5 Reasons Your Turntable Or Record Player Sounds Bad, Muffled or Distorted - A Beginner's Guide!
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- čas přidán 28. 06. 2024
- If you are beginner to turntables and wondering why your turntable might sound muffled, bad or distorted, then try these easy fixes.
I know some of these may seem too good to be true, but I often encounter these issues when friends call me with record player problems!
If this article was helpful, please visit my blog at www.foreveranalog.net and sign up for my mailing list.
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This video really covers "need to know" for new to vinyl lovers for any New or Vintage turntable Great Job!
Thank you, Alan.
I've done everything right. Going back to CD's..
OH my god so I ordered a new needle. I just bought a new record player two months ago!!! Im like wtf!!! I had a loos connection in back. You rock you are thorough and fantastic you saved my brain from exploding ha!!! Peace and rock n roll ppl!!!!
Awesome. Enjoy the music!
You are a lifesaver! We have 60+ albums from our 1970's college days. We had wrong connection to pre amp on new turntable. Now we can enjoy, Thank you!!!!!!!
Wonderful! Enjoy the music!!!
Thank you so much. I've visited a oad of sites trying to sort this problem out and no one suggested it might be the line/phono switch. Such a simple solution
Glad it helped!
Love the video dude probably best record vid,I've seen on CZcams period,you gonna help me out hopefully!!
Thanks man. I almost returned my pioneer PLX 500 because I missed the preamp switch on the back lol. Thank god i found your video
Whew! That’s why I made this one!!! Enjoy your table.
Thanks for this video my needle was to the right and I centered it and now it works much appreciated
I really appreciate that you took some time to really explain and even visualise what can cause distortion. The only thing I can really think to ask is: is a tiny amount of tilt enough to cause distortion? I have yet to level my record player, and while it's standing on a fairly solid table, I don't know if it's 100% levelled, but it *looks* like it is
It’s hard to say but I think if the table was titled you would hear it
I recently replaced my original pitch control belt on my Dual CS 506-1 after 40 years!! I also replaced the belt for the second time. I've made 3 major mods over 41 years that helped improve the sound of my Dual. The first one was getting rid of the stock Ortofon cartridge that came with the TT. The problem with the Ortofon was that the stylus was too delicate and broke a few of times. Secondly, the sound coming from the cartridge was neutral and uninspiring. I replaced the Ortofon with the Shure Me97he cartridge featuring the hyperelliptical stylus which sound wise was a noticeable improvement. Next I got a solder capable musician friend to replace the stock built in wires with double shielded performance rca cables. This was a major step forward sound wise. Recently, I installed a set of 4 Vibrapod isolators underneath the TT and can honestly say that this old Dual now sounds superb.
Those are all quality upgrades! The vintage Dual tables can sometimes be quite the headache!
I agree.
@@madmeister407 So you're calling me a liar? You happen to speak from experience with those crappy OEM Ortofon cartridges mounted on Dual 506 TT's? Is it any wonder most people don't bother posting their experience about their gear with trolls like yourself hovering about. They were garbage! End of story.
i remenber some friends buying those DUAL turntables that came with a Ortofon needle from the OM series but stamped on the side of the cartridge it said DUAL and remenber them being good but breaking the stylus i never ever saw that happen, maybe to much weight on it. But the shure you refer was a lot used on turntables at the time being good sounding and not that expensive,i have one on a turntable i bought because it was sold with a nice receiver and a 4ohms pair of speakers, this from pioneer the turntable was a PL-518X if memory doesn´t fail me, in 79
Thank you! I have a Audio Technica 120 connected to Sprout 2 (PS Audio) and since both have a preamp I thought to try the Sprout's. Probably better than the turntable's I thought. So I moved the switch on the back of the turntable to check it out. Ah, right then my wife called me to do something (forget now what). Just shut down everything and went. A few days later I wanted to listen to Queen. Cleaned the LP, put the weight on the said LP and played. Oh man it sounded terrible! Cleaned the stylus; no go. Change the LP to a Shinedown album. Cleaned of course. Still terrible. Turntable is level. My weight has a level bubble. Didn't know what else to do. Told my wife that I probably needed to get a new stylus cartridge. Sigh... Went on youtube and came across this video. The title said it all. Watched and found out that I needed to connect to the AUX input. I had it connected to the Phono input. I did not know I would need to change the input. I just switch back the turntable not expecting much. It sounded great. I'll try the AUX later with the Sprout. For now I was just happy that everything worked. So thank you again. Your video saved me from spending at least a $100+ and would still have sounded awful.
