Do Turntables sound better with time?


This appears to be the case with my Technics 1500C.

:unsure:

128x128jjbeason14

Or it is over filled. This will cause rolling resistance even in a plain bearing design.

Bearing 101 do not over lubricate, more is not better.

The only viable reason I can think of that might cause that would be the spindle oil needs to heat up a little to thin out so the table can reach full speed. In which case I would use thinner spindle oil

@mijostyn

Bearing uses a proprietary grease so, yeah, it needs thinning or spreading. Manufacturer’s instruction. Cartridge is Decca. No rubber.

Things will change over time; bearing oil or grease can deplete, capacitors will fail, speed stability can degrade / wow and flutter can increase … BUT obviously depends on what make as to what (if any) of those things are relevant or audible. Otherwise, no, anything you hear changing is probably your stylus wearing out. 

Not surprising. As has been stared above it’s a mechanical device, and most mechanical devices break in as parts set/wear into each other. My BMW S1000RR was limited to 9000 rpm for the first 1000 km. Then oil change, tune up and the full 17000 rpm was made available.

When I swapped out my cartridge to the LVB 2M black, I reached out to Ortofon about the cartridge and break in time. They confirmed it needed time to break in so it would perform optimally. 

Seeing as how it’s a DD turntable, and the motor is directly connected to to platter, any micro vibrations would transfer and potentially smear the sound. Between that, and cartridge break in, what you are experiencing could be very real. That, and we adjust to what we are listening to over time. Think listening to a static radio while driving around. Our brains tune out the noise after a while,

Lots of factors.

And just ignore @jasonbourne52  Unless it’s a stone wheel with a wooden axle, it’s snake oil in his mind.

I agree that we accommodate to the nuances of our components over time. At the same time it could be possible your system/turntable has found its groove so to speak. Probably a little of both.

I've recently made a few changes and to be honest have experienced some recent synergistic improvement. I don't care for the idea of burn in, seems like a huge inconvenience, especially considering the tube life is paying the price. But things seem to be settling in. We obsess in this hobby. We are so fortunate. Must say the incremental improvement is a pleasure in itself. Glad to hear your experience is bringing some satisfaction.