New to vinyl question

New LP Pressings are prone to a excessive Surface Noise and noticeable distortion.

In general I buy through Amazon as I can return a LP as often as I want without too much inconvenience, and I usually end up with a much improved pressing when using this returns option.

When buying Merchandise Only direct from a New and Evolving Group/Bands Marketing Methodology presented.

I am not so critical about the LP's Quality, I bought the 'Merch' to help the Group/Band get a better remuneration than a Streaming Service will provide to them, and hopefully put some revenues in the coffers to help them work towards a new material for release.

I find this purchasing method, more satisfying than searching out a access the their produced material for Pennies, and as a result increase the risk of seeing one more talented group of individuals fall away and get other types of work.  

In context, I would pay decent monies to see a Movie, that is really not of any great interest with Actors that are right for the Job, it is just a Gap Fill form of entertainment, but not really with a stimulus to the artistic talents being presented, that a Musician can present.

But yet it is quite possible to access the music at a Stupidly Cheap outlay, and have endless access, great stimulus and even a growing admiration, and this is all wanted on the Cheap, at the risk of the performers not being able to survive in their ambitions, due to constraints of no finances being remunerated of any real use.

To the OP. One more thing to check. Many turntables, especially ones with a springy suspension, have built in screws, usually hidden from view, that are tightened down for shipping. If your TT has such screws make sure they are not impeding the suspension, loosening usually requires only a screwdriver and a few counter clockwise turns. Check the owners manual.

@pindac , The problem with Amazon is that they have no idea how to package records for transport and I get them with bent covers, warped. They are great on returns but it gets tiring running back and forth. Elusive disc, Acoustic Sounds and Music Direct do a much better job.

The other problem with Amazon is they kill local small businesses, like record stores.

Grateful_dad,

Funny I just got back into vinyl after about 35 years and purchased the same exact turntable based on reviews and my price point.  It was between this and a Rega Planar 3 but the Rega just seemed a bit flimsy compared to this so my gut was to get the Stealth.  Plus it would be much easier to return the Stealth than the Rega.  The Rega may sound great but I didn't have the opportunity to listen to both side by side so made a decision.

My digital and other equipment is much more expensive but i wanted to try something not too expensive to get a feel for vinyl.

I'm pairing my Stealth with an IFI phono 3 black at 48 db with no issues.  I checked the VTA and it was spot on based on the factory alignment which was 7.5 on the VTA tower gauge on the Stealth.  I had the blue at 1.8 grams and my turntable came with a digital stylus gauge as well.

I hear no bass distortions and some albums are better in the bass than others that I have but no bass distortion or bass anomalies.   I'm really enjoying the sound of this turntable and it's a nice change from my digital.  The only nitpicky thing I've noticed is the bass doesn't seem as powerful and extended as my digital recordings for the same recordings.  But from what I understand vinyl will not match digital in the bass department since the bass grooves take up the most real estate on an lp and therefore the engineer has to make some choices when cutting the bass lines and some bass may be lost or diminished.  Digital doesn't have that problem.  That may not be obvious to people who've listened to vinyl primarily for the past 30 or so years but from someone that has only listened to digital I notice the bass is a bit better digitally.  I'm sure a better turntable, cartridge and phono stage may improve the bass a little but I believe it is the nature of the lp medium.

I've also since purchased a Nagaoka MP 200 cartridge and I have to say it is a definite improvement over the 2 m blue.  The Blue is good but the MP200 is a clear step up and for the reasonable cost exceptional.  I'll keep this cartridge for some time now as it seems to really synergize well with this turntable.

The turntable does have adjustable feet that you screw to adjust each height to level the turntable.