Wonderful to hear James. So many times it’s a simple fix and I still forget after all these years so these videos even help me ha!
Lifesaver! My needle was off to the right and dirty. I re-entered it, clean it , and it sounds perfect. Ordering a new stylus now. Cheers 🍻
Awesome. Enjoy the music!!!
You just made my day, thanks for the advise.
Thank you for the kind words!
Pre amp switch was the cure! Thanks so much for the vid
Awesome!!!!! 🙌🏻👍🏻
Thanks. You helped me resolve the issue.
Awesome!
Very nice video, I knew some but not all of this as I get ready to resurrect my 30 year old vintage Technics direct drive turntable
Thank you and good luck on the Technics project! I have two 1200s and love them!
Thank you, I don't speak audiophile so all the comments were foreign to me, but you explained it perfectly. I just needed to switch from line to phono so thank you , thank you.
Awesome! So glad your music is up and running!
Thanks a bunch . I switched out receivers and the old one didn’t have a internal pre amp so I was using an ext pre amp removed it and it worked thanks again
Awesome!
Cartridge alignment is also critical, perhaps the most critical. There are tools you can purchase for setting azimuth, vertical tracking angle, tracking force and null point tracing across the record. You don't need to spend big $$$$ on these (of course you can if your system is also $$$$) and once optimized the sound will improve dramatically, even if you already have done all the things mentioned in this video. Also a good tunable mat (often overlooked) can improve resolution more than you think.
Great points thank you!
I had what appeared to be a clean stylus (a $200+ Audio-Technica VMN40ML MicroLine Nude Stylus), used my little stylus brush on it, etc. Records sounded very distorted/bad. I sent my stylus to Audio Technica, assuming they'd replace it since it was under warranty. They messaged back and said, basically, "it played fine!" In the meantime, I had grown impatient and ordered another one. They sent my old one back and I sold it on eBay at a substantial loss. It was all on me! Now I have a better stylus brush as well as the AT liquid cleaning solution. I've since had a couple scenarios where I got a record and assumed it was a crappy pressing, only to notice the very next record I played also sounded bad. Long story short, it's always been a dirty stylus for me even if it looked fine.
Yeah, after 20+ years of buying and playing records, it's amazing how many times I forget to check the stylus first, ha. Thankfully I have a much better practice of cleaning records before playing these days, ha. Thanks for watching and the comment!
@@ForeverAnalog i always remenber to clean the stylus now and then ,i have it close to the stylus , the brush it looks like a litle teeth brush ,bought in 73, always kept stylus and records cleaned
Thank you for this informative video. I think I should clean my stylus more frequently.
Glad it could help!
It was reason #5. You saved me from having a full meltdown. Thank you!!!
Awesome! Enjoy the music!
Man you taught me so much thank you!!!!
Awesome thank you so much!
Here’s another one to consider : after going through several steps and thinking I had it down to simply not being grounded( it wasn’t ) but after grounding I realized I had an external preamp adapter connected that wasnt needed and causing horrible distorted sound
Ohhhhhh yeah that’ll do it too!
The preamp switch did the trick for me. I was on the verge of buying a new amp. So, thank you!
It’s such a common issue that I made this video mostly for it lol! Enjoy your music!
Thanks. Nice video. Liked & Subscribed. Thinking of getting my first turntable soon, and I am looking for a model that is not too exoensive and is very good value for money. Any suggestions?
I usually point people to either the Fluance RT80 for $200 or the Audio Technics ATLP120 at $350
@@ForeverAnalog Thanks. I'll be using it with the Aiyima T5 amp I just got, and might get a better amp for the turntable later. Use the Aiyima as a preamp next to the desktop. Listen via headphones and IEMs mostly.
