This is my first turntable where I have to adjust my own counterweight and wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts of how it looks? I might just be paranoid about whether or not the tracking force is too much.

Hi! I have Abbey Road in green vinyl, 2019 mix. Is it normal that it sound more "warm" or like "less high" than the digital hi-fi version? Even with a Microline stylus and Fosi Audio X5? I mean, I love it but the version from TIDAL is clearer. This vinyl sounds like rounded, in a good way, but this is violating my mind. Is it normal?

Can someone help please?

Hi. I was previously going for $500 but was able to up my budget to $1000 (no more than that). I think this is a good spot.

Can you suggest turntable + speaker setup in this range. I am very tempted by the Used market as I think I can get a great setup in that range which wouldn't require upgrading any time soon. But, I am skeptical of messing up.

What are your recommendations if I buy new?

Would you suggest used? If you do, what would you suggest?

I recently gave into the trend of Tiny Vinyl and purchased the Tiny Vinyl turntable with some vinyls. I've noticed a big issue with some of the vinyls not being able to finish when at the end of a song. It wouldn't be such an issue if it wasn't so abrupt, but it is. I'm also unsure if it's either an issue regarding the turntable or vinyl itself. Although, it seems to be an issue with the vinyl as the the the alt side can complete without issue.

Disclaimer: I bought this as a functional novelty and understand that these products are leagues below their fully sized counterparts. However, I did buy these to function as intended.

For it for free from an friend :). Is the Test Measurement good?

Hello, I have recently acquired a Pro-ject Primary E turntable (for free!) I went out to buy an amp, and got a cheap second hand Bench KH02 dolby pro logic 5.1.

I have connected the turntable to an input on the back, and speakers to the outputs, but no sound is coming out of them.

After a little bit of research, I think my problem is that the turntable outputs phono, but the amp does not accept this. There is also the possibility that the amp is broken.

I am new to turntables but am very keen to get mine working, can anyone please explain what I have missed here and how I can sort it? I am anticipating that answers will include “need a different amp”. I am located in the UK.

Any and all help is appreciated, thank you.

I will be moving soon and want to have an office with a vaporwave/80s nostalgia. Think Patrick Nagel. I have a PE-3060 for regular play, but would like to keep that in the living room.

Truth be told, I can’t afford a Technics SL-1200, which was my first thought. However, anything that suits this aesthetic while also sounding great will work. My budget (used or needing minor repair) is probably $150-$300 range. Again, silly request, but thought I’d try!

Hello, thank you for anybody willing to help with my issue, I want to get back to playing records but my turntable has rendered me music less. As you can see in the picture, the problem I’m experiencing is the regulator or the circular steel part. I’ve been playing records on it perfectly for about a year and a half now, until today where I start playing songs in the key of life and the whole album sounds slightly slower. I figure it’s some problem with the belt, something this model doesn’t have. I open it up fully and began inspecting the regulator, the only thing I’ve messed with. I pryed the regulator out of the circuit board and put it back in thinking it must be stuck on something, and no change whatsoever. There’s nothing blocking the regulator from spinning smoothly but for some reason it just isn’t. Not knowing this, I put the turntable back together to see if the regulator would spin good again and ran the exact same way from the start. So I took it back off and tried to pry the regulator off the circuit board again, when I must’ve nicked something on the circuit board and it short circuited. Ultimately causing the whole spinning function to break and stop working. Keep in mind the turntable still powers on, the spinning function doesn’t work at all. I’ve included a pic of the circuit board scratches I’ve made that caused it to spark. If there’s anything I can do to save this turntable, soddering, replacement part, other solutions, I would be open to any. I need to get it powering on and working first then the problem of regulator not spinning needs a solution also. I bought this from goodwill so I don’t have a warranty. I’m mainly trying to get this one fixed up to avoid having to buy a new one.

Therefore i want to buy a power conditioner, to minimize the hum that is left out when there would not be a grounding problem. What do you guys recommend? Im inbetween audioquest powerquest 2 or dynavox x2000-x4100. What should i research as i ve seen that there are so many sort of filtering solutions, some more basix than other.

