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Ed Lansink
Wondering what’s needed to set up a turntable properly and looking for example turntable setup ideas to plan your own?
You’ve come to the right place in both of these cases!
This guide helps you with two key topics:
TIP: Want to skip ahead to the second part. Click here: Turntable setup ideas.
Here’s an overview of each of the steps required to set up your new turntable.
Sound complicated? Don’t worry; follow each of the steps in detail here. (Skip ahead)
Before looking at the setup process itself, this section explains the basic parts of turntables, providing an explanation for their various components and controls.
These elements will be found on most turntable varieties, from affordable to high-end models. You can get more detail on this topic here: Parts of a Record Player: Turntable Anatomy
There is a tonne of reasons why setting your turntable up properly is a good idea. Also, there are several reasons why not doing it right can be a disaster! Every second of time and energy spent in perfecting your setup will return as a reward.
TIP: Recalibrate your turntable regularly.
Turntables are made from many small, moving parts. During the course of playback, it’s normal for these parts to move out of place. You will need to maintain the calibration of your turntable by checking and re-aligning the settings every couple of weeks. Also, any time you move the turntable to a new location, it should be recalibrated.
A few additional tools can help you to achieve a precise turntable setup.
Setting up by eye or estimation works in a pinch, but for mathematical sonic perfection, you’ll want to work as accurately as possible. Some custom tools are perfect for the job.
Fortunately, these tools can be picked up at low prices online. Some tools can even be replaced with free smartphone applications, although the tools work more accurately.
Spirit levels are used to measure the angles of a surface. They can measure either vertical or horizontal levels. In essence, they measure the X and Z rotation axis of the surface.
Aka Bubble levels are particularly useful for setting up a turntable as they help to find a perfectly flat (flush) angle.
You can buy specialized turntable spirit levels at a fairly low cost. If you already have a general-purpose spirit level, it will probably do the job fine.
Alternatively (but less accurately), you can use these smartphone apps:
This scale-like device is used to measure the tracking force of a turntable’s stylus.
Each cartridge model uses a specific tracking force measurement – which varies from brand to brand (typically 1-3g).
Setting the perfect tracking force is vital to prevent damage to your records. An overly heavy setting will muffle the sound and increase wear, too light and the needle is more likely to skip and scratch. It also affects the sound quality.
Tracking force gauges provide an accurate measurement of the weight applied to the vinyl by the tonearm. There isn’t really any way of measuring this force accurately without one of these devices.
There is a range of excellent stylus force gauges on Amazon.
An aligned stylus prevents vinyl wear and ensures an accurate and balanced sound quality.
Correct use also prevents tracking errors and reduces unwanted friction.
Cartridge alignment protractors are used to get the perfect stylus alignment for both stylus overhang and tangency.
View cartridge alignment protractors on Amazon.
Turntable kits are bundles of accessories that generally include a combination of the above tools. These kits are an affordable way to get all the tools you need in an all-in-one bundle.
You can find professional turntable setup kits online!
Useful but not essential, these tools can make the setup process easier:
This section walks you through the setup process from start to finish. Follow this guide to achieve the best turntable setup possible.
Before touching any of the fiddly parts, the first step is to find a suitable location for the turntable to rest. Turntables rely on physics, so any physical interference or vibration can cause issues.
The turntable should be placed on the most stable surface available. Surfaces that wobble or move, like a loose table, are not ideal. Wobbling surfaces will cause issues in playback, and could result in damage to the vinyl or stylus.
The best surface would be isolated from any external vibrations. A slab of concrete would be ideal, although not all of us have one lying around…
One recommended solution is a turntable isolation platform. These are placed under the turntable and are designed to prevent interference from external sources.
I personally use an Ikea-style record shelf. When these are filled with records they become rock solid, with no wobble. With a bunch of records packed together, it will weigh a tonne, and become sturdy and isolating.