@@ForeverAnalog Just curious as to how you find (or have heard of from your trusted sources) the Sony turntables? The one with Bluetooth specifically. Cause they give a good deal and warranty in my country in SEAsia. Thanks 🙏👍
Cheers- mine sorted through using aux port instead of phono. Would never have thought of that.
Awesome. Enjoy the music!
I have a technics Sl-b260 cicrc 1988. I've noticed that my records are sounding wobbly. I don't know how else to describe it really, but you definitely notice it in the vocals. Could this be the belt and/or the stylus?
I've worked on a few of those SL models lately and they often have speed control issues. You can definitely try using a new belt, but if that doesn't work, contact cleaner on the speed control switch can sometimes help it stabilize. If that doesn't work, there are also variable "pots" on the board that can also be cleaned with contact cleaner. It's not the easiest fix, but that would possibly be why it sounds wobbly, like maybe it's slowing down.
What about microphonic feedback?
Thank you!!! This saved me!
Awesome. Enjoy the music!
The first turntable I ever had was when I was 12, back when records were for old folks and DJs only... I got an old turntable from my father and it didn't run properly.
I remember it was basically a one and a half year long project to make the thing work, which is very long for a 12 years old.
Eventually found out that I needed to buy a new timing IC and clean the trimmer pots.
I actually learned soldering and the basics of electric principles because of it.
Kids can learn a lot when they're obsessed with something.
Awesome thank you for sharing!
i have a brand new audio- technical lp60x and new vinyls/records and it sounds scratchy and i’m not sure why it’s on a flat desk and is on line what else could be wrong?
I'm having a similar issue
Thank's a lot, it was the phono/line-switch😊😊
Glad it was an easy fix!
Just got my first Vinyl Player for Xmas (U-Turn Orbit with built in pre amp). I have a Marantz receiver that doesn't have the phone input so I hooked up the player to one of the Aux inputs, I am getting sound (with the pre amp switch on) but ita coming in bad (sounds cartoonish), I tried everything on this video and nothing is working, if anyone has any other recommendations I would appreciate it.
I have a video on my channel on how to connect a turn to an aux input that might help?
Man I need you to come check mine out it's a pioneer PL560 everytime I touch the volume on the Amp which is a Pioneer GR 560 it cracks and buzz like crazy. I just got it from my pops and would love to enjoy it but I need to learn this stuff hopefully this works cuz it's a nice setup
Sounds like you need to clean the volume knob with Deoxit. Not too hard and plenty of tutorial videos on the ole CZcams
Thankyou for doing this video, keep forgetting to check the stylus for dirt and dust, was just listening to Chris Rea everything sounded good but his voice, going to check that it may be a worn stylus though not sure
Sometimes we jump to the worst conclusion forgetting it could be something simple! If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks for watching.
@@ForeverAnalog so I finally figured out what was wrong, long story short stanton l720 cartridges are crap and I have 2 now with 2 different stylus, ill stick with my adc and shure cartridges, world's better, maybe it would shine with an elliptical but already spent some money to figure out that it's just a bad cartridge design, thanks again,
Oh and yes I have a p mount, love it compared to what I did have
@@cmvb69 so glad you got it all figured out!
many persons don´t have a change of stylus for a lot of years and one of the first things to notice is the voice being a litle distorted, also it damage the vinyl using for a lot of time a worn out stylus ,not saying that is your situation but take care about your stylus ,it´s simple to clean
What can it be if my turntable sounds like in DJ show when bringed home (deep bass, great soundstage etc) then really, really bad - losing channels, bass distorted (or no bass at all), the frontstage not heard properly, but chorus louder than should... then couple of days pass, and it's sounding reasonably well, but still from time to time losing channel - when it's doing that I need to switch MM to MC and back to MM, or change input selector couple of times.
Dude thank you so much
Thank you! Hope this was helpful.
I watched your other video and still getting that sound. I will contact UTurn tomorrow...thanks for your quick response.
