Ok guys

Mijo, where is your turntable situated with respect to your speakers? In my opinion the best way to cure acoustic feedback, which is what you seem to be talking about, is by careful placement of the turntable in your listening room. And other obvious measures. Not by using a thick or thicker dust cover. If you need a dust cover to prevent acoustic feedback, then you  need to think again  about your room and the equipment in it. By the way, I had to laugh when I saw your comment above that it is we (the no dust cover crowd) who are obsessed with static electric charge. From everything of yours that I have read, it is you who are so obsessed, not the “no cover” aficionados. But in the end, I think we can all agree that everyone should do as he or she pleases. This is not a religion. About your practice in relation to cleaning LPs or your stylus, have you looked at your stylus under a microscope lately? I am wondering what it might look like. I am sure you’ll say it’s immaculate.

Scaf, first of all, if you listen to cassette tapes, you shouldn’t be here. But yes; leave them uncovered.

For my part, I apologize if my last post was a bit rough on Mijo. Everyone should always do what sounds best to that individual. I guess I made my dust cover decision years ago and am now too old to change.

Richopp, I did not endorse Kenny G. I included him in a list of things about which people disagree vehemently. If you must know, I regard his music as a particularly brutal form of torture.

Mijo, you have an inordinate dust phobia. I am glad your dust cover ameliorates your anxiety. I however will never ever even consider using a dust cover whilst playing an LP. I clean my LPs with the Audioquest carbon fiber grounded brush just before each play and I clean my stylus with Magic Eraser before each side. LPs that don’t have groove damage from previous owners play silently in both of my systems on any of my 5 turntables. I do also clean any used LPs I buy on an VPI HW17. If your sota sounds better with cover down, that’s a good reason to use it. It’s fine with me, even if you like Kenny G.

So, suspension per se does not determine the benefit of a dust cover, based on noromance’s testimony. I’m not keeping track any more, but I think there are 3 who use a cover while playing LPs. The rest of us are on the other side of the fence. If I had to put it in a nutshell, I would say that the use of a dust cover sounded closed in to me, just as no romance says. By now I guess we could collectively advise the OP to simply try it for himself and make his own judgment. By the way this has everything to do with sound quality and nothing to do with dust protection.

Miller is wavering but if he sticks with his original position I think the poll is now running 7-2 against using a dust cover when playing LPs. (I have no beef with covering a turntable when it’s not in use.)

I must be lucky; I have no special problem with dust in either of my two audio systems. My Kenwood L07D has a clever dust cover for the platter that is used only when the turntable is out of service. It is the size and shape of an LP, made out of Lucite, fits over the spindle, and covers the entire platter surface. When I want to play a record, I remove it. It’s a factory original part that came with the turntable when new.

i guess dust covers are like politics, religion, olives, and Kenny G. All taboo subjects in polite company.

It’s interesting that the pro dust cover guys, so far, are both owners of SOTA turntables. I owned a Star Sapphire Series III with vacuum  for most of the 1990s, and never used the dust cover. Al is correct that the felt platter mat does/did accumulate dust.

4-2.
Surprised, Al.  Have you tried without?

Dust cover off and placed in storage: 4
Dust cover on at all times: 1 (Mijo)

I added my vote for no dust cover to those of Chak, Slaw, and Miller Carbon, for a total of 4.

To be clear, leaving a dust cover attached to the plinth in “up” position is also a no-no. Lets keep a tally.