You should also consider the distance between your speakers and turntables. Turntables are highly sensitive to vibration and will pick up sound from nearby speakers – particularly sub frequencies. Try to keep your speakers & subs as far from the turntable as possible. Make sure you add some insulation between the surfaces to prevent energy from traveling from the speakers back to the turntable.
Next, we need to address the angles of the turntable to remove any tilt. The turntable needs to be leveled accurately with a spirit level for best performance.
Leveling is important as it helps the stylus to fit in the groove properly. Without leveling the stylus will struggle to stay in the groove properly and may pop out.
If not balanced, the platters bearings will rotate unevenly which can cause permanent damage.
A balanced level is important for playback stability. A wonky turntable can create a lopsided effect on the motor – creating inconsistent playback speeds and warbling.
To level: Place the turntable on the surface, then place a spirit level on the turntable platter. Adjust the leg heights until the spirit level’s bubble is perfectly central.
After the turntable is in place and level, it’s time to attach and calibrate the cartridge.
New turntables sometimes come with pre-installed cartridges. Regardless, always check the calibration anyway – don’t assume they got it right out of the box.
There are two stages to this: wiring and attaching. I find it easier to wire the cartridge up before attaching it.
Both these stages can be fiddly, so get prepared for some frustration. Be careful not to damage the sensitive parts of the stylus!
Wires need to be connected between the cartridge, and the headshell’s output. This connection allows the signal to be sent from the needle to the tonearm and beyond.
Connect the 4 wires to the corresponding pins on both the cartridge and headshell. Usually, both components have markings to indicate the destination for each wire. You don’t need to solder anything. The wires have easy-attach caps which slot onto the small receiver posts.
To understand the reasons for these wires, you need to know the basics of electricity and circuits, which is too deep for this guide. In short, the positive channels (white, red) carry the output signals containing the music, and ground channels are used for grounding.
If the wiring is incorrect, you will hear a buzzing sound.
This stage can be annoying fiddly. I recommend using tweezers for accuracy, and to avoid overhandling the cables and cart.
After wiring is complete, the cartridge can be attached to the headshell.
This stage is more straightforward.
The cartridge is screwed into the headshell to hold it in place.
Place the headshell upside down, put the cartridge on, and align the screw holes with the gaps on the headshell. Loosely place each screw through the headshell and into the cartridge holes, then slowly tighten each screw. You may need to adjust the cartridge to get a decent alignment. Don’t worry about getting perfect positioning yet – that’s addressed in step 4.
Tip: Replace old styluses!
If you’re using a second-hand turntable, I’d recommend swapping out the old stylus for a new one. This simple upgrade will renew the sound quality of your turntable, and provide far more accurate reproduction. You can find turntable stylus/needle replacements of varying prices and quality on Amazon.
The VTF specification measures the amount of pressure applied to the record by the stylus, cartridge, and tonearm. This is a measurement in grams.
Styluses have varying levels of recommended VTF, you’ll be able to find this information on your stylus manufacturer’s website or the packaging.
Using the recommended VTF is important because it ensures the needle is weighted to the optimal condition. Issues can arise during playback if the VTF is too heavy or too light.
The Vertical Tracking force is the weight that keeps the needle in the groove. If it’s too heavy, the needle is pressing too hard into the vinyl, which darkens the sound and causes more wear.
If the VTF is too light, the needle is just resting on the vinyl, you’ll get a thin sound, and the needle is more likely to bounce around.
As mentioned earlier, the best tool for this job is a vertical tracking force gauge.
Place the needle on the gauge. The display should provide an accurate reading of the amount of VTF applied. Compare this to the recommended tracking force provided in your stylus’ manual or manufacturer’s website.
To adjust the VTF, you need to modify the amount of counterweight applied to the tonearm. Quality turntables have adjustable counterweighting; simply twist the mechanism until the VTF is as required.
Getting a good tonearm balance is an essential part of the setup process.
Rest one finger under the tonearm so that it’s free-floating and bouncing off your finger.
