It was Dick Clark who once said that “if it ain’t in the grooves then it ain’t in the grooves” when talking about hit records and specifically radio payola. Mafia-influenced record promoters could buy their way into 1970s radio programmer’s offices. They could buy their song up the charts but they couldn’t make it a true hit. They couldn’t make it a true number one record.

Today, we all know that turntables are back and in a big way. Is it a high resolution audiophile format? Nope. It isn’t even close. You can have a bad ass turntable like the Rega Planar 1 and/or one of the finest audiophile grade phono preamps like the Schiit Mani 2 but not get the best audio performance that is easily attainable from today’s most entry-level audiophile digital streaming but Millennials don’t care. They follow the trends. They love trendy, retro-facing technology and don’t give a damn about quality.

With that said, if you want to get the most out of your audiophile turntable here are some good tips:

  1. Keep your records clean. There are all sorts of record cleaning system that you can use from a $79 Groove Washer Mondo Kit to a more automated Record Doctor VI to the most professional grade products from the likes of Isonic record cleaner which uses ultra-sonic power like a tooth brush, to clean your records amazingly well.
  2. Find a location for your turntable that is flat and solid. Vibrations are bad enough in the basic operation of audiophile vinyl. External vibrations are even worse. Find a rock-solid location for your turntable and run with that.
  3. Don’t buy highly used or worn vinyl. Spend the extra money for new records and care for them with kid gloves.
  4. Invest in a very good phono stage. Being able to bring the levels of the signal up to reasonable gain so that your audiophile preamp is nothing but helpful.
  5. Keep a dust cover over your turn table when you aren’t using it. Most good turntables come with a clear, Lexan or acrylic cover. If not, for less than $100, have one made.

If you spend a little time and a little attention, you can get a lot more out of your analog audiophile pursuits and that is our goal with this site. We hope we’ve helped you with some good advice and tips.