2. analog
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Vinyl wow

Record wow has kept me from truly enjoying analog ever since I first owned a turntable. To me, nothing says fake louder than that old sing-song effect that taints even the best records I own. I can't hear past it. Does it bother all enthusiasts? Does it bother some more than others? My wife claims she can't hear it, but she also runs screaming from the room whenever I play Stravinsky. Should I just learn to love digital?
hodie
hodie OP
32 posts
 
I don't believe it's my record player. I have struggled with the problem from my first Philips 212, to a Thorens 165, and on to a Merrill/Triplanar IV. I can't believe that all my records are warped, nor that all the center holes are off-center. Must just be me.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,218 posts
 
While it could be a problem with your turntable, it's more likely that you are simply hyper-sensitive to this type of distortion. Digital doesn't have wow, but that doesn't mean you'll be able to tolerate it's various types of distortion either. Hopefully, that's not the case. Do you have perfect pitch?
dekay's avatar
dekay
5,573 posts
 
Hodie:

You might look into devices that further stabilize the motor. Albert Porter uses one for instance.
hodie OP
32 posts
 
Ohhwy61,
I have "the" perfect pitch: the ol' wobble ball. By the way, is that Hwy.61 through the Delta? Anyhow, I'm mighty envious of everybody who isn't tormented by wow. Thanks for the feedback.
smotyka
62 posts
 
Hodie,

Thanks for the post because I too hear it sometimes.

I attribute it to the spindle hole not being perfectly center on some recordings and the platter having a slight wobble (up & down by a 1/32") every rotation thus affecting the tracking force.

Take a close look at the headshell & see if it remains perfectly level for each rotation.

Just a hunch.

Steve
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