Best Turntable Upgrades You Should Try

Turntables have come such a long way and our passion for turntables does not look like it will diminish soon. It is also not so hard to see why. The truth is that there is something exceptionally brilliant about owning and playing one of these and the best turntable upgrades can further enhance that. Maybe it’s the beauty in its sound, the feeling of lowering the needle, the liner notes, or the fantastic album artwork. But, we can’t help but to love and cherish it.

Well, whether you’ve been a lover of turntables since your young days, or just joining the new wave of enthusiasts, you will want the best as far as sound and look are concerned. First, it takes making a deliberate effort to buy the best turntable for your need. Then, you can perform component upgrade here and there to take it to the level you desire.

There’s so much you can do to take your hi-fi setup from where it is to where you desire for it to be. The turntables, the speakers, and the environment itself call all the upgrades or modifications to fit your listening need.

If you want to have beauty from an upgraded turntable, you must own at least a good quality turntable if you desire the best effects from your upgrades. That cleared, take a look at the best turntable upgrades that can potentially turn your turntable to you’d want in one.

1. Cartridge Upgrade

It could be one of the most popular upgrades as far as modern turntables are concerned. The popularity of this upgrade is probably because of its potentiality to quickly deliver a noticeable improvement in sound quality. While most upgrade guides suggest that you start from isolation, record clams, and other bolt-on upgrades, this guide will be taking a slightly different twist. I often see so many updates to know that all these will potentially amount to nothing if the first contact point fails in what it is supposed to be. If you can get it right with the input source, then you are already halfway to your goals.

Top-quality cartridges for sure vary in cost, and you must be open to whatever would be thrown at you as far as price is concerned. We’ve seen some even go past the $1,000 mark. In general terms, you will find lost cartridges falling under one of these two categories:

• MOVING MAGNETIC

Each of them is somewhat unique in its design and functionality pattern. In the design of the Moving Magnet, for instance, the cantilever is made to hold a small magnet strategically positioned inside the cartridge. The small magnet stays between two coils, which are nothing but the electromagnetic generators.

The magnet begins to vibrate between the two magnets as the stylus starts to track the record, producing a small current in the process.

• MOVING COIL

For the second design, i.e., the Moving Coil, although the cartridge is still, an electromagnetic generator works slightly differently. In this case, the coils can comfortably sit on the cantilever. The coils produce a current by moving within the field of the fixed magnet. Usually, the Moving Coil designs go for more cost than one Moving Magnets. They also require their phono stage to be of higher-gain, because of how delicate their signal strength is. Despite their value, however, lots of people still prefer it as their best cartridge because of their detailed level of sonic performance.

2. Platter Replacement/Upgrade

One of the most reliable ways to give your system a boost you will love is upgrading the platter. Over time, we’ve realized that this move has its significant effect, on the whole, sound mechanism of the turntable. Some impressive turntable platters that you can try include:

• Acrylic Platters

Most platters in this category are great for upgrading entry-level turntables since they have the incredible ability to boost performance. The Acryl It E for example, while tried, significantly improved sound quality. We noticed a massive leap in transparency, coupled with an appropriate level of dynamism in range.

It can enhance turntables, both technically and aesthetically. As an added advantage to its use, you will not need any conventional felt mat anymore. If you are using any of the high-end Pro-Ject turntables, then we recommend the Acryl It.

• Glass Platters

Glass platters like the very popular Rega glass turntable platter is another option that’s worth considering. Before going on, it is worth stating that the Roga glass turntable platter mentioned above is designed specifically for Rega record players.

There are so many reasons why we think that glass platters are incredible options when running a turntable upgrade. Just like in the case of an Acrylic Platter, the glass platters help for improving the music clarity. Apart from music clarity, they are also pleasing aesthetically.

The weightiness of the glass platters compared to their acrylic counterparts helps to increase the turntable’s inertia when you play a record. It helps reduce the strain to a large extent. Otherwise, it would fall on the motor and belt. Thus, wear-out happens more slowly.

• Heavy Platters

Although less popular for upgrades, these Heavy platters also come a long way in helping your turntable look and sound better. It is especially useful for systems that use a VPI turntable. The key attribute you should be looking out for here is mass and density.

3. Platter Mat Replacement

After a series of experiments, we could notice that replacing the platter mat is one right place to start from when upgrading a turntable. That’s because it can significantly impact the quality of your Hi-Fi system.

Thanks to modern designs, there are now several different platter mats designed from different materials for you to make a choice. We’ve seen the use of several elements, including synthetic rubber, cork, felt, leather, and even composite materials. Each of them is designed with special care to prevent resonance caused by the platter. Moreover, they are also useful to serve as an extra layer of protection to the records.

• A Platter Mat

Usually, you’ll find most turntable fitted with a platter mat as part of their standard design. In most cases, however, most of the platter mats are made of rubber or felt, and these materials are not exactly the best for playing your records. From experience, we’ve found that platter mats that absorb vibrations can potentially produce more neutral sound quality.

A cork platter mat, for instance, is a highly effective option, despite being relatively less expensive. Part of the reasons why corks are useful is their ability to absorb vibrations from the environment without letting it to affect the dynamism of the range negatively. If corks are your preferred option, we recommend that you go for the Thorens cork platter mat.

If your budget can contain leather mats, however, then they are an absolute fresh option. Leather mats like the ‘Analogis Mat Six’ will perform better than felt. There’s no way to compare the two.

The significant difference being that leather mats have better and smoother contact with the platter, further helping to dampen resonance. The production of static is also less so as expected they will stick less to records. If you can afford a high-quality platter, then pairing it with leather mats will produce a sound level. We can best describe it as heavenly sound. Once ready to upgrade your turntable, especially in its tone, then leather platter mats are the thing for you.

4. Phono Amp Upgrade (BEST TURNTABLE UPGRADES)

You turntable upgrade will never be complete without doing anything about your phono amp. After all, the phono amp acts as a preamplifier to amplify signals before they can get to the amplifier. While there are amplifiers in the market with built-in phono amps, you would not always be satisfied with their output. If they come with the phono-amp or come with one that you are not completely satisfied with, then you would need a separate device.

The separate box also helps for a sound upgrade. That’s because a dedicated preamp will most likely perform better than a built-in unit. Some options that we’ve found intriguing include:

• Cambridge Duo MC/MM phono amp (BEST TURNTABLE UPGRADES)

This option from Cambridge is not only flexible, but also affordable, so it is worth buying. If you know about Cambridge, then you will see that they value sound beyond business. This particular option works well with MM and MC cartridges, making them compatible with nearly all options out there. Apart from their ability to deliver a full-bodied sound, they also look great and are incredibly easy to use.

• Arcam rPhono phono amp (BEST TURNTABLE UPGRADES)

If you can afford an expensive turntable, then it will not do you wrong to invest a little more in the phono stage. This option is superior in a lot of ways. Although a small aluminum-ceased unit is not bigger than a paperback book, this unit still feels as solid as a rock. It also works well with both MC and MM cartridges. Moreover, it delivers an exceptional level of entertainment from your records.

There you have it – some fascinating upgrades that can potentially catapult your turntable from what it is to what you desire it to be in sound and looks. The goal is to get better results. So, you can experiment by mixing different options above, as long as it produces the desired result.