and prohibitive pricing. Suffice it to say it uses a motor cylinder system that has magnetized poles not connected to the platter or turntable chassis. The chassis has magnetic strips located at its base that when energized by the motor system would cause the platter to spin by an induction method. The platter sits on machined bearings that are partially attached to the chassis that when spinning would be seen to levitate because of repelling magnets. Other innovations use air-force bearings floating the platter and or tonearm for absolute isolation.  All these initiatives aim to achieve isolation from surface-borne and mechanical vibrations although remain venerable to airborne vibrations. 

Belt Drive System

Belt-driven turntables utilize a conventional DC motor as the drive source. It’s a lower torque delivery system and worse if the belt is not routed around the outside perimeter of the platter. Therefore a dual belt system would equalize the inconsistent elasticity to improve torque and ensure stable revolutions. A belt system has fewer rumble problems and is better at restricting motor noise because the motor is decoupled from the platter and enjoined only by the belt. However, vibration can still get into the platter through the mounting board and motor mounts unless it’s an outboard-designed motor. However, these motor systems suffer from temperature drift and load sensitivity. Many designs will exhibit speed variations as a result of static and dynamic friction caused by the stylus in the groove i.e., the platter will speed up over time and it will slow down under stylus load. Some designs vary up to 2%, speeding up as the stylus progress from the outer to the inner groove. More expensive belt-driven systems utilize sensitive DC regulators or frequency-generated (FG) servos to monitor the voltage and control the drive system to address the problems associated with speed consistency. When combined with a heavy platter to induce the flywheel effect, the design gets better in handling speed drift and stylus drag friction. However, wow and flutter distortion remains an issue as the belt is elastic and will stretch and wobble in the process of starting and stopping. The belt will get loose over time due to wear and would need replacement.

Direct Drive System

Direct drive turntables have the drive motor integrated with the platter. Since the drive power emanates from the platter's center of gravity, direct-drive systems offer excellent torque. Some designs offer variable speed with FG servo or quartz lock control circuitry. The quartz crystal reference ensures no speed drift with high accuracy. Modern direct-drive motors are said to be quieter and correct for both static and dynamic load friction. However, the motor’s proximity is said to introduce noise onto the platter through rumble and if not suitably absorbed by the platter will transmit onto the record and to the stylus which eventually picks up as distortion. Many inexpensive direct-drive turntables use a correction servo system which usually comprises two magnets mounted 180 degrees apart on the platter. As the platter rotates, the magnets trigger sensors which send information against the calibrated reference, and adjustments are made to correct the speed. However, if a lightweight platter is used, a jitter can occur on the platter during the correction, and distortion will result in the audio signal.

Suspension system

There are 2 suspension-type systems on the plinth (housing); sprung suspension or rigid. Sprung suspensions e.g., ‘Linn Sondek’ and ‘Thorens’ models have bouncy spring suspensions to isolate the arm and platter from the lower deck where the motor is mounted. They are ideal for environments that have footfalls or creaky floors that are not made of concrete which the latter offers stability. The suspension system will mitigate vibrations that are either mechanically or acoustically induced to the plinth. The plinth is an integral part of the design to combat vibrations from within and without therefore, the heavier the plinth, the better is said to be the design. The platter also helps if it's sufficiently heavy and does not ‘ring’ when tapped to help dampen out micro-vibrations.

Tonearm – This includes the Head-Shell that houses the cartridge and stylus. There are 2 design concepts; the ‘S’ style design or Straight arm (Unipivot) and the rare vertical (aka Tangential or Linear) tracking arm which also uses a straight arm (see illustrations). The straight arm inherent design when seated in the groove causes a little more pressure on the right side of the groove as it moves toward the end of the record thereby causing wear on the right-side groove. The ‘S’ type arm instead is caused to be in a neutral position in the groove thereby having equal pressure on both sides when tracking the grooves. However, the Straight type tonearms are less likely to jump the groove when it encounters groove damage or an accidental bump on the plinth. Tonearms may also be had in lengths of 9, 10, or 12 inches. They may also incorporate the anti-skating mechanism which utilizes the common spring-loaded or the ball and wire type mechanisms (see illustrations) to maintain a 90-degree azimuth angle when the stylus is tracking the grooves. Tonearm material such as carbon fiber, titanium, magnesium, aluminum, or a combination thereof is also said to be a factor when trying to minimize tonearm resonance which distorts the signal flow if not adequately controlled. 

