How to improve the sound of your vinyl player with simple, yet powerful steps and accessories

Buying a great vinyl player is the most important decision you can make when building a beautiful-sounding analog stereo system. But even the best record player will benefit greatly from the right setup and accessories, and if you want to improve the sound of your vinyl player, follow these tips and tricks.

Improved vinyl player sound

Some accessories are absolutely necessary, and should be on hand from the first day you start playing the discs, and others you may decide to add later if you find that you are not getting the sound quality that you hoped for. We’ve come up with 8 tips for improving the sound of your vinyl player, starting with basic add-ons and moving into more advanced (professional) solutions as we go.

Keep your discs free from dust

When you order a new vinyl player,

order a good turntable brush too, and you should clean your turntables every time you play them.

Brushes are made of soft carbon

fibers that can remove dust,

fibers, hair and all things that tend to settle on any flat surface in our homes.

Modern brushes also have a conductive piece of metal in the handle that helps draw static electricity,

which also produces an audible noise.

When discs are not on the tray,

keep them scratch-free and safe from dust and static electricity by replacing disc sleeves with “abrasive paper.”

Add soft cylinder seal

There are several materials and types of cylinder seal, which separate the cylinder from the platter, and can reduce engine rumble while listening.

It also grips the cylinders better for a more consistent speed, and reduces static charges that can attract dust particles to the surface of the cylinders. It is a relatively small investment, but it  brings great benefits .

Improve the sound of a vinyl player by reducing vibrations

The needle in a record player is very sensitive to vibration,

which is what makes it so good at bringing subtle nuances out of the groove of a record,

but it also means that the sound can be affected by unwanted vibrations. Fortunately, there are a number of relatively simple fixes that help insulate the needle from vibrating.

Vibration isolators remove this risk, as well as any rumble that may be transmitted from subwoofers,

speakers, or other devices that partner with your vinyl player to output your sound.

It is also important to place the furniture on a flat and stable surface to resist vibrations. Consider placing your vinyl player on a stable turntable, for example. You can use a set of speaker stands to help isolate vinyl players from sonic vibrations and improve your overall listening experience.

Check the cables

Sometimes a crackling sound from a record player means that the cables connecting it to the rest of your

equipment have frayed.

Many vinyl players ship with relatively inexpensive cables that are useful for getting started,

but not always long-lasting.

Well-made RCA cables use high-quality materials to improve signal transfer, especially over slightly longer cable runs. Vinyl players also need to be well grounded to get rid of extremely annoying low-frequency hum that can creep in.

Deep clean your discs

If playback seems choppy or muddled even after using the cleaning brush, your discs may need a deeper cleaning. The brush can remove surface debris, but the grooves can contain deeper payments of grease, mold and grime, especially if you’re using used discs, you don’t know the conditions they had from the previous owner.

A good turntable cleaning machine that uses

specially formulated cleaning fluid and a suction pump to clean the grooves can keep your turntables looking like new,

and add years of listening to them by keeping them in good condition.

How to improve the sound

Improve the sound of a vinyl player with a cartridge upgrade

A vinyl player with a decent cartridge would probably be pretty decent,

but you have a lot of room for improvement.

Some vinyl players have a nut on the driveshaft that can be loosened to remove the headshell and

replace it for a relatively easy cartridge replacement process.

If you don’t have this option, you can still replace the cartridge, but it might be a good idea to get help from a professional so you don’t damage the fine wires.

Improve your dish

You can also upgrade the platter to a thicker material,

but make sure it’s specific to your hardware,

you don’t want a mismatch that could burn your drive or cause other problems.

Many audiophiles take extra effort to keep records from wobbling or slipping by adding weight on their vinyl record player.

Invest in a quality phono amplifier

Most vinyl players come with a good phono cartridge pre-installed, but there are more professional models available, and if you’re thinking of an upgrade, a more sophisticated subwoofer makes that possible. A good subwoofer offers adjustable settings that help you get the most out of a first-class cartridge.

Some music lovers like the warm, inviting sound of a subwoofer that uses old-school vacuum tube technology, plus it looks pretty cool. Some amplifiers offer a built-in subsonic filter that eliminates distracting low-frequency buzzing.