Information

Digitising your records
Some of the turntables we tested not only have a built-in
pre-amp, but also a USB output – so you can hook it up to
your PC with a USB cable and transfer the tracks to a
digital music file, ready to download to your music player.
If you’re looking to digitise your record collection and
already have your favourite turntable (or want to choose one
of the models we tested without a USB output) you could look
at a solution like the the NAD PP4 Digital Phono/USB
Preamplifier, as it can replace the phono support not available
on some amplifiers.
There are models designed specifically to digitise your records rather
than as a permanent addition to your home hi-fi system, but as our
upcoming review will show, these are usually a cheap and very nasty
option. Keep an eye out for the results on choice.com.au/homeaudio.
To clean or not to clean?
Dust will make its way onto the record surface at some point no matter how
clean your home is. Many audiophiles would suggest that visible dust on the
record surface is brushed aside by the stylus and any that collects on the stylus
can be easily blown away.
This may be good advice for enthusiasts who are longtime vinyl fans, but
what about the significant number of people considering their first turntable
after a 20-year hiatus, whose record collection has been stored in less than
ideal conditions (for example, under the house or in the garage)?
Our advice would be to make sure your records are in good condition before
laying them on the platter. If they’re in bad condition with finger marks and
mould, then give them a good (careful) clean and you should be able to use
them without too much further upkeep. Cleaning solutions and tools
(not to mention professional advice) are
available from many hi-fi stores and online.
Lid position during play also seems to
generate debate, but keeping the lid closed
while playing records will prevent dust falling
onto the record surface. Depending on the
room environment and ambient temperature,
playing with the lid open may offer sonic
improvements.
About the rest
Our listening panel found the fully
automatic Marantz TT5005’s audio
quality to be good and it includes a built-
in switchable pre-amp. But its technical
performance, while good, wasn’t as
accurate as the other models here, and
it was the only model without an option
to manually cue the record with a lever,
which may be an issue if you’re
selecting individual tracks.
The Marantz TT42 delivers OK audio,
according to our listening panel, and is
also fully automatic, but some of the
other models tested deliver better
overall performance at a lower price.
Beautiful music may be in the ear of
the beholder, but the Thorens TD 170-1
performed surprisingly poorly
compared to the cheaper ‘mid-level’
Thorens.
How we test
Our tester, Scott, measures the
rotational accuracy of the turntable,
TEST
RECORD TURNTABLES
Plug your
turntable into
a USB
preamp to
digitise your
favourite
tracks.
 A turntable has a flat platter
to hold the record and a drive
(direct motor or belt drive) to
turn the record at a certain
speed. A stylus (often a
diamond) housed in a cartridge
at the end of a tonearm is placed
in the groove of the record,
generating a low level electrical
signal that goes through the
stereo cables to the pre-amp.
The signal travels to the power
amp for amplification and
sound is produced via
headphones or speakers.
 A record player has the pre-
amp and amp, and sometimes
even the speakers, all built into
the one unit. While this may
sound like the ideal solution,
you’ll generally find that the
quality of sound is
not what you’d be happy
listening to.
We last tested
turntables in
1975, for the
“young CHOICE”
demographic.
The Technic s
1200LS we used
then is still going
strong – it
was our
reference
machine in this
test.
TURNTABLE OR RECORD PLAYER?
tracking force of the cartridge and
ease of use. What he can’t score is the
nostalgic satisfaction achieved when a
record, fished from a milk crate at the
back of the attic or garage after half a
lifetime, is pulled out to reveal the liner
notes and lyrics that are still
remembered word for word.
Listening performance Speakers are
positioned about two metres away from
our expert listening panel, who assesses
the overall quality of the sound using
classical and rock/pop music passages.
Ease of use Initial set-up including
attaching the platter and belt and any
adjustments needed before operation;
thoroughness of the instruction manual;
and operational aspects such as speed
selection and cueing a track.
Technical score Difference between
the claimed and measured figures for
wow and flutter; tracking force; and
frequency response using calibrated
reference LPs. We also measure the
rotational speed for accuracy.
$599
$1349
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. This may have been due to the
Rega RP1 being delivered as a ready-
to-play unit, while the NAD required
additional user preparation. Neither
the NAD nor Rega RP1 allow for
tracking force adjustment, with the
Rega delivering the lightest tracking
force measured while the NAD was
within the parameters set.
70% Rega
RP3 + Elys 2
The Rega RP3 is the most expensive
turntable we tested and included an
upgraded stylus and a platter made of
solid glass instead of the more common
MDF or metal. Our listening panel found
the overall audio quality to be good,
though not as good as the top-
performing models. The initial setup is
finicky, requiring a similar cartridge
alignment process to the NAD. The
Rega RP3 also suffered from the same
issue as the Rega RP1 and NAD: the lid
comes off the hinge when lifting with
one hand, as the hinge isn’t fastened
down on either side.
WHAT TO BUY cont’d
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