Thanks so much for this video, my records sounded like crap. I ordered a new belt and all my records sound great. The old belt was much larger in length. It was in a Crosley. Now l have to find out how to get a cassette unstuck in the back. Thanks so much!
Awesome! Good luck with the cassette!
@@ForeverAnalog just got it out, the cassette has a paper label which was getting stuck, l got it out, taped the label and now plays. I thought it was the cassette deck that died, but all the components of the Crosley works now. I have two others l stored away thinking they were broke, but you motivated me now and probably will work with some fixing. Thanks again.
@@ForeverAnalog just got it out, the cassette has a paper label which was getting stuck, l got it out, taped the label and now plays. I thought it was the cassette deck that died, but all the components of the Crosley works now. I have two others l stored away thinking they were broke, but you motivated me now and probably will work with some fixing. Thanks again.
@@ForeverAnalog just got it out, the cassette has a paper label which was getting stuck, l got it out, taped the label and now plays. I thought it was the cassette deck that died, but all the components of the Crosley works now. I have two others l stored away thinking they were broke, but you motivated me now and probably will work with some fixing. Thanks again.
Thank you uneven surface was my problem
Awesome! Glad it’s working properly now!
Hi, my Technics SL-BD27 only has a phono out option, and I'm trying to plug it in my x32 rack aux (only 2 RCA ports each for input and output). Should I buy an extra smaller preamp to change from phono to aux before plugging in to the X32 Rack console?
You need a phono preamp. I have videos on my channel showing to make that connection.
@@ForeverAnalog hi yes, thank you I just watched that video after posting my comment. New subscriber! Please make more videos. Thank you
Went from a new conicle back to my old elipticle needle--What a big difference
I have a vintage technics quartz direct drive turntable, and it worked fine forever but I haven’t used it in a long time and now when I use it, the audio is super quiet even when I have it at max volume. Any suggestions?
Do you have it connected to the phono input on your receiver?
@@ForeverAnalog yea i had to get a new receiver with a phono input and it works like a charm!
You probably didn’t had to get a receiver with a phono Jack you could have plug the analog plugs to auxiliary and voila, also on some receiver upon using auxiliary you have to goto your input and set it on analog.
Notice on some receiver they have various option like tv cd etc etc. on my tv in order to get a sound to come to my receiver I had to goto input setting and set it to optical but if I had analog jacks or plugs ( red and white) coming from the tv Jack I had to input the source to analog to receive a sound.
Also on back of your turntable if it is older you have a switch in the back that says line in and phono, you probably have to switch it to line in. Hope this helps
hey, I just bought my first record player. Its the audio technica LP60. I plugged it in, put it in line, but my record sounds weird, like its skipping parts of the song. Maybe it has something to do with the kneedle but im not sure. I hope its the kneedle because the records are pretty new and they cant be dirty. How can I know what the problem is?
Do you have the preamp switch on the LP60 set correctly? What input are you plugging the turntable into?
What about in vinyl records itself?
Thanks brosky
I have a Gemini (built in amp) connected to a RS202 Yamaha Receiver with two Polk T15s and the two plastic box speakers that came with the Gemini. It actually sounds really good except for one problem. As soon as I switch from vinyl to digital I get WAY more bass. It's like my vinyl is missing the low frequencies or something. Is there an easy fix for this? Or do I need to buy a better player. Gemini is some what cheap. Also wondering if having a built in pre amp might be the issue... Any help would be greatly appreciated. Some people say its just how vinyl sounds but I found others saying that's not true. IDK???
RS202s lack a true phono input. Unless your Gemini table has a built in phono pre-amp this may explain the poor sound quality. Good news is stand alone phono pre-amps can be purchased on the cheap which should fix your issue.
@@bpalpha Appreciate the response. Ended up buying a Fluance 81+. No looking back now. lol Thank you though.
I just bought a u turn orbit plus and three new vinyls. One sounds great, the other cracks and is distorted, and one has a loud hissing noise in the right channel only. Is this common? I am nervous about my investment and haven't been able to find anything online to help.
