"Reading for the weekend": 25 materials for beginners fans of vinyl

    Today we picked up materials from “ 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.


    Photo Best Picko / CC

    Player selection


    • Back to vinyl - forward to the real sound . An article about how not to spend an insane 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. Select the turntable vinyl records. 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."


    • Forward to vinyl: a comparative test of vinyl players. Review of vinyl players in different price categories, which will help novice music fans to find 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 record 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 pickup head 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 material 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.


    • 10 rules for selecting a pickup head. A guide for those wishing 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. Choose a pickup head. A few tips for those who only have to go the way of choosing the first pickup: when to take the 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.


    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 focus on the correct phono stage.

    • Set up a 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 down force of the cartridge.

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


    Photo by Ryan Atkins / CC

    • 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 extra money in it. But you have to tinker with its setting: twist the downforce, adjust the vertical angle of the VTA and the azimuth. The article offers practical advice on this.

    • Compendium, or a brief guide to high end audio. Another look at how to tune the 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 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 died 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 take care of it and, most importantly, how to listen to it correctly.




    Additional reading - related materials from our  Vinyl Academy :


    Also popular now: