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Why does your turntable sound the way it does.

Ok, we all seem to agree that turntables sound different, and there are any number of upgrades to a basic turntable that are offered, up to and over $100k. But what is it that causes a turntable to sound the way it does. After all, isnt the basic principal that the table causes the groove undulations to pass by the stylus at a certain speed, thereby creating the sound we hear. If that's true, then only something that affects that point of interaction should have an effect on sound. Forget of course, differences in cartridge, tonearm, wire or preamp. Just think of the turntable itself.
Now, we hear that idler drives are more impactful than belt drives, belt drives are quieter and release more inner detail, direct drives maintain speed and tempo better, aluminum platters sound different than acrylic or glass or MDF. Platter mats can change the sound considerably. different bearing materials and precision in manufacture can change the sound. but why?
Is there a basic sound to be acheived when everything is perfect, and what we are hearing is actually a distortion of that sound based on resonance or time or torque or vibration or whatever. Is there a means of measuring what a cartridge can do in a perfectly set up system where there is no influence on the stylus/vinyl interface and the cartridge is free to follow the groove undulations without exterior influence. Is this perfect environment found in the cutting head, or is it also subject to the same influences as the playback stylus. And if so, how can we ever account for that effect in our playback systems.

So, fellow Audiogoners, what do you think has the greatest effect on vinyl playback as far as only the turntable itself, and what do you think can be done to ammeliorate those effects.
manitunc

Showing 8 responses by manitunc

manitunc OP
795 posts
 
I guess this forum has devolved into just posting personal opinions on hardware or stating that questions have been answered before. If there is an answer to my question, I havent found it,and it certainly isnt in one place. Perhaps I should have posted this in a DIY section, because my interest in the answer is due to my turntable building interest.
Jonahsdad,
Looks like your the only one capable of actually thinking an issue through. I can understand if people are not interested, but what is left of this forum is sad.
manitunc OP
795 posts
 
If we assume that the sound off the master tape is what the engineer wanted us to hear, and it is the best sound we can get, than why would damping out any extraneous vibrations take the life out of the recording. I do agree that some tables do sound lifeless and over dampened, but I have to believe that is due to some other reason than damping out extraneous vibrations. Maybe they are also damping out what is actually on the record, but I dont know the theory under which that would happen. Again, I assume that a stylus accurately following the groove undulatons without any extra outside interference would provide the best sound, but maybe that assumption is incorrect.
manitunc OP
795 posts
 
Raul,
I agree with your comments. But putting different tables into an identical system creates a different result, meaning that the difference is in the table. So if we have a dead sound with one TT and not with another, both used in the same system with the same arm and cartridge, are we to assume that the deadest sounding table is the most accurate, and therefore the rest of the system is to blame? Have designers created cartridges and arms that are more lively to circumvent the trend to more massive, deader TTs. And how do we explain the massive plinth idler table movement whose greatest benefit seems to be the liveliness of the sound.

Again, has anyone actually listened to a master tape and compared it to the resulting vinyl on a high end TT?
manitunc OP
795 posts
 
Mapman,
On the ones that you did hear, is there a general or specific area that you think is different in the sound between the tape and the vinyl?. Can you make a general statement as to what difference you heard between the two, if any?
manitunc OP
795 posts
 
but is that a consistent difference you hear between the two, regardless of recording?
manitunc OP
795 posts
 
Music is a quite different thing than most sciences, since there is such a strong emotional component, which is different in each person, so pure accuracy isnt necessarily musical. think of a computer playing notes. Might be the right notes, but not the emotion or inflection.
However, in our playback systems, we want to hear what it is the artist was trying to convey, as if we were there, or I assume we do. So accuracy is important.

By the way, I just listened to a prerecorded 7.5ips R2R tape of Beatles Abbey Road over headphones from a Teac X1000r. Sound was excellent, with strong drive and pace. Now need to hook it up to the main system and compare to the vinyl version.
manitunc OP
795 posts
 
CTO517,
I would expect the 15ips tape to sound much better, but I dont have the ability or tape to compare. As for looking under the hood, I have about 10 turntable projects going right now, from idlers to direct to belt to magnetic platt
manitunc OP
795 posts
 
If the sole result of my original post is to raise more questions, or direct areas of inquiry, then it has performed its purpose. I dont think there is one answer to the question, but thinking through many options to their logical conclusions is a useful exercise, if only to prove the futlity of doing so. My belief is that the most likely benefit is to be gained from making the platter bearing as silent as possible, so that less emphasis needs to be put on plinth material. From there, just follow the progression to the point where the stylus pick up the squiggle on the vinyl. the more you do upstream from that point, the better you are, IMHO.
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