I have a u turn and it works great. Since one LP sounds great, I wonder if the other two are just bad pressings? Do you have any others you can test?
i once bought a copy of the dream syndicate´s LP" Boston" and one side had a lot of hiss it was a damaged recording like all in that series
Do I have to go to a preamp or can I go directly into speakers. I have an Audio-technical at-lp120xusb
That table has a built in preamp
Im confused .you mentioned that when you use the phono pre amp set to phono on either the turntable or external phono stage pre amp it should go to phono input on the reciever /amp..?? That cant be right .phono pre amp to phono pre amp on amp would sound distorted and alot out off wack..ive got a audio technica Lp 120 x usb turntable .when i use the phono stage pre amp on the turntable its of my understanding that you would therefor connect to an aux line level input .Aux cd ect .if i was to use the phono stage pre amp on an receiver /amplifier therefor i would proceed with switching the switch at back of turntable to the line level out from turntable into phono pre stage on the back of phono input at the back of
Amp..but your saying that if you use phono out of turntable that the connection should go to phono stsge pre amp at back of amp phono input .that cant be right ..one has to cwncel out the other .you cant have phono out into phono in .it would distort so much .vise versa .if i went from line level out into line level in .Aux cd ectc.i would get jo or little volume sound .im confused.with your comment .please explain .am i right & your wrong/ or are you on the money & ive been missing something for last 40 years.please explain in detail what you mean .with phono to phono/ line out to line in😳🤔👍
Phono out of the TT to phono in on the amp/rcvr and Line out from the TT to a line in on the amp/rcvr i.e. aux is correct.
Holy shit. Where did you get that Minor Threat illustration??? I need one!
The artist is Nathan McKee and he sells these prints online. Google him!
i own an audio technica at-lp60xbt turntable, with 2 speakers and no amplifier. just played an album i recently purchased. songs skipped. yet when played on a turntable in a shop that sells vinyl. the lp played flawlessly. a friend of the owner suggested i replace the stylus. after listening to your video, i also see that my turntable is not set on a completely flat service. can that possibly add to the problem?
Yeah the table needs to be flat
yes ,it´s the main reson for records to skip not having other problem
Maybe you can help me out
I have the exact same turntable & I bought a fosi audiobox x2 pre amp as an upgrade. I connected all the rca cables correctly too. But when I switch to the line selection (as I should with the external preamp) & start playing records there’s an awful screeching noise. So with the fosi connected I get screeching from the line setting & silence from the phono. Is there an issue with the ground Or internal wiring if the turn table ?
Hi there - you want your turntable to be switched to phono, then connect to Fosi, then connect RCAs to the Aux input on your receiver. If you have your turntable switched to line, then you can plug RCA's directly into the Aux input on your receiver. Lastly, if you have your turntable set to Phono, you can plug RCAs directly into the phono input on your receiver. Basically, when the table is set to line, that is using the internal phono preamp inside the table so if you have it set to line and then plug it into an external phono preamp, you have two preamps battling it out and screeching. Hope this helps!
It worked! Thanks for the help you’re a life saver
Been spinning discs for years. I use Audio Technica stylus cleaner, Discwasher and Zerostat. Always clean stylus from back to front. Bought my Pioneer PL-518 in 1979 and it still performs well. Had great specs to boot, wow/flutter 0.03%, rumble 73dB. Not too shabby even by todays standards. Pick-up is a Shure M95HE. An overhang gauge is essential for good sound.
Nice! I use a PL-560 as my main table!
@@ForeverAnalog my main turntables are from pioneer the PL-540 ,the one with a needle for the velocity either than the stroboscope and quartz pll too, but that one that was ofered to me with a sx-1980 and a pair of HPM-1000 (1980) model, but my favorite one is the PLC-580 and a technics SP-1 also a technics SL-1000mkII ,i also have a thorens professional line from 1970 ,this to say that after 1980 i only bought a thorens in 81 and another thorens in 92, those are for me the best turntables i know off and i used to sell them in a store of electrical apliences either than hi-fi that belonged to my grandparents
So my problem is I just got the Audio Technica LP3XBT-BK which has a built in preamp, I have it connected to powered speakers and have it set to line on the back of the turntable. I'm using the Edifier R1850DB active speakers and when having both speakers connected the passive speaker only sounds very distorted, staticky/muffled. I've changed out cords, it's not the speakers because when connected to my phone via bluetooth the speakers sound great. Is it possible my turntable came defective? I'm racking my brain trying to figure out the issue. It sounds great with only the one active speaker connected but sounds horrible with the 2nd speaker.
