BROWSE HOW TOs

How to Buy a High-Fidelity Turntable

By eHow Electronics Editor

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Whether you are a DJ who loves spinning records or an audiophile who prefers vinyl rather than CDs, the sound quality of high-fidelity turntable will be music to your ears.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Tone Arms
High-fidelity Turntables
Phono Cables
Phono Cartridges
Phono Preamps

Step1

Budget the total amount you are willing to spend for record-playing equipment. Include turntable, tone arm, cartridge, cables, phono preamp, isolation products and any other optional equipment you will need.

Step2

Check the recommended components lists in the most recent April or October issue of Stereophile for prices and suggestions of models worthy of auditioning. Read turntable reviews in audiophile magazines and at Audio Review's Web site to narrow your list.

Step3

Don't try to compare prices of specific products until you have narrowed your choices to a few models, as some models don't include a tone arm, clamp or dust cover.

Step4

Take some of your favorite records to the audio equipment stores you visit. Choose familiar records that will challenge the bass, treble, imaging and sound-staging capabilities of the equipment. If possible, take recordings of music you've heard performed live.

Step5

Arrange to listen to a turntable at home through your own system, if it sounds good to you in the store. Ask the dealer to install a cartridge and provide anything else you will need to perform a fair audition.

Step6

Compare at least two or three models in a short period of time before making your buying decision.

Step7

Base your final choice on sound quality in your current system, price, dealer service before and after the sale and upgradability.

Tips & Warnings

If you don't plan to spend more than $1,000, look for turntables without suspension. A turntable without suspension will be quieter than one with poor suspension and can be upgraded with later fine-tuning.
Trust your ears. Don't let a reviewer or salesperson talk you into or out of a particular product.

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Comments

Anonymous said

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on 8/8/2006 On a suspensionless table, put the needle down on a record with the power off. If the preamp picks up any noise, its a faulty table, and that noise will veil all fine details of the music. Suspension is better.