Save a vinyl newbie, please

If the exact same turntable sounded great at the dealers then the problem is not with the records, it's got to be some sort of setup issue. Unless you changed any of the anti-skate, tracking force, etc. since he had it playing you can rule those out too. Look for things that changed when you moved the table.

1) you might be using a preamp with a different mm/mc loading than the one at the dealers - see if it's adjustable to a more precise degree

2) the table might not be as level as it was at the dealers

3) it might be placed on a different surface that at the dealers - actually my first thought. the way the support stand resonates or doesn't resonate is one of the biggest determining factors of vinyl playack. Describe to us how you have your system configured. Some of the "big" mail order places (needle doctor / audio advisor etc..) will have advise and equipment for such isolation.

dont give up...even records with wear can be quite enjoyable. 10% was not an accurate figure :^)

I had a very similar problem before, and it turns out the needle was loose. I still haven't bought a new cartridge...

you have a great system!! Your lp's should be free of almost any noise and not muffed at all. It should sound "better" that it did when you first heard it.

Best fastest soulution is to bring it back where you bought it,
and see how it sounds on that system, this will answer a lot of questions. If everything is ok there, maybe the guy will help you set it up at home. If he is a dealer, I think he will be glad to help you to discouver the problem.

As far as buying used lp's and how they sound. I buy and sell many LP's and rarely do I get lp's that are misgraded and when I do I get a refund. The vast majority sound fantistic, most with no pops or clicks, no noise at all. Some with maybe 1 or 2 pops this is usually dirt. I assume you are buying lp's without scratches because many of these scratches will sound on quiet passages.

Let us know what you find out.

Ron

Here is a follow-up on my situation:

Last Saturday I took the turntable, preamp, and some of my records to the dealer where I bought it. We hooked the turntable and preamp to one of his amp and speakers. My records didn't sound very good, but it was a little better than my system. (I think my gear is very revealing of everything upstream.) I thought the records I played looked pretty clean, but he said they were scratched from having shifted around in the sleeve. (That includes a sealed record that we opened on the spot.) Then he put on one of his records and it sounded fine! That would seem to vindicate the turntable and preamp.

I took the turntable and preamp home and tried some other records that I had. I tried a couple records for which I couldn't find any noticeable scratches or defects and they sounded miserable. We're back to the right channel sounding really bad, and loud clicks and pops. There are very noticeable high-amplitude ripples on the rubber surround of the speakers' bass drivers. This happens with virtually all LP's I've played but never happens with CD's, no matter what the volume.

So it seems as though I need to make a decision. Option #1 is to sell the Music Hall turntable and the many classical LP's I've accumulated over the past couple of months (anyone out there interested?). Option #2 is to hold onto the turntable and records until I might be able to build a system that will have better "vinyl synergy".

Any suggestions/comments?

Michael