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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
salectric
755 posts
 
I am definitely of the "tune for liveliness" school as opposed to the "damp all the life out of the music" school. My high-mass non-suspended table may be more susceptible to this than other tables, but if so only in degree. Whatever material the table is positioned on makes a big difference in sound quality, and the more highly damped the material the less music there is, in my experience. I have yet to find any good technical explanations for why one material is better sounding than another. Each manufacturer has his own theory but each one is at best a partial explanation. Ultimately, it is up to each listener to figure out what works best for his own system and tastes.

The same type of latitude exists for different types of drive mechanisms. There are great sounding tables of all types---idler, direct, belt.

I happen to share Manitunc's views on the state of this forum. It is sad to see how much the quality of posts has declined in the past couple years.
dekay's avatar
dekay
5,598 posts
 
Because it's in the closet.
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.
syntax's avatar
syntax
2,193 posts
 
Most tables have no technical knowledge inside but they look expensive instead of pushing the curtain. Most "Designers" are in real life more or less amateurs who do, try, add "something" and when it doesn't break, it is fine.
Based on that you have indeed different "sounding" Turntables.
peterayer
1,382 posts
 
I can't say much about dampening vibrations and effecting the sound of a turntable. Is it livelier or deader? But I can write from experience that I have lived with two turntables in my system, one unsuspended, and one suspended, and the sound improved tremendously when I isolated the turntable system from floor born vibrations by placing a Vibraplane beneath each turntable. The improvement was more dramatic with the unsuspended table, but it was still noticeable with the already well isolated suspended table.

I have found that isolation and mass are critical to good sound. This is a very complex topic and I wonder if we ascribe sonic characteristics to the turntable which may actually be more attributable to the cartridge/arm combination. How energy is handled by the arm tube, the arm bearings and the arm board is also critical IMO.

I'm just a hobbyist and have no technical knowledge about any of this stuff, but I do enjoy reading peoples' opinions and theories about what makes something sound the way it does.
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