Wait till it comes to a rest. Then move the counterweight until the tonearm is balanced. Like a see-saw, it hangs in the middle rather than moving up or down.
The further away the counterweight is from the stylus, the less VTF is applied, and vice versa.
Turntable cartridges require a certain degree of alignment to ensure the best possible sound quality.
Improper cartridge alignment causes issues with stereo imaging and frequency. If misaligned, the stereo mix will not be replicated correctly, meaning that sounds may sound narrower, or one side may sound disproportionately louder than the other.
Cartridge alignment should be accurate. Meaning that when set correctly, there is no interference or inaccuracy to the sound. It’s either aligned or not.
Cartridges can be aligned accurately using an alignment sheet, or cartridge protractor.
You can either buy a separate cartridge protractor accessory or use a piece of printed paper.
You can download and print a protractor sheet from www.vinylengine.com. NOTE: Make sure it is printed at the correct size and not scaled.
The ideal alignment varies from brand to brand, so check in with your manufacturer to find the perfect angles.
Either way, place the cartridge over the protractor, loosen the headshell screws slightly, then align the cartridge. When aligned, retighten the screws.
You should test the alignment from a couple of angles to ensure consistency. Also, check it at different points across the platter surface – checking it stays aligned from the outer to the inner edge.
More advanced turntables will also allow you to calibrate the azimuth of the cartridge, which is basically the measure of whether the stylus sits perfectly perpendicular within the record’s groove.
In other words: During basic calibration you ensure the cartridge is perfectly aligned looking from above. This part of calibration ensures the cartridge is perfectly aligned looking at it from the front.
Apart from visual gauging, professionals test the actual output during playback to get a more accurate sense of whether the azimuth is set correctly.
The VTA refers to the angle of the tonearm during playback. For the cleanest sound quality, the tonearm and bottom of the cartridge should be exactly parallel with the surface of the vinyl.
There are a few different methods for adjusting the VTA, based on the facilities of your turntable.
Many turntables include a mechanism to raise the tonearm at its pivoting point. This lets you adjust the VTA. If your turntable doesn’t include a pivot adjustment, you can add washers or spacers around the base of the tonearm pillar to increase the height.
To check your VTA, use a piece of paper with straight lines printed, a ruler, or a VTA and azimuth gauge tool like the one above. The straight lines will help you to see whether the tonearm and cartridge are parallel or not.
Finding the right anti-skate setting is essential for a wide stereo image and deep soundstage.
Due to the centrifugal forces of the tonearm and motor, without anti-skating, there are imbalances in weight applied to either side of the groove. This can result in one side being louder than the other.
Anti-skate mechanisms apply a counterweight against this centrifugal force, balancing out the needle’s weighting and creating more consistent reproduction.
As a starting point, the anti-skate force should be roughly the same as the Vertical Tracking Force (VTF) of the cartridge. Although typically a little lower.
Usually, the anti-skate mechanism has a control dial for setting the force in grams. Start by matching this to the VTF of your cartridge and work down. If you find the arm pulls towards the spindle, increase the anti-skate. If it moves to the outside of the turntable, then turn it down.
Last step – almost there!
The final stage is just to check the turntable accurately spins at the desired speed.
These days, the most common speeds are 33rpm and 45rpm, typically (but not exclusively) used for 12” and 7” records, respectively.
You want to make sure your turntable is calibrated to be running at these RPM values accurately. If the speeds are off, the music may sound excessively high or low-pitched and with a faster or slower tempo.
The way you measure and change RPM accuracy changes from model to model.
High-end turntables like the Technic 1210 feature a visual indicator thanks to their sophisticated strobe system. Usually, these types of systems are only included on professional turntables.
If your turntable has a built-in display, refer to the manual for the specific process.
Otherwise, you can use a smartphone app that uses the accelerometer of the phone to measure the rotational speed:
You should check the speed at both 33 and 45 rpm.
