"Reading for the weekend": 25 materials for beginners vinyl lovers

Today we picked up materials from the “ Hi-Fi World ” especially for beginners and anyone who would like to get acquainted with the ecosystem of vinyl, pick up a player and deal with the settings.


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Player selection

• Back to vinyl - forward to the real sound . An article on how not to spend a huge amount on a player and get good sound quality. Let us tell you when it is worth paying extra for the sound and taking a “turntable” more expensive, and at which time you should opt for a used vehicle.

• In three pines. Choosing a turntable. A guide to choosing a player, depending on your degree of "familiarity" with vinyl. Are you ready to spend big money on high-quality records or just want to listen to the inherited vinyl? We consider three situations and give specific recommendations for enthusiasts, skeptics and those "who left, but promised to return."

• All about vinyl: the choice of the player for any budget. Review of vinyl players cost from 24 to several hundred thousand rubles. We test players in business and tell them what music styles they will best suit.

• Forward to vinyl: a comparative test of vinyl players. Review of vinyl players in different price categories, which will help novice music fans to choose the system within their means and to their taste. Several options up to $ 500 and a solution for those who plan to postpone the purchase of a new car.

• Vinyl disc players: review. Comparison of four players in the price range from 100 to 150 thousand rubles. We appreciate the ease of setup and installation and their performance (in numbers). The competition involved: Clearaudio Concept, Pro-Ject 2-Xperience 2-Pack, Rega RP6 and Thorens TD 206.

Player device: accessories and components

• What are the principal components of the player? Before buying a player, you need to figure out what it consists of. We tell what the head of the pickup is responsible for, what makes the arm and why it is important not to forget about the design of the “table” of the player.

• Renaissance vinyl track. As an additional reading to the previous article - in this article you will find even more information about the mechanics of the player’s components: chassis, disc, drive, tonearm and sound pickup. The article will be useful for those who wish to modify their equipment.

• Types of drives: features and complexity. What is the main part of the system that rotates the plate? Drive unit. We understand the theory and features of direct and passik drives and their effect on sound. We will also try to resolve disputes about what is better: direct drive with quartz or without quartz.

• Group test cartridges: how to refresh the sound of vinyl. We study in the four cartridges from different manufacturers and choose the best. All models are suitable for most players up to 100 thousand rubles. The article will help those who intend to "refresh the sound" of their equipment.

• 10 rules for selecting a pickup head. A guide for those who want to purchase a new cartridge is a step-by-step guide to all components of the pickup heads: from the material and sharpening profile to interaction with other elements of the “turntable”.

• All over the head. Select the pickup head. A few tips for those who just have to go the way of choosing the first pickup: when to take a head with a moving magnet, when - with a moving coil, and when - with a moving iron element. Practical recommendations.

• How to change the pickup. We chose and bought a pickup, now we need to install it. There is nothing difficult in this, the main thing is to do everything smoothly and without strong pressure. We give detailed instructions.

• 100 questions about vinyl: the design of the player. FAQ on motors, drives, wheels, rollers and tables players: what really affects the sound, and what is less important?

Player setup

• How to get the best sound from a turntable. The player is selected, the components are sorted out - it's time to set up. This article contains the most necessary information about choosing a place for the player and setting up the cartridge and tonearm. Also we will talk about the correct phono stage.

• Customize the turntable. The article is devoted to the main stages of setting up analog “turntables”. Where to put the device, how to adjust the pickup and tonearm level and why it is important to correctly set the presser force of the cartridge.

• Assistants in setting up a vinyl player. Klempy, test plates, envelopes, mats and patterns - all that will help you to achieve the best sound of the player and keep the records intact. We tell you how to choose the most high-quality and convenient accessories that fit your needs.

Photo by Ryan Atkins / CC
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• Tips from AJ Van Den Hul: how to install and configure a turntable. Van Den Hul, the creator of a brand of pickups and cables, tells how to improve the sound of the player without investing additional money in it. But you have to tinker with its setting: twist the downforce, adjust the vertical angle VTA and azimuth. The article offers practical advice on this.

• Compendium, or a brief guide to high end audio. Another look at how to adjust the tone arm, sound pickup and player drive. Separately, the article deals with the issue of controlling the “harmfulness” of resonances. This is a kind of guide on how to get high-quality music at the exit, not “canned music”.

Khaki care player and records

• How to care for vinyl: 7 tips for beginners. Starting guide for the care of the plates: put the plates in envelopes, put them vertically, clean away from the sun and cats and do not forget to take care of cleanliness.

• Than to clean the needle and plates and other tools vinilovod. We advise a few more tools that are useful for setting up the player: special weights and an automatic elevator, and also understand the varieties of brushes for cleaning plates.

• How to reanimate a bent vinyl record? An amazing story about an insidious cat who almost destroyed the Fleetwood Mac album, which is valuable for the hostess, and a record saved with the help of glasses and an oven.

• I'll wash you Or how to wash and clean vinyl records. The usual removal of dust with a brush is not enough to keep the plate in good condition. In this material we tell how to thoroughly wash all grooves and tracks of the plate. The effectiveness of the approach is verified by a microscope.

Miscellaneous on vinyl and record players

• Vinyl: new is well forgotten old. The vinyl industry is experiencing a “rebirth,” at least as critics say. We understand the reasons for the growing popularity of this medium and what role youth subcultures and cinema played in this.

• Vinyl is dead, long live vinyl. What should be ready for a beginner vinyl lover? And how to understand whether it is worth the passion of your time and money? Sound expert Kerim Tatevian answers these questions. He will also tell you how to choose a record, how to care for it and, most importantly, how to listen to it correctly.

• Vibration isolation from the Music Hall: logic and passion. We consider the technical features of the equipment from the Music Hall, “look at” the tables and tonearms and give useful tips to owners who want to improve their player.

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Additional reading - related materials from our Vinyl Academy :

• My first vinyl player - where to start?
• Accessories for the care of vinyl: 4 useful life hacking
• My first vinyl player: review of 5 optimal systems