Choose the best turntable for your budget, your ears and your records.
If you are looking for the best turntable, you alreadhy know vinyl isn’t dead. It isn’t exactly mainstream anymore but it’s certainly not dead. The debate over the sound quality between CD’s and LP’s will never be resolved and I won’t even hazard an opinion here. What matters is that vinyl, at it’s best, still sounds awesome. You want the best turntable possible to bring the sounds from the vinyl alive.
When choosing the best turntable, you have to choose between belt driven and direct driven models. Both work very well however you might have a preference based on how you use it. In a direct drive turntable, the motor is directly connected to the platter, the area where your record sits. In a belt driven turntable, the motor is connected to the platter by means of a rubber belt which looks like a big rubber band.
Belt Driven Turntables Are Best For Home Use
The advantage of the belt driven turntable is that the needle is less likely to pick up any of the vibrations from the motor which would be detectable as a low frequency rumble over your speakers. Most audiophile turntables such as Denon DP-300F Turntable
Be advised that belts wear out over time even with modern rubberized materials. As they wear out, they stretch which will alter the speed the turntable spins thus altering the pitch your records produce. Eventually the belts break rendering the turntable useless until you find a replacement belt. Back in the pre-CD days, finding a replacement belt wasn’t a problem. Your local electronic repair shop kept them in stock. Nowadays, you would likely need to order spares over the internet and wait for them to come because so many little shops are out of business. Your LP collection isn’t likely to be your only source of recorded music anymore so you won’t be tune-less but it’s still an inconvenience.
Direct Drive Are the Best Turntables For DJs
A big advantage of the direct drive turntable is that you don’t have a belt. The motor is attached directly to the platter so belt breakage, slippage or stretching is not a worry. Over the years, manufacturers have incorporated sound dampening materials into their turntables making motor vibration less of an issue.
Direct drive turntables such as Audio Technica ATLP120 Professional Turntable with USB
Tone Arms
Another consideration is the shape of the tone arm. Some of the best turntables have straight tonearms while others have S-shaped tonearms. There is no clear advantage to either style. Good turntables can have either. I wouldn’t consider the shape of your tonearm to be a major factor in deciding which is the best turntable for you.
No mater which tonearm you get, you will need to make some adjustments to it so it tracks properly. Instructions come with the unit so you can read about it when you get it. Keep in mind that an improperly adjusted tonearm can damage your records so getting the best one you can and keeping it adjusted properly is vital for preserving your record collection.
If you are strictly going to be listening to records leisurely at home, I’d say a belt driven model is the best turntable for you. If you are a DJ, the best turntable would be a direct drive model. Unless you are listening through high quality components, you are not likely to hear much difference between belt driven and direct driven models. The cartridge will be a much bigger factor in sound quality than whether you use a belt-driven or direct drive turntable or a straight tone arm or an S shaped tone arm.
While the output of most CD players is indistinguishable from each other, a good turntable can make a huge difference in your listening experience. Buy the best turntable you can afford. It’s a bad place to skimp.