If the speed is inaccurate, the motor needs to be adjusted.
Some turntables include a speed adjustment system – refer to the manual for specifics.
If you’re using a belt-drive turntable, the belt can wear out over time and may need replacing.
A turntable and record collection alone aren’t enough to enjoy the wonders of vinyl!
Besides the turntable itself, there are several other elements involved with a record player setup.
There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing a setup style. It mostly comes down to preference and budget.
Vinyl can be amplified in a huge number of ways.
Generally, a setup includes the turntable, a preamplifier (Explainer here → What is a preamp?), an amplifier, and speakers.
This section explores the journey of sound from the vinyl to the speakers and explains some popular setups.
The signal starts in the cartridge.
There are several important audio components in turntable setups. Each of these is responsible for a different task in the signal chain.
These components also provide an opportunity to enhance the electronic signal. High-quality components generally produce a cleaner, more accurate sound.
The components are:
There are two main types of speakers – passive and active:
This section shows some popular turntable setups.
This is a fairly common and simplistic record player setup. Some turntables have a built-in phono preamp, meaning they can be plugged straight into a pair of active speakers. An active speaker pair has a built-in amplifier, unlike passive speakers, which require an external amp.
Another simple record player setup adds a preamp to the circuit between the turntable and the speakers. This setup applies if you have a turntable without a built-in preamp and powered speakers. The preamp can retrieve more detail and coloration from the audio signal before the speakers, apart from just amplifying.
An old-school setup for vinyl enthusiasts. In this situation, the turntable is plugged directly into an A/V receiver, which then powers a pair of passive bookshelf speakers. This retro setup is affordable but provides a good amount of control and customization. Preamplification needs to be built into either the turntable or the A/V receiver (which will have its distinctive Phono output).
A 4-stage turntable system provides a huge amount of customization with the favorable quality of passive speakers. The turntable is plugged into a preamp, then an AV receiver that feeds the passive speakers. This is recommended for serious vinyl lovers who want to retrieve as much detail of the audio source as possible.
Some modern turntables have Bluetooth functionality. Alternatively, you can send the output of the turntable to a wireless Bluetooth transmitter. This then connects to a Bluetooth speaker. This setup is great for minimizing wires and clutter. It’s perfect for integrating a record player with portable speakers or smart home accessories.
This is one of the lowest-cost setups you can put together, whereby you pair a Bluetooth set of headphones to a turntable that has Bluetooth support. Although most people interested in this setup won’t care, it’s worth noting that Bluetooth takes out the pure analog quality of vinyl.
Turntables can be connected to headphones with a headphone amp, which can give you more control over the sound output. A lot of A/V systems also have a headphone mode and connection.
USB output audio interfaces help connect the turntable to a PC. You can use them to record your vinyl collection in a digital format.
There are a couple of things to consider when wiring your sound system up.
You’ll need different cables depending on your setup. You’ll need RCA cables to plug the turntable into a preamp or amp, and you’ll need a speaker wire cable to hook the speakers up to the amp. The exact cables you need depend on your setup style.
It can be overwhelming when trying to find cables. There are so many out there, and often with a huge variation in pricing.
To an extent, cable quality affects the final sound. Up to a certain point, though, the difference is barely noticeable. Many cables are overpriced.
Quality cables have gold plating and will be protective and durable. Some come with extra protection from external signal interference.
A common pain with setting up turntables for beginners is the issue of grounding. A turntable setup is an electronic circuit, so it must be grounded to function correctly.
Every component must be connected to a common ground channel. Most turntables have a grounding post, where you can attach a wire and connect it to another grounded component. Grounding prevents hum, which completely ruins the listening experience.
More on this topic here → How to Ground a Turntable: Fix Turntable Hum.
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I'm a passionate vinyl collector, analog fan, and lifetime enthusiast of most things audio.
On VinyliQ I help fellow vinyl collectors enjoy their hobby to the max, sharing my knowledge about and passion for vinyl.