Matt from Audio T Cardiff takes a deeper dive into his passion for vinyl records and why there has been such a resurgence in the format and its effects on both the turntables and Hi-Fi industries in general.

With yet another great Bristol Hi-Fi show done and dusted, it’s a great time to reflect on the year’s activities as well as our own setups and systems. And I must say, Wow! What a show it was. With it being my second year working at the show I had a better idea of what to expect, and was mentally prepared for the sheer scale, and it was great to see and meet many of you there again. Some of us took the opportunity to grow our record collections with the numerous vendors at the show, others used the show as the perfect excuse to plan upgrades, and some younger attendees even taking the leap and buying their first ever turntables, with numerous customers starting their journey with the award winning Rega Planar 1. I know I came home from the Bristol Hi-Fi show with another three records and a continued desire for the Rega Naia, which is on many people’s wish lists.

All of this talk of turntables has no doubt got us buying yet more vinyl. Oh the addiction continues!

PLANAR_1_WALNUT_EFFECT_frontview_no lid_LP.jpg

When we talk about the resurgence in vinyl collecting, I see this as a great thing, encouraging younger generations to get immersed in music and not just listening to it streamed (which is still a great way to listen to music and discover new bands) but to enjoy an album from start to finish. It is incredibly enjoyable.

In my opinion there’s nothing like walking into a record shop and discovering that album, getting it home, opening up the gate fold, putting the record on and looking at the album artwork as we listen to the music. In my eyes, it’s the perfect way to listen to music and I feel that it’s a great thing that record companies are reissuing old albums, giving new younger generations the chance to listen to the classics as they should be, as well as listening to new artists of the day.

You might be wondering about the title of this blog “Spin The Black Circle” which is a song by Pearl Jam on their ‘Vitalogy’ album. Eddie Vedder wrote this song about