Strange. Which rca input are you using on the rear of the speakers? I would use the Aux one as I’m not sure what the PC input is for as that’s kind of an odd labeling.
@@ForeverAnalog I have it connected to the aux input. It does it when I have it connected to any speakers via Bluetooth as well which makes me think it’s something wrong with the turntable itself. I contacted audio technica support so we’ll see what they say when they get back to me.
@Tarebear120 I agree it sounds like a turntable issue!
Also, the quality of the preamp can make a difference. For whatever reason, the preamp in my Luxman amplifier doesn't sound as good as a little $60 tube buffered preamp. I'm using a Sure 97Xe cartridge on a Thorens TD-160 turntable. Go figure.
Great point. That’s what makes this hobby so fun lol. You never know what will match up for better sound until you try! Thanks for sharing!
What about the cartridge? I dont know how to tell if the problem is the cartridge or not. Basically the sound is very quiet and lacks bass
Why would mine be sounding almost like it's talking through a fan or like robotic, almost like auto tune 🤔 I'm New to vinyl
Hi, need somme help , the mass of my turntable is connected to GDN and if I play louder the is a Lot of hum exspecialy when I put on the loudsnes . Wat can I do about it. my speakers are verry close to my turntable . Do you have somme hints please . Even when I tab with my fingers close to the turntable I can hear the tabbing in my speakers... A litle help please. Thanks
Have you tried moving the speakers away and listening to see if you still get hum?
@@ForeverAnalog First of all thank you for reacting ! Whole my system amps and speakers are from 1970 to max 1980 . My left speakers are wright next to my record player? Record player next to my amplifiers who also is flanked by the right speakers. And if I play it loud it hums a lot . It is all verry close to eachotter. I putted somme things under the feeds of my record player to absorb the vibrations. Would it helps if I place my record player inside my closed (furniture) ?? once I had a record player who didnt need a gdn connection. Sorry for my bad englisch writing ... so I hope you can understand it all . Again thanks for youre reaction man .
@@peterderidder9922 I've heard speakers too close to turntables actually push the vibrations back through the turntable needle and cause all sorts of problems. That might be an issue for you!
the most important thing that i tried to get an answer for is some turntables not having a ground wire and they for sure need one or a constant hum or buzz is heard on the speakers could you say how they replace the ground wire for nothing having need of one like in the PL-500k similar to the SL-1200 but from pioneer , i have 7 turntables and only two are more recent and thorens i bought in 82 and a thorens i bought in 91 being a fine arts by grundig "connoseur " but there is a thorens version that instead of gold and black is silver and black, theses are good turntables close to perfection. When looking for new turntables i notice some having the ground wire missing and not because it doesn´t need it but because they make noise because of the non existing ground wire like in the turntable you showed after the technics which is a type of turntable that almost no one knows how it works with it´s cartridge having a optical way of reading the grooves and auto correcting it ,the full automatic system T4P ,normally they come with the weight and anti-skating tuned from factory ,it´s a linear tracking turntable like other i have from Sharp ,and used in all tangential turntables
A lot of modern tables have internal grounds so no need for a wire.