 The purpose of the tonearm is to hold the cartridge steady when moving toward the center of the record ideally with zero friction so it can pick up all the low modulations on the record groove. Therefore, they should have multiple bearings at their pivot point, to move up, down, and from right to left freely to better afford the smoothest movement possible. It should have at least dual-pivot bearings for lateral and vertical planes so it can be a neutral partner and smoothly trace the record groove without the cartridge knowing it’s there. You can check the integrity of the bearings by setting the counterweight and anti-skate dial to zero, thereafter lift the arm towards the spindle and it should immediately slide back to the armrest, and if you push the arm down to the rest it should float up back. Any tentative movement of the arm suggests bearing issues. Tonearms should also be well-damped and not ‘ring’, therefore the tonearm should be made with materials that are adequately dampened to minimize the contribution of its inherent resonances.

There are 3 basic cartridge designs:

1.      The moving magnet (MM) cartridge is the most common, and it features a small magnet affixed to the rear of the stylus cantilever (see illustration). The electrical circuit consists of coils of wire wound on an iron core. Moving Magnets are more forgiving and have a good bass response, they may be used with most phono preamps or integrated amplifiers with a built-in phono stage usually at a cartridge load impedance of the standard 47k ohms. MM also has a replaceable stylus making it cost-effective when the stylus is subjected to wear and tear.

2.      Moving Coil (MC) cartridges consist of coils of wire wound directly on the end of the stylus cantilever which is immersed in a strong magnetic field (see illustration). Low output types are best but will require a quiet phono preamp to match. Unlike the other designs, the stylus is integrated into the cartridge and is not replaceable. MCs are preferred as they provide better midrange and silkier high frequencies.  However, they are much more costly and require a phono preamp that has the right adjustments to accommodate the MC's relative specifications.

3.      Moving Iron (MI) cartridges consist of coils of wire wound on a magnetic core (see illustration). Moving iron features a small iron element affixed to the rear of the stylus cantilever. Their design is said to provide the best of both worlds (MC & MM). MI designs also have a replaceable stylus.

Stylus

The stylus (aka needle) is usually a diamond that has many architectures and mounting techniques to the cantilever. The end goal is to track the record grooves closer to how the original record was cut and transmit the vibrations with integrity. The stylus tip may be bonded or tip mounted onto a metal shank the latter which is a less costly design and less accurate because of the shank's inherent mass that reduces stylus sensitivity. Another technique is called the Nude Diamond which is glued directly onto the cantilever and transmits vibrations better hence more accurate. It is said that a Boron cantilever design is better at transmitting controlled vibrations with integrity. Some new design technologies incorporate the stylus with the cantilever together as a one-piece offering to mitigate vibration hysteresis.

The stylus point has two main design concepts: Point contact and Line contact. The Point contact also has 2 design concepts; Conical (or Spherical) and Elliptical (see illustration). The Conical is the cheaper design and the less accurate of the two. Ellipticals can track better because of their sharper tip and broader sides, therefore, having greater surface contact with the record grooves and hence more accurate. The Line contacts have several variations (see illustration) such as the Shibata (JVC invention), MicroLine (Audio Technica invention), and the Linear Contact (aka Special-line, Fine-line, Hyper-Elliptical, Stereohedron) which enables superior groove coverage. However, the former wear the record faster than Point contacts. Suffice it to say Line Contacts are more accurate trackers but also require more accurate azimuth settings because it’s not as forgiving as Point Contacts and will show during playback. The stylus will impact the overall sound quality where cost/benefit becomes an important factor. The stylus has to track difficult passages without breaking up and requires low-mass cantilevers and special line contacts that are expensive to manufacture. 

Features are as important in a phono stage to enable flexibility in cartridge choices. For example, you should be able to set the gain on such a unit because cartridges have different levels of output requiring different amounts of gain to produce a practical signal level for the preamplifier. It needs options for switching between Moving Magnet and Moving Coil if the user wants different buying choices to consider or to optimize the listening experience for different genres. Cartridges are sensitive to 'loading'; input impedance and even capacitance of the phono stage otherwise, without proper settings, it would be difficult to maintain the best signal-to-noise ratio and hiss would be apparent. Nevertheless, your phono stage gain should match the output of your phono cartridge. 

Turntable set-up procedures
(My 10 steps in rank order)

3. Mount the Head-Shell to the tonearm – If yours is a removable head-shell. Fasten it securely.

 4. Prepare anti-skating - Set the anti-skating at zero (0) and balance the tonearm manually (no weight) without the stylus guard and the arm lift down by moving the counterweight backward (anticlockwise). Tonearm should float in the horizontal plane parallel to the platter. Be careful and do not accidentally damage the stylus. If there is any consolation you will not be the first one, yours truly included. 

