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Record player sounds out of tune and "wavy"

I've been trying to diagnose this issue for a while. My records all sound slightly out of tune and "wobbly". I've tried old and brand new records and they all have the same issue. It's not an obvious thing to hear, but I can definitely hear it when I pay attention and it drives me crazy. Is it possible I set up the turntable wrong when I took it out of the box and assembled everything? Something with the belt? Or could it be a needle issue? I'm pretty much a turntable newbie, so I'm hoping there's some glaring error I'm unaware of. 

I don't hear the problem when playing anything else through the speakers (Bluetooth, Spotify, movies, etc.). I've also tried placing the turntable on the ground or making sure the table's surface is completely level. Still has the same issue. 

Here is a short clip to give you a sense of what I'm hearing. I hope you can hear it too! Any help is much appreciated! By the way it's a Kenwood KD-291R.

CLIP: 

 

timattin

Showing 1 response by waytoomuchstuff

waytoomuchstuff's avatar
waytoomuchstuff
1,008 posts
 

@timattin 

Several things come to mind here after watching the video.

It appears that the particular record you are playing is not concentric (the arm is moving back and forth).  This could cause the warbling your referring to while playing THIS album.

It could be a belt.  This is an easy thing to inspect.  Remove the mat and you should have a good visual on the belt.  it should take a little effort to stretch it.  If not, replacements are cheap and easy to install yourself.  IF the belt is good, it would point to speed control issues which would take a qualified tech to address.  Probably decision time at this point to repair vs replace?

This turntable uses a P-mount cartridges.  Good ones, an improvement over OEM, can be had for around $99. The stylus should be gentle on your record collection.  This would make sense only if your speed control issues are resolved.

Good luck.

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