@@ForeverAnalog thanks for the fast reply ,but i was asking this because a friend of mine bought a project ,those that only have the turntable itself and the way to the belt and only a litle plastic part where the fiber tonearm is with it´s counter weight and there are two ,this was the cheapest one and he was saying to me about some constant noise when the music was low or inbetween tracks it needed a ground wire so we went to an old technician just to know if it was possible to make a ground wire and he did it at home while we wait ,this because he is sick and not working anymore but he did made a ground wire and the noise went away ,that´s why i was asking this and normally this happens with lowest reference turntables
but if related with the electric cable having earth conection like washing machines normally in rooms that are not for kitchen or clothes washing machines it never as a socket with ground , regards
@@RUfromthe40s try the Pro-ject Ground-it power supply
Thing about pickups they are so sensitive to motion. I've worked on all turntables and record players from wind up gramophones to ceramic cartridge to MM to MC modern style. Even old gramophones had flutter sound coming out of the acoustic horn because of loose or stuck and unbalanced governors which develops a shutter wave through the motorboard and gets picked up by the platter and in turn can get amplified by the horn assembly itself. Yup turntables are still the most finicky system, however still is the best sound medium and if built properly is far better than any streamed music any other stereo system. As a matter of fact you can end up paying over $200000 for the turntables like an Apolyt. And a cartridge like the Audio technica AT-ART1000 Direct power stereo MC cartridge upgrade for a regular turntable you can be paying up to $7000
Awesome info. Thank you!
it´s easier to pay 100 and something €´s for a good old turntable do some maintenace maybe change the cartridge and stay better served with an old but complete turntable
ur a lifesaver
Awesome. Glad I could be of help. Enjoy the music!
Genius!
Thank you!
solder the end of your ground cable so it makes easier to connect ...
Great idea
or use a fully-grounded power supply
why does the needle go at a slight angle is it something ive done wrong or just worn out over time?
Can be both causes but as they wear out they can simply start to favor one side more than the other.
@@ForeverAnalog ok i guess just buying a replacement should avoid any damage to the vinyls?
It will definitely sound better!
A new needle really helps.
Agreed!
Hi, What if I have bought a second hand turntable (Note: I bought it 6 years ago, never used it but its been in and out of the box and through 2 house moves), replaced the stylus with the same but brand new Ortofon 5E Stylus, cleaned this stylus with a tiny brush, calibrated/aligned the tonearm, connected phono on the TT to phono on the Integrated Amp, levelled the turntable (with a spirit level), connected the ground cable, cleaned the record (its spanking clean), and still it sounds terrible, with so much noise.... Where do I turn to next?
My only guess would be there’s an issue with the phono preamp on the amplifier?
@ForeverAnalog that's what I thought too. But just this morning I connected the phono output of the turntable to the Line input of the amp ( just to see if I'm going crazy or not) and IT WORKED.... no more noise/distortion. I'm confused and intrigued and glad at the same time. Thank you for replying buddy.
My turn table doesn’t sound bad it’s just that it sound different to when I would listen to it on my phone, like the artist voices sound lighter. Does anyone have a way I can fix this or is this normal
Is being almost level good or are you talking dead nuts level between the hash marks . I’m about 1/8th inch off.
one change of a switch on the back of the turntable and it worked!!!!!!
Love it. So glad you’ve got jams playing!
I just recently got a Victrola suitcase record player as well as two records. The first few runs were great but then I ran into some problems. When playing a scratching sound would start but only when the singer was singing. When it was just music the player would be fine. Do you know what the problem could be?
I don’t have much experience with hose models sorry. Is the needle dirty by chance?
@@ForeverAnalog Thank you for taking the time to reply to my comment. I appreciate. Ill make sure to check the needle. Have a good day
it might be the vinyl destroyd ,what type of stylus did the suitcase came with?
My old Technics changes speed, the strobe light burned out years ago, so i cannot check the speed.
There is a phone app you can download to measure RPM speed.
Simple, get it fixed or scrap the turntable and buy a new one. Forget about phone aps and buy a good strobe disc.
just point a lantern to the stroboscope and see if the line of the correct speed changes when listening ,normally it´s just a matter of doing some lubrificant on the main bearing or engine ,other times is the speed control knob that is dirty or as a gap, normally it´s an easy fix ,try first using deoxit on the knob for the speed control
@@madmeister407 that is good!!!
That's true.
Thank you for watching!
welcome to the year 2022 ...
Uh huh...
7:55 fixed my problem. Just had to flip that stupid switch.
