r/Beginner_Turntables

Sup nerds. Well after 10+ years my trusty technics finally took a shit. Nearest repair place is 5hs away so I figure I should let the old girl rest in peace (thank you for your service old friend 🫡)

I unfortunately don’t live in a place with a large used market for audio equipment so i figured ill buy new for the first time. I need some best bang for your buck recommendations as my budget is $200+/-

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Hi everyone!

I’m hoping someone with more experience with turntables can help me diagnose an issue I’m having.

I have a House of Marley Stir It Up Wireless Bluetooth turntable, model EM-JT002B. It’s a belt-drive turntable with an Audio-Technica AT3600L cartridge/stylus.

I was playing a Miley Cyrus LP. On Side B, the final track gets very close to the end, but with approximately 20 seconds of music still remaining, the turntable suddenly stops the platter, as if it has reached the end of the record.
The stylus is therefore no longer playing the final ~20 seconds.

At first I wondered whether the record itself had been cut too close to the centre or perhaps had too much music on the side, causing the turntable’s auto-stop mechanism to trigger early.
However, a friend of mine owns the exact same pressing/variant from the same retailer, and his copy plays the entire track normally, including the final ~20 seconds.
So I’m now thinking the problem is more likely related to my turntable/setup rather than the pressing itself.

I initially measured the tracking force with a digital stylus scale and discovered it was set to approximately 3.50 g.
I have since adjusted it and measured it again with the scale, and it is now 2.50 g.
So the tracking force is now 2.5 g.
I also experimented with the anti-skate. When I set the anti-skate to 2.5, the tonearm/stylus appeared to be pulled noticeably outward rather than remaining in the groove, so I set the anti-skate to 0 while troubleshooting.
I understand that this may not necessarily be the correct permanent setting, and I’m interested in what people think about that too. Apparently, it’s common in the House of Marley players for the anti-skating to be 0.

What do you think is actually causing this?
Could this be:

1. A problem with the turntable’s auto-stop mechanism being triggered prematurely?
2. Something related to the tonearm setup or tracking force?
3. An anti-skate issue?
4. The stylus/cartridge reaching the inner groove at a position where this particular turntable thinks the record has ended?
5. Something else specific to the House of Marley Stir It Up?

Also, could having the tracking force at 3.5 g for some previous plays have caused enough stylus/record wear to contribute to this problem? I have since corrected it to 2.5 g.

I’d really appreciate any advice on what I should test next, particularly if there’s a way to determine whether the auto-stop is triggering prematurely versus the stylus actually having a tracking/groove issue.

Thanks!

Can anyone help ID this totally unmarked cartridge? On my Miracord 50H. Moved it and now having issues with one channel, so I'm trying to re-do the setup and troubleshoot.

Hi everyone!

​I wanted to share my story and ask for some advice from experienced vinyl listeners. I never had a turntable before and wasn't particularly drawn to analog sound. However, two months ago, my dad gave me his Lenco turntable along with a pretty solid collection of about 70 records — some of them very old, dating back to 1974. He’s at an age where he doesn’t really listen to music anymore, so he decided to pass the equipment on to me.

​I turned it on out of curiosity and... I completely fell in love with it. The magic of vinyl and the whole vibe got me so hooked that I’ve already started buying my own records (you can see Dire Straits in the background)!

​Over time, I started thinking about sound quality and the future of this setup. I’m wondering whether I should just stick with this Lenco setup and its factory speakers for now, or start looking into upgrades so I don't wear out the old records and can get a deeper sound. I’ve been looking at Sony turntables which are fairly reasonably priced, as Technics is out of my range for now — those prices are crazy. I also noticed that most better turntables require separate speakers and an amplifier. Would it be better to take it step by step and buy an external amp or speakers for the Lenco first, or just save up for a complete new setup?

​I’d love to hear your thoughts and recommendations. How did your vinyl journey begin?

Hello all, I’m just starting on this journey and am looking for recommendations for entry level turntables. I know this has been asked many times but I was looking at this option. Thoughts? I will be moving into a small apartment if that matters.

Hello everyone, I have an AudioTechnica AT-LP60X, I got myself a big speaker and when I tried it the audio doesn't work using the RCA cable, it's on Line mode, the speaker works i tried it when i paired it to my phone (it also got a bluetooth option, but my turntable only works with rca)

when i start the turntable, i hear a mini sound going out from it, but not from the speakers, what's happening i literally tried everything?

I don’t know a ton about my record player, but I am sad after moving to a new house that it isn’t working. It looks like the needle is broken off. Any ideas what I need to fix? The record player is a Pioneer PL-600 I picked up a few years ago. It was beat up when I bought it but sounds great when it works.

Hi! I recently picked up a Technics SL-J2 (for $50) as an upgrade from my old Sony PS-252, and I'm looking to upgrade the cartridge and stylus if necessary. I posted this in r/turntables as well but didn't get too much guidance, so I'm hoping this is the right place!

The Technics currently has a Pickering TLE cartridge and a Pickering DL2E stylus (I can't quite tell how worn it is.

I'm no audiophile, and all the research I've done has me a bit confused about what would be the best option at a reasonable cost while providing the right tracking force. I know I need a P-mount /T4P, and I was looking at the following:

AT450 (which I now understand is discontinued):

https://www.lpgear.com/product/AT450.html

T4P Series V:

https://www.lpgear.com/product/LPGATSER05.html

I would be thankful for any advice!

https://www.richersounds.com/fosi-audio-mc351-audio-technica-lp60xusb-with-fyne-audio-f300i-black-ash/

https://www.richersounds.com/denon-dp-29f-silver-with-cambridge-audio-axa25-wharfedale-diamond-9-0-black/

Do you feel these offer good value for money and longevity for someone getting into records. If so is it with spending the extra for the Audio Technica bundle?

I got it from my dad but I don't like it that much and consider upgrading but not sure what I should get.

It also makes a clicking noise every rotation or so.