6. Set the anti-skating weight to achieve the correct Vertical Tracking Angle (VTA) - The anti-skating dial should be set similarly to the tracking weight chosen or to the maximum if there is insufficient value on the dial. If your turntable is using another device such as the weight and string instead of the skate dial, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. The anti-skating feature is an important tool (see illustration) to ensure that your stylus is tracking optimally in a tangential alignment manner (see illustration) into the groove instead of right or left-leaning bias. This is because the design of the record groove and turntable whose motor rotates clockwise will cause the tonearm to naturally pull to the right to get to the end of the record. The anti-skating device has a spring or a counterweight (depending on the design) to counteract (pull) the tonearm movement back to the left and keep the stylus pointing straight into the groove as it should. If the lateral tracking angle is over the 90-degree azimuth angle, there may be unusual wear on one side and affect the audio signal balance because one side is instead tracking more information. Therefore, the correct anti-skating force would maintain the cantilever’s perpendicular relationship to the record groove. This can be confirmed by using a blank record (no groove) that should not move the tonearm either way. Another method is to use an Azimuth measuring device (see illustration) to view the correct Azimuth i.e., the cantilever falls inside the small and long vertical rectangle on the bottom of the gauge. The correct azimuth angle is critical to achieving a precise left /right channel balance, which ultimately affects the soundstage and imaging. 

Some turntable designs have a set screw on the base, others need to be manually shimmed to raise the platter. If you don’t have the height adjustment feature on your turntable, use additional or thicker platter mats as shims to achieve the desired height. DJ slip-mats are perfect – use a very thin double-stick tape at 3 points onto the platter – the shim should not have free-play; or independent movement. Your desired platter mat should be on top. Lock back the vertical height adjustment after getting to the correct height if available. Once the tonearm is parallel and leveled, the angle of the cantilever will ensure that the vertical tracking angle is at 92 degrees otherwise, too high or low, the stylus will dig in or out causing unusual wear and resonance that will hurt the integrity of the audio signal. (Note: Proper tracking force weight must be applied before this part because of cantilever sag, adjust the level every time you change the cartridge or headshell, or platter mat)

Go to the outer grid first. With the cartridge bolts slightly loosen on Head-Shell; check that the stylus is sitting on the null point and the head-shell body sides are aligned to the gridlines, otherwise, twist the cartridge clockwise or anti-clockwise to align the body with the grid lines. Go to the inner grid nearest to the spindle and repeat likewise. If the cartridge needs aligning, move the cartridge forwards (or backward) ever so slightly on the Head-Shell and twist the cartridge clockwise or anti-clockwise to align again. Align the cartridge and check with the other grid again; repeat until alignment is achieved at both null points, ensuring that the cartridge sidewalls are aligned with the protractor guides.

10. When you finally listen to the turntable when the setup is completed, you should not hear any vocal sibilance on the ‘s’ from known recordings, otherwise, increase your tracking force in small increments until the sibilance goes away. You are not to go beyond the maximum tracking force range stipulated by the manufacturer otherwise you will damage the cantilever. Reset the anti-skate dial to the final tracking force chosen and enjoy.

Essential accessories to have 

Platter Mat - Choose an appropriate platter mat - stay away from the stock rubber ribbed mat (you will lose high frequencies) or felt mats (collects dust only to return them to the record grooves). Acrylic, Corked, and the Japanese Washi compressed wood material or metal is recommended (see illustration).  Turntable mats do things in different ways to isolate the platter from the record. These special mats are relied upon to absorb and dampen vibrations when the stylus is tracking and producing its artifacts of micro-vibrations (hysteresis) as it rides the grooves. As for the choice of mats in my humble opinion the stiffer the better.

Cartridge alignment protractors - There are 4 types of cartridge alignment protractors; Universal, Baerwald, Loefgren, and Stevenson. The type chosen would depend on the Turntable / Tonearm combo which would be recommended by the manufacturer if the turntable comes with a stock tonearm. Check to see if a specific protractor is required, normally available when the turntable is purchased with the tonearm, otherwise use the universal type protractor. The types of protractors are not critical but a product of the respective designer’s solution of dealing with the way the stylus would track the grooves.

1. The Baerwald type protractor, the common alignment method, is identical to Löfgren A. It’s based on the assumption that distortion at the beginning, the middle (where it’s high), and the end of the record must be equal. Therefore, the geometry minimizes and equalizes distortion at the three weighted tracking error peaks resulting in moderate distortion between the inner and outer grooves.
   
   

2. The Loefgren protractor is less popular, but a practical technique nonetheless which is based on the premise that alignment must minimize the distortion across the record. Therefore, Löfgren B minimizes distortion between the inner and outer grooves resulting in the lowest average RMS distortion at the expense of slightly higher distortion close to the inner and outer grooves. Lofgren A or B represents a compromise regarding tracing errors and tracking distortion, and both are good. So, if you are concerned about higher distortion at the end of an LP, then Löfgren A might be preferred, but there's nothing to stop you from trying both and using whichever sounds better to your ears.
   