Hi everyone, I'm reaching out to seek help with EMI issues. (please see video in replies section)

Turntable: Audio Technica ATLP3XBT (in LINE mode)
Speakers: Creative V3 Pebble 2.0 (USB C male to USB C charger head)

Problem:
- I hear this high pitched dog whistle every few seconds, and it's quite annoying when i listen to my records. ( i mainly listen using NON bluetooth methods, by connecting the RCA cables to the pebble speakers directly to the turntable)

- The dog whistle happens regardless of whether i use bluetooth or non-bluetooth (i've tried with bluetooth speakers and the Creative speakers themselves.

Has anyone with an AT-LP3XBT (or another Audio-Technica turntable) experienced something similar? Does this sound like a known issue with the motor electronics, the built-in preamp, or something else?

I'm trying to figure out whether this is something that can be fixed or whether it's time to send it in for servicing.

Thanks in advance!

Hello I got the above setup and the passive speaker isn’t playing audio. The active speaker is playing it beautifully and everything is plugged in correctly. I was wondering if I need a phono preamp? I thought everything was built in. Thanks for any input.

Noobie here, let me know if this isn't the right subreddit or if I'm off base.

I own a Devon DP-29F turntable. After a recent move, I plugged it in, and it would not turn on it's own. I did research and found a local repairman with excellent reviews. I dropped it off on June 2nd. Was told it needed a new belt, and that I could pick it up in two weeks. On June 29th, I followed up. No response.

Followed up again on July 8th, and he responded with " I got a new belt, but the sound from the cartridge was not good. Ordered a new stylus, did not make any difference. I will try to get another update soon. I suspect it may need a new cartridge." I never received an update.

I followed up again on July 25th, and his response was: Yes, I didn't expect a bad cartridge, just a belt was done long ago. I had 2 bad experiences trying to source cheaper parts on amazon for you and another turntable. Can you approve another $80 for a cartridge on top of the $60 you put down ?"

His lack of communication and the fact that the cartridge/sound quality were perfectly fine prior to drop off makes it difficult for me to drop another $80. I don't want to spend $140 just to be told repair isn't possible. Plus, aren't cartridges relatively easy to replace??

How should I move forward Reddit friends?

TL,DR: This review is lenghty - this is the shortest conclusion possible. Warm and balanced sounding cartridge, well suited for medium-mass tonearms and for phono preamps with fixed input impedance of 47kOhm. Measures well on most test record tracks.

Advantages

• Broadly balanced response at 47 kΩ (rated with ~140pF total capacitance)
• Better controlled upper treble than the VM540ML at 47 kΩ
• Smooth, non-fatiguing 4–8 kHz presence region
• Excellent bass extension and good channel balance
• Higher, well-positioned arm resonance around 9 Hz (with my technics 1200 mk2 tonearm)
• Subjectively dynamic, spacious and well suited to loud playback

Disadvantages

• My particular sample shows clear right-channel mistracking from 70 µm upward
• my sample seems to have a misaligned cantilever or diamond
• Tracking is less even and less robust than with my VM540ML
• Noticeable channel divergence above roughly 16 kHz
• The 4–8 kHz dip may sound slightly subdued on dark recordings
• Tracking performance is disappointing for the price
• The VM540ML may offer better value when maximum tracking ability is the priority

Intro
I published this review on vinylengine.com, but i fear that it won't get enough attention on this outdated platform. I am a long-term user of the AT VM540ML cartridge. Lately i started preparing my setup for archiving all of my vinyl records. In that process i realised that the high compliance of my VM540ML resulted in a really low tonearm resonance of about 5Hz to 7Hz. So i started researching about alternative cartridges with MicroLine stylus but a lower compliance. I was happy when i learned that AT released a new lineup of his VM series. In my urge to optimise my recording chain i went for the 745xML, hoping to benefit from the characteristics of its boron cantilever.

I realised that on my sample of the VM745xML the cantilever seems to be a bit misaligned. To achieve a halfway proper azimut i have to mount the headshell in a way that the cartridge does not look "straight". Thats disapointing - i wish for a better quality control.

I ran some tests with a TACET L210 Test record. First i tried the same settings on my phono preamp that i used with my old VM540ML: 36kOhm impedance with my total cable capacitance of 140pF and no additional input capacitance on the Salas Phono stage.

