Frequently asked questions about turntables and vinyl, belt-drive vs direct-drive, cartridges, headshells, alignment and more.
A great question. Some remasters are better, but often, original pressings are where the gold lies! The answer varies according to the album and the pressing, due to many technical factors, but remastered records are often worse than excellent, lightly played original pressings, and in my experience, only occasionally better. A Golden Example A classic […]
I don’t like either very much, but I generally recommend a good moving magnet cartridge over a cheap moving coil. If you have say around $500 AUD to spend, and assuming you are chasing a medium compliance cartridge for a typical medium mass tonearm, there are lots of choices. Moving coil cartridges are technically better
What’s better: a good moving magnet cartridge or a cheap moving coil? Read More »
Either a good step-up transformer or an exceptional active gain stage. Almost nothing does a better job of taking extraordinarily small signals from a moving coil cartridge and amplifying them than a step-up transformer, with maybe one exception, which we will get to. A Perfect Match Technically there’s a bit to know, but step-up transformers
This is a really good question, variations of which I hear a lot. Let’s look at this in a little more detail, and bear with me as there’s a bit to unpack with this one. Cartridge alignment is a technical process, but a relatively straightforward one, once you understand it. That said, cartridge alignment, along
Certainly, if it visits Liquid Audio for what will likely be much-needed TLC and expert maintenance. Liquid Audio is not a retailer, so we don’t operate a retail storefront or offer retail parts sales though. Just as you wouldn’t go to your mechanic to buy a set of spark plugs, we don’t offer retail sales
Can you sell me a belt for my turntable or an XYZ for my YYZ..? Read More »
Generally speaking, I suggest you don’t buy equipment in poor condition. I know that everyone wants a bargain and buying equipment in poor condition is often perceived as a bargain. Sadly, there is no escaping the fact that equipment in poor condition tends to be less reliable and less repairable than similar gear in good
What are your thoughts on buying equipment in poor condition? Read More »
No, not without taking a few precautions! If you quite enjoy your current cartridge, let me give you a little bit of advice, from one long-time lover of all things vinyl to another. Nothing ruins your day faster than an absent-minded dust down of your turntable with a soft microfibre cloth, that runs a little
