Dust covers

This question (dust cover or no dust cover) comes up every 6 months or so. It is quite likely that, if SQ is the sole determinant of what to do, each person must listen and decide for his or her self.  Because first of all there are differences in how different turntables mount the dust cover, which has an effect on resonance and energy dissipation, and two, each of us is limited to one pair of ears, one brain, and one set of biases.

I cover the platter when my TTs are not in use, sometimes with a piece of cloth, taking a cue from the Kenwood L07D, which came with a lucite cover in the shape of an LP; it has a hole in the center for the spindle, over which hole is a convenient metal handle. They made no attempt to design a conventional "dust cover" that would cover the platter and tonearm during play.  With all the millions of accessories that various companies try to sell us, I am rather surprised that no one makes such a "platter cover" for the aftermarket.

Yeah, designed to play with dust cover on and closed...I trust Luxman did their homework...

Whoever wrote “listen for yourself “, +1.

However, I store dust covers in my basement. I don’t want one on the TT, let alone over an LP that is in play. But I wouldn’t use a spring suspended belt drive either.

Theoretically, a relatively inert (softer polymer) dustcover absorbs airborne sound waves--when closed, attenuating them before they reach the air around the tonearm, cartridge, stylus, plinth, and turntable base. That said, I use a Linn LP12 with the original dustcover; and I can’t discern a difference in SQ between listening with the cover off and listening with it closed. So I follow my dealer’s recommendation to listen with the cover closed.

Then again, my tin ears” can’t tell what color the walls in my listening room are painted either.

ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT:

:Linn Akito III Tonarm

Linn Kandid MC Cartridge

Anthem STR Preamp (using integrated MC phono preamp)

Black Ice F35 (valve) Amp

Martin Logan EM ESL (electrostatic) Speakers

Martin Logan Dynamo 800X Sub

Audio Magic Interconnects

Off-white Listening Room.😉

I always took the lid off of my Linn/Akito when in use but after having a repair (cueing lever) and setup by a guy at nearby Goodwin's, he said he prefers "on and closed."  The guy was cool and seemed to have considerable expertise...Hmmm...for this table anyway, he's right, 

Yes do it ASAP!!

Notice most ultra high end turntables lack a dust cover.

Instead of asking, why not play a record with and without the dust cover and listen for yourself? The only thing that's important is what YOU hear or don't in YOUR system with YOUR ears.

Depends. If it's fairy dust...

@mijostyn , 

Yet aren't you the person who doesn't see the need to clean new lps?

@shiner3237 , If the dust cover is attached directly to the platform the plater and tonearm are attached too then it can be a problem open or closed. However on suspended turntables where the platter and tonearm arm are attached to a sub chassis that is suspended within the plinth and the dust cover is hinged to the plinth isolated from the plater and tonearm, dustcovers are a huge advantage. They protect the record and tonearm from dust and attenuate the sound getting to the cartridge by 10 dB and since they are isolated from the plater they can not pass on any resonance. They are hearing protection for your cartridge! Turntables that are designed like this include some Thorens designs the Linn LP 12 and the Sota turntables. People who do not use a dustcover during play are grinding incidental dust into their records. You you have a turntable that is not suspended and isolated and can not use a dust cover during play the solution is to get an isolation platform and have a dust cover made to fit around it. 

IMHO if you can not use a dust cover it is because your turntable is poorly designed. (that should raise some eyebrows:-)

I always remove mine because the vibrations in the cover impacts overall sound quality

The plinth should be free from all vibrations, so having a lid that can vibrate in sympathy to the music is causing those vibrations to be transferred

• into the plinth, down the arm and into the cartridge
• or into the plinth, through the main bearing and into the cartridge
• either way - it’s not desired

It’s easy to determine...

• get a stethascope
• place it on the lid while playing music
• if you hear virations - those are then getting into your signal via rhe plinth/arm/cartridge

You can also checkout if the plinth is vibrating using the Stethascope also

Regards - Steve

not improvement, it is about avoiding the potential detriment of reflected microphonics if the dust cover is closed while playing.

if you don't hear any detriment ....

+1, cover off.

I always take off the dust cover when playing LPs. An old habit!