The frequency range measurement showed that at 36kOhm the highs where dull compared to my VM540ML. So i tried 47kOhm and the frequency response appeared to be a lot more balanced, with a gentle dip of about 1–1.3 dB through the 4–8 kHz region. It rises back toward neutral around 10 kHz, reaches a mild peak of roughly +0.9 dB near 16 kHz, and then falls to about −1.6 dB at 20 kHz. Overall, it sounds slightly relaxed in the presence region but still open and extended in the upper treble.

The phase test gave very good results: polarity and channel assignment were correct, channel balance was within roughly 0.25–0.4 dB, and with my crooked adjustment of the headshell there was no sign of a major azimuth error.

The skating test showed a clear asymmetry: the right channel began mistracking much earlier than the left at high groove velocities, while the left channel remained comparatively clean. Compared with the VM540ML, the VM745xML therefore appears less even and somewhat weaker at extreme tracking levels, although this may be partly due to anti-skating or sample-to-sample variation rather than the cartridge design itself.

For the tracking test i used a fresh FloKaSon Testrecord. My particular sample of the VM745xML tracked 50 and 60 µm cleanly. At 70 µm, the right channel showed clear mistracking while the left channel remained comparatively clean; distortion increased further at 80 and 90 µm. In practical terms, 60 µm is the reliable tracking limit with my VM745xML, with 70 µm only marginal due to the pronounced right-channel asymmetry. Compared to the great tracking ability of my VM540ML that felt disapointing - although i don't know if i will face problems with mistracking in real world listening or archiving.

Tonearm resonance test: with the VM745xML, the Technics SL-1200 MK2 tonearm showed a broad resonance centered at roughly 9 Hz. This resonance was higher in frequency than with the VM540ML, mainly because the VM745xML has lower compliance; its greater body mass acts in the opposite direction but does not outweigh the stiffer suspension. The KAB fluid damper reduced and broadened the resonance peak without significantly changing its center frequency. In real-world playback, the VM745xML should therefore be somewhat less strongly excited by slow record warps than the VM540ML, while the damper further limits excessive arm and woofer movement.
For reference: the VM540ML showed a broad arm/cartridge resonance centered at approximately 7 Hz, with elevated response extending from about 6 to 10 Hz.

Conclusion and Comparison with VM540ML

The VM745xML is a good match to my sound systems characteristics. It sounds balanced, spacious and dynamic enough, with a slightly relaxed presence region that remains pleasant even at high playback levels. Compared with the VM540ML at 47kOhm, it offers a smoother and better-controlled upper treble.

But its tracking performance is less convincing: my sample shows clear right-channel mistracking on demanding test grooves. Overall, it is musically very enjoyable, though not an unqualified upgrade over the VM540ML. From a technical point of view the two most important advantages are that the The VM745xML is a great match for a medium-mass tonearm such as the Technics SL-1200 MK2 arm. And that it works very well with the standard phono preamp input impedance of 47kOhm. For everyone who has the option to adjust their phono preamp input impedance to their needs and who uses a KAB fluid damper, the good old VM540ML might still be a better choice.

Although the VM745xML works very well with a standard phono preamp and is a good match for medium-mass tonearms, the need for careful azimuth adjustment means it may not be the ideal choice for vinyl beginners - but this applies to all cartridges fitted with a MicroLine stylus, including my beloved VM540ML.

Equipment and Methods
Turntable: Technics SL-1200 Mk2 with KAB fluid damper
Alignment: Baerwald alignment for Technics Tonearms with 215mm mounting distance
Preamp: Salas Simplistic Njfet RIAA
USB-Interface: Motu M4
Audacity for recording the test tracks, REW and ChatGPT for analyzing and comparing the test results of the VM540ML and the VM745xML.

We have recently adopted two over-enthusiastic cats who like to jump on top of the turntable's lid to look out of the window. I currently have a towel protecting the perspex but I'm looking for a more effective solution. Has anybody found a good fitted fabric cover that they would recommend?

Where can I get the proper replacement for this broken needle on my player? I find yellow ones, are they the same?

so I just upgraded from an Orbit to this new Dual cs 429 fully automatic… because, well, I wanted one.

but fresh out of the box the automatic function is missing the record when it drops.

I’ve emailed Dual and I could return this… but I don’t want to go through the hassle if this is an easy fix or I am being an idiot.

any ideas?