   

3. The Stevenson protractor is a variation on the Löfgren geometry which is rarely used. The geometry is optimized for low distortion at the inner groove (the last few mm of the record) at the expense of increased distortion elsewhere. A null point is identified at the end of the record, i.e., at 60.325 mm (IEC standard end of the record). 

Record cleaning machines – Clean your records when you just receive them to ensure that the records are in pristine condition, especially if you frequent the used market. After cleaning it's best to junk the old sleeves including the stock paper sleeve and use a brand new rice paper anti-static inner sleeve for the best protection. The stock paper sleeves are known to scratch records and leave residue on the records over time. It's also imperative to clean new records because the residue after the stamping process needs to be removed. Vacuum cleaners are the best solution. Debris left inside the grooves during playback will not only spoil the listening experience but in time will damage both the record grooves and stylus with premature wear. For dirty old records, use the manual wash first before going into the vacuum wash. It's also worth exploring the new ultrasonic cleaning process that uses high-frequency sound waves (usually from 20–40 kHz) to agitate a fluid creating cavitation bubbles. However, some controversial issues are not settled such as microscopic cavitation that may damage the vinyl, and dirt in the fluid would migrate back into the grooves during the cleaning process. See the following illustration for examples of record-cleaning machines.

A dozen recommended tips and tweaks 

1. 1. Record clamps that are threaded or mechanically locked are much better at creating a greater impedance match with the platter.

   2. When listening, take off the turntable cover entirely if you have one, it’s like an antenna that will attract acoustical-induced vibrations especially if it’s lifted in the open position.

   3. The counterweight at the back of the tonearm should be upsized so that it would sit near the pivot point after adjusting the tracking force for better-damping properties, otherwise get aftermarket weights to add-on or heavier counterweight (see illustration) so that you can bring the counterweight closer to the pivot point.

   4. A Fozometer (see illustration) is an ideal calibration device to ensure accurate azimuth settings. It can be purchased through ‘Music Direct online dealers. This is used with a test LP (azimuth settings) to ensure a correct left and right channel output balance after the phono stage.

   5. A low-output MC cartridge with a line-type contact tip and nude mounting, if possible a Boron cantilever is recommended for the best tracking and quality sound.

   6. A fixed head-shell (see illustration) is better because joints are a source of resonance however, the mounts must have adjustable slots for the cartridge to be adjusted for the correct azimuth settings.

   7. The turntable tonearm base must be height adjustable with an anti-skating feature, otherwise, there will be tracking errors and distortion.

   8. Keep spare platter belts when they are available, they are not stocked indefinitely. Keep them in an airtight case tampered with face powder so that they are laid out loosely and not tied together in a bunch.

   9. Cleaning the stylus after each album play to ensure quality sound reproduction and record groove integrity is a must-do activity. Try not to use liquid solvents to clean the stylus. The chemicals used may weaken the glue that holds the stylus to the cantilever together.

   10. Choose an appropriate protractor design for your table-arm combination to ensure correct overhang and alignment every time you change the cartridge. The 2 null points change with the design you choose. You must establish the ‘correct’ effective length (distance between the pivot and the stylus) according to your mounting distance, the ‘correct’ overhang (distance between the effective length and the mounting distance), and the ‘correct’ offset angle (the angle between a line going from the pivot of the tonearm to the stylus and the axis of the cantilever/cartridge body). The second null point is necessary to validate that your mounting distance is correct. The outcome will depend on which of the 4 alignment design types is used, if in doubt use the universal type commonly sold. An interesting protractor from Accutrack has all 4 standards in one protractor so you can experiment to determine which one is best suited for your turntable. See illustration.

   11. A record cleaner is an important tool to make sure that records are kept in pristine condition to ensure quality sound reproduction and stylus longevity.

   12. Choose a turntable design that is either very heavy or with a spring-loaded suspension system to minimize foreign vibrations affecting the cartridge system from working independently.

Conclusion

At the time of this posting, it is said that there are over 2 million turntables sold worldwide.  In the last 3 years, there were a few hundred turntable designs out there which is more than the combined turntable designs I had seen in my lifetime. There are numerous videos on YouTube to help you set up your turntable system, otherwise, engage an expert (not the salesperson unless trained) to do this for you. This is a critical step to ensure that your turntable is optimized for music playback. After all the hassle, it's finally time for you to enjoy the music and you will surely be in for a treat. I will make a bold statement and state that an audiophile-grade vinyl and a moderate turntable system with at least an elliptical profile stylus, and a good RIAA stage to match the compression algorithms used to get the music onto the vinyl, will sound better than a CD or music streaming. Assuming the amplifiers and loudspeakers are equally capable and the setup should be according to audiophile principles and optimized will run circles around any modern-day digital system costing many times more. It is also pertinent to note that despite records being a vintage audio format, it stubbornly refuses to go away.

Questions?

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dennis@hearasia.com

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