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TEST

RECORD TURNTABLES

A rediscovered

appreciation for vinyl has

us testing turntables for

the first time in 40 years.

Denis Gallagher spins

some discs

Nutshel l

 Eleven turntables tested,

including models that can

make digital copies of your

records.

 You’ll need to spend a bit of

cash to get good sound, but

we found you don’t have to

break the bank.

oung

retro

enthusiasts and

nostalgic fans are

obviously finding something in the

vinyl grooves of records that CDs and

music downloads just can’t deliver, with

record sales experiencing steady growth

over the last decade.

Some have credited the international

Record Store Day – held annually since

2007 on the third Saturday in April – as

a significant contributor to vinyl’s

revival, claiming the day is a celebration

of the vinyl record as well as the sense of

community in ‘hanging out’ at the local

record store. At the most recent event,

exclusive vinyl pressings released on the

day included current artists (Gang of

Youths, Courtney Barnett), established

rock stars (Foo Fighters, U2) and

reissues from

legends (Johnny

Cash, Sex Pistols).

In response to a steady stream

of requests for a test of good-quality

turntables, CHOICE turned back the

clock and placed some vinyl on the

platter. The models chosen are readily

available and priced at a level that

shouldn’t break the bank for most music

lovers. However, if you’re so inclined, at

the luxury (or obsessive) end of the scale

you can easily drop $20,000 or more on

a turntable with an air suspension

system. We also recently tested a range

of cheap USB record players (look for

them soon on choice.com.au).

The difference between the two could be

likened to flying to Japan to enjoy a

private tea ceremony with the rarest of

loose-leaf blends, as

opposed to sucking

on a used home-

brand teabag. The

models tested are

somewhere in the

middle.

Reality check

Despite the significant

increases in sales year-on-

year since 2006, vinyl will

continue to be a niche

product for the foreseeable

future. From 1.1 billion

records sold worldwide in

1981, LP sales hit rock

bottom at under 1

million in 2006. Even

with the 54% increase

over the past year, vinyl

currently accounts for only

2% of total music sales.

Interestingly, fans

of CDs have little to

feel smug about, as

their time at the

top seems to

have lasted

little more than a

couple of decades,

compared to the 50-year

dominance of vinyl. CDs account

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

TONEARM MATERIAL

Most are a light metal

alloy; some use

carbon fibre.

CARTRIDGE Those designed for

microgroove records are often

not suitable for playing 78rpm

shellac records.

33 1/3RPM Standard

playback speed for 12”

LPs. All models tested

support this speed.

DAMPED CUEING

This mechanically

slows the lowering of

the tonearm. There’s

no good reason not

to have this feature,

even if you do have a

steady hand.

TONEARM SHAPE

Some say straight

arms travel less

distance, so the audio

is more pure; others

say a curve increases

stability. CHOICE’s

take? Whatever floats

your boat.

PLATTER CONSTRUCTION

Broadly speaking, the bigger the

platter, the more likely it is to

maintain a constant speed.

PLATTER MAT (ALSO

CALLED A SLIPMAT)

You don’t want it to create

static, or scratch the other

side of your records.

MOTOR TYPE An AC

motor uses the accuracy

of the 50Hz mains power

(or an ELV power

converter) to control the

speed accuracy of the

turntable, but a DC

motor may be quieter.

DRIVE TYPE Direct

drive turntables

deliver rotational

speed accuracy, but

some argue that belt

drive isolates motor

noise from the platter.

PRE-AMP MODEL

Some models have an

inbuilt pre-amp,

making it easier to hook

the turntable up to

many of the current

range of amplifiers. If

you use a pre-amp,

then you connect to a

line input instead.

SIGNAL TO

NOISE RATIO

(SNR) How much

the musical signal

stands out from

any noise

78rpm

Standard playback speed

for 10” and 12” shellac

records. Do some

research before using

your old 78rpm records,

as you may find your

stylus can’t play it

properly

REVERSE PLAY

Causes the record to

spin anti-clockwise –

handy to reveal any

hidden satanic

messages, or for

mixing

REMOVABLE LID

Some enthusiasts

believe that a

turntable sounds

better without

a lid

45rpm

Standard playback

speed for 7” singles.

All the models tested

support this speed

for less than half of total music

industry revenues, due to the

explosion of both downloaded music

and streaming services, and the CD

market share is on a downward trend.

CHOICE.COM.AU SEPTEMBER 2015 /// 67

Summary of content (3 pages)

PAGE 1
66 RECORD TURNTABLES TEST of cheap USB record players (look for them soon on choice.com.au). The difference between the two could be likened to flying to Japan to enjoy a private tea ceremony with the rarest of loose-leaf blends, as opposed to sucking SIGNAL TO on a used homeNOISE RATIO brand teabag. The (SNR) How much models tested are the musical signal stands out from somewhere in the any noise middle.
PAGE 2
68 RECORD TURNTABLES TEST WHAT TO BUY $69 0 80% Thorens TD 158 Equal favourite for sound quality, the TD 158 also delivered excellent performance for our technical tests for tracking force and rotational speed accuracy – which is fortunate, as you can’t adjust the tracking force. Fully automatic operation means you don’t have to hover around the turntable when a side is finished, and the settings for speed, tonearm pickup and starting the turntable are clearly marked and easy to use.
PAGE 3
70 RECORD TURNTABLES TEST WHAT TO BUY cont’d About the rest $59 9 70% Rega RP1 The Rega RP1 has a start and stop switch on the base as the only visible control, with the rotational speed adjusted by lifting the platter and changing the belt from one pulley to another. Although the NAD and Rega RP1 seem virtually identical, the listening panel found the audio quality to be OK for the Rega but not as good as the NAD.