Three Turntable Problems And How To Easily Address Them

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If you've recently jumped into the hobby of collecting vinyl records and playing them on a turntable, you'll soon find that music played in this manner has a warm, authentic tone that you simply don't get through other mediums. Playing vinyl records requires a little more effort than what you might be accustomed to with MP3 files, and on occasion, you'll run into some issues that might seem confounding but are typically easy to remedy. Here are three common issues that you might encounter when using your turntable and the simple solutions to fixing them.

The Needle Isn't Making Solid Contact

You might occasionally run into a problem in which the sound quality of your music is inconsistent. Upon further inspection, you might notice that the turntable's needle — also known as the stylus — is only making intermittent contact with the record. This can often occur if the record is slightly warped, as it will be higher in some areas and lower in others. Stop the record and check your owner's manual for instructions on adjusting the tone arm; on many models, you can make slight adjustments to a knob on the rear of the tone arm to allow it to sit either lower or higher. This is a trial-and-error process; lower the needle a bit, play the record again and continue making these changes until the sound quality improves.

You're Hearing Static As The Record Plays

While static can result from a variety of causes, a typical culprit is the manner in which the turntable's needle tracks along the record as the record spins. If the turntable has been sitting uncovered for a long period of time, you might be surprised to see a sizable collection of dust and fluff affixed to the needle — this is what is affecting the sound quality. Lift the tone arm and carefully pick off the dust and fluff or use a can of compressed air to blow it away. Always keep your turntable cover on to avoid this problem in the future.

The Sound Quality Is Weak

If your music isn't coming through the speakers with enough volume, or the volume quality leaves something to be desired, it's possible that the turntable isn't sitting right. Grab a level to check the levelness of the furniture the turntable is sitting on. If the floor is uneven, the furniture might be slightly tilted, and this will result in an inconsistent listening experience because turntables need to operate perfectly flat. Relocate the turntable elsewhere in the room or use a folded piece of cardboard to level the table or shelf.

For more tips and information on turntables, or to rent one while you're troubleshooting another, talk with companies that sell and rent out turntables, like American Sound of Canada speakers

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6 May 2016

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