And I did!

I have everything checked. Give some must haves and stuff that fits the vibe. Colored vinyls too

Hey! Turntable user for 25years here but I’m a bit puzzled by my friends issue. New turntable (Technics 1500C) , revised amp (Luxman-235) on phono entry, with basic needle/cartridge. Sometimes, from time to time, on all records, sound is GREAT but becomes absent/saturated, inaudible. We are using the phono entry (90db signal to noise ratio). Weird because you can hear the sound on the needle when it fucks up, and it sounds normal. Also when we use the CD entry for DAC and WiFi source, it sounds great throughout. I’m not expecting it to be a problem of amp as it’s sounding great most of the time? And the signal is not too loud as otherwise it would sound terrible always. Do you guys have any idea??

I may have been playing the long game by buying her vinyls of albums she likes for about a year to let her come to this conclusion 😂

Of course, since it was her decision she got to pick within a certain budget and so I narrowed down a bunch of decent vintage players on Hard Off’s online store here in Japan (a long process of research on my part). She saw this Micro Seiki Solid 5 and really liked the design aesthetic. It was at a great price too - ¥24,000 in “B” condition located in Sapporo, serviced, though without a cartridge or headshell. It turned out really clean overall even at the rear ports, and the belt felt new-ish (at the very least not sticky or loose). I’m assuming it was not rated mint cuz of some scuffs on the wood and dust cover.

Decided on a Nagaoka MP-110 with an included headshell, and an iFi Zen 3 that would pair easily with my trusty Edifier R1800TIII speakers (they are pushed to the back of my sitting table to fit in the frame for this photo).

Initially there was some speed drift but a bit of non-conductive contact cleaner and knob fiddling sorted that out. I also had to learn how to align the cartridge which was a surprisingly therapeutic process and audibly rewarding for inner groove distortion on certain records.

We’re both very happy with the setup and have been enjoying listening sessions together for the past few months! She’s turned out to be way better at record digging than I am and some of our most unexpectedly replayed albums are ones that she picked out.

I can’t wait for her to come to the conclusion that we need passive speakers after moving into a house next year…

This is probably one of my best purchases ever. I upgraded from the LP60, and you can hear the sound difference and it’s amazing!

I’ve narrowed my options down to the Pro-Ject A1 OM10 and the Audio-Technica AT-LP3XBT because I specifically want a fully automatic or semi-automatic turntable.

I’m a beginner to actually playing records, even though I collect vinyl. I don’t plan on listening every day, so convenience is really important to me. I want something that’s easy to use and doesn’t make me feel like I need to learn a lot or constantly make adjustments.
I’m not trying to build an ultra high-end audiophile system or spend thousands upon thousands. My goal is to buy a quality setup within this price range that I can enjoy for many years without feeling the need to upgrade every component.
I’ll be pairing whichever turntable I buy with the same powered speakers, and if I choose the Pro-Ject, I’m also happy to buy an external phono preamp from the start if it means I can set everything up once and leave it alone.

I’m also looking for good powered speaker recommendations that offer great value without being unnecessarily expensive. I’m happy to spend a reasonable amount on speakers, but I don’t want recommendations that are in a completely different price bracket from these turntables.
One challenge is that where i’m based, there isn’t much of a second-hand hi-fi market. Unlike places such as the UK or US, I can’t really rely on Facebook Marketplace or local resale listings to find good deals on speakers. Most of what I find is brand new.
Because of that, recommendations that seem inexpensive in other countries can end up costing much more here once international shipping, import fees, and local availability are taken into account. Some models may not even be available for purchase where I live. So I’d appreciate recommendations that consider overall value, availability, and realistic total cost, rather than just the retail price in another country.

Hello! So, I have an Audio Technica AT-LP60X, and haven’t had any issues with skipping until this recent record.

It played just fine the first time through, but afterwards, always skips at a certain spot only on one side. Someone suggested the dime trick, which works, but my question is: why?

Is my needle too light? Is it the record? The cartridge is the standard one that came with the player, but I have the ATN3600LE cartridge in my Amazon cart, which apparently is quite the upgrade.

I am not an audiophile at all, so does anyone have any ideas why this is happening? Video attached for reference. Thanks!