Understanding the Components That Make a Turntable Better

In the world of vinyl enthusiasts, understanding the nuances that elevate a turntable to the realm of high-fidelity reproduction is essential. Whether you're looking to enhance your listening experience or simply want to ensure the fidelity of your record plays, this guide will explore the key components that contribute to a better turntable.

The Motor and Its Drive Mechanism

The motor and its drive mechanism are the foundational elements of a turntable. They need to maintain a consistent rotational speed without causing any vibration. Depending on the design, there are several ways to achieve this, including small high-speed motors driving through an idler wheel, lower-speed motors directly driving through a fixed rubber wheel, or motors driving through a belt or directly attached to the platter.

Motors tend to "cog" due to the varying magnetic fields, which can be transmitted into the platter through an idler or direct drive mechanism. However, belt drives can insulate this vibration to a greater extent. In practice, some manufacturers use a combination of a small motor, a flexible belt, and a heavy platter to minimize motor vibrations. This approach, notably used by Connoisseur and later by Linn-Sondék, strikes a balance between reducing cogs and ensuring sufficient torque to maintain the desired speed.

The Main Bearing for Rumble Reduction

The main bearing is a critical component in reducing low-frequency rumble and vibrations. High-quality turntables, such as those made by Linn-Sondék, go to great lengths to precisely machine the main bearing to minimize this issue. The Amadeus turntable further enhances this concept by using the belt to secure the turntable shaft to a triangular bearing, which helps to prevent the bearing from wobbling during rotation.

Isolating Extrinsic Vibration and Noise

While the main bearing is vital, it is equally important to isolate extrinsic vibrations and noise from the environment. Early turntables often used stiff spring suspensions to help with this, while some, like Connoisseur, chose not to use anything at all, which can be detrimental. Some manufacturers, like AR, used a floppy suspension with a very low resonant frequency, making it effective in reducing vibrations below the speaker's capability to reproduce.

A more recent approach involves using damped suspensions, which although not as drastic as floppy setups, can still provide significant improvement. However, floppy setups work well if properly set up, but they can be delicate and prone to issues from sudden jolts.

Designing the Tone Arm for Optimal Performance

The tone arm is another crucial component that requires careful design to achieve high-fidelity reproduction. It consists of four main factors: mass, rigidity, bearing quality, and damping. These factors play a critical role in how the cartridge interacts with the needle suspension on the record.

dampening the tone arm, especially with certain cartridges, is crucial because the mass and rigidity of the arm significantly influence the overall sound quality. Cartridges with insufficient internal damping, such as the London cartridges, require a damped arm to achieve optimal performance. However, even properly adjusted arms and cartridges can sometimes fall short due to differences in suspension.

As an example, the London Reference cartridge sounds extraordinary in the Well-Tempered Amadeus tone arm, which uses a golf ball immersed in damping fluid, but it performs poorly in other setups. This underscores the importance of finding the right match between cartridge and tone arm to maximize the turntable's fidelity.

Conclusion

To achieve the best possible sound quality with a turntable, it is essential to invest in well-designed components that work synergistically. While high-end options like the Linn deck with a moving coil cartridge or SME decks with their proprietary arms can be costly, there are more affordable alternatives such as the Well-Tempered Amadeus turntable with the London cartridge that can deliver exceptional results.

By understanding the intricacies of the motor, main bearing, suspension, and tone arm, vinyl enthusiasts can make informed decisions that elevate their listening experience to a new level.