Keep the cover closed at all times. Make sure you have nice soft felt pads at the points it contacts the base. The cover will actually drop the sound pressure levels around the tonearm and cartridge. As the cartridge tracks the record static electricity is generated which draws dust to the record immediately. I use a grounded sweep arm which discharges the record while it is playing. Sleeve City sells them. They are cheap and very effective. Even if the cover detracts from the sound quality which it definitively does not, keeping your records pristine is more important. The easiest way to clean your records is do not let them get dirty in the first place.
