Dust cover up or down?

That’s what she said.

Mijo, I am trying to understand the structure of your Cosmos. Am I correct in thinking the cover hinges to the rear of the wood that forms the visible outer appearance of the TT? And you’re saying that the wood plus dust cover are isolated from the works by the spring suspension? If I’ve got it right, doesn’t the peripheral edge of the lucite also contact the wood, on at least 3 of 4 sides? Or is there a spacer that keeps them apart?

soko, I don't agree with your interpretation.  There was a time in the history of audio per se as a hobby, let's say since the mid-60s,  when the dust cover was an expected part of a turntable, and many manufacturers provided a hinged attachment for convenience.  I never took that as an indication that the manufacturer was recommending anything.  It was just a feature that might seduce a buyer.  In many cases, where there is a hinged DC, the hinges are designed such that the cover can be totally disengaged from them to allow for their complete removal.  I wouldn't over-interpret that, either.

I’ve got a digital VTF scale, and I do have the dust cover from my Victor QL10. It sits on the floor under a table near the QL10, but for me there are other more major reasons why I don’t use dust covers so I won’t be participating. Moreover, it is clear to me that you would have to do something with the dust cover in order to build up a charge on its inner surface. I am not sure what that is, short of rubbing it with a cloth or something of that sort. Anyway, I could not care less. On the other hand I believe those who report a difference. I don’t know how you interpret those posts, but obviously we disagree on how to interpret them. If you would prefer to think the score is nil, then it is nil divided by nil, and we all know what that is.

Clearthinker, I think you ought to add a denominator to your survey. “How many have measured VTF with the dust cover up vs down, and did you detect a difference?”

so far, 2 maybe 3 contributors here have both done the comparison and did detect evidence of an effect.

Elliot, did you ever inspect the underside of your cartridge after playing several LPs? Do you think a dust cover can prevent the Schmutz?

Fuzz, I don’t get the last clause of your quote. Leaving the cover up and hinged to the rear edge of the plinth would seem to be the worst possible choice. Fora couple of hypothetical reasons.

Fascinating.  I would not have thought the attraction would be so strong over what would typically be the ~6-inch distance or so, between cartridge and dust cover. So ES on an LP can spuriously increase VTF and ES on the dust cover can lower it.  If you're lucky, the two attractions are equal and there is no change in VTF.  So one other solution is to rub up your LPs with a wool cloth before play with the cover down.

Cleeds, now that is a new one to me (dust cover reduces VTF by electrostatic attraction). How did you figure that out, given that you can’t measure VTF with the cover down?

Or I guess you could, by raising and lowering the cover with the scale in place that you could read through the transparent cover.

Yes. But in storage is better.