It’s often something simple lol! I’m just glad you are up and running again!!!
replace the worn out belt.
My turntables have this very issue, but none of the troubleshooting from this video helps in any way shape or form
Or replace the cartridge
after several plays.
After "several" plays? Sounds expensive.
@@milesmead2232300-500 hours for most cartridges. That is 500 to 700 playbacks of a full LP.
I hooked a little Pro-Ject pre amp to my Yamaha reciever and then searched for 2h why it'a making a HORRIBLE sound. And somehow this video gave me the answer😂 fml
Glad you got everything sounding right. Thanks for watching!
Thank you sir, the ground wasn't connected all the way!!! 😅
Awesome! 99% of the time it's something so simple!
My record player sounds like it’s playing 2 songs at the same time. One is playing like normal but in the quieter parts on the song I can hear another song that’s on the other side of the record.
your record is bad probably a cheap turntable
Sounds like you are getting bleed through from another source
different cartridges sound different
Hi thanks for this vid, it helped me alreddy much, but all doh my mass connection is connected verry good and still I have a lot of Hum and brrrrooooooeeeeemmmmm. S.O.S
Save my djing night
Awesome!
I hate the harsh "sssss" sounds on some tracks/albums
Aha. Yeah. The joy of physical media!
Mine is playing double sound when I pull the volumen all the way down I can still hear the song on top of the turn table :( any ideas ?
get a "bubble level". A loose belt shouldn't make yout tt run fast
Audio Techica sounds bad
Just saying. If your turntable is hanging upside-down inside the ISS, the needle won't be inverted.
This didn’t fix any of my problems.
What exactly is the problem?
@@ForeverAnalog distorted and Muffled sound out of the speakers
OK, just remember, you're getting these tips from an "EXPERT." So let's review: "5 Reasons Your Turntable Or Record Player Sounds Bad"
1) Dirty stylus. 2) Flat Turntable 3) Belt Drive 4) Preamp 5) THERE IS NO NUMBER 5! That's what you get from a YT video, the inability to count to 5.
Thanks for the feedback. I watched again and still count five reasons: 1) dirty stylus, 2) turntable balance, 3) bad belt, 4) improper grounding, 5) preamp switch is in the wrong position. It appears the time stamp missed the grounding issue so maybe that explains the confusion listed above in your comment.
It sounds bad because it is the same technology as running your finger nails down a chalkboard.
hilarious, thank you.
Dude, I get why people do vids like this, but if you do not know these very basic fundamentals of turntable ownership I despair. I bought my very first proper hi fi turntable (Transcriptors hydraulic reference) at the age of 16 (48 years ago) and we had to get off our butts and visit these things called hi fi dealers (years before computers or youtube) who advised us how to set up, use and look after our turntables AND the records we played on them. I get the impression that the youth of today is somewhat lacking in the finer details of hi fi ownership. Why I don't know, but what I do know is the youth of today are buying very poor quality turntables fuelled by the likes of youtube, amazon and ebay which do not do justice to the vinyl LP. God only knows what amp/receiver these turntables are plugged into and the speakers that they are using. God help the future of Hi Fi.
Well you certainly aren’t going to help anything. What a useless comment.
You only knew how to operate one because you went to someone who showed you how to. Now people are coming to CZcams to get tips on how to operate one, what’s the difference?
@@shaneshaneist Well you certainly missed the point here. The difference is that dealers are trained by the manufacturers or the distributors. So when you are shown how to set up a particular tone arm, Turntable, tape deck or whatever you know its correct. My reference regarding the basic fundamentals of turntable ownership are outlined in the user/service manual that comes with the kit which is very informative, and sets you up for future tweaking, but I doubt anyone reads them these days. The problem is that there are thousands of people on CZcams advising how to do this, that and the other without the training or backup from either of the above so which one is correct? Forever analog? (analogue) talks about worn belts affecting the speed but does not tell you how to check the speed before and after replacing the drive belt, so what's the point of mentioning it. For goodness sake there are still people on CZcams calling a stylus "a needle" and a drive belt "a band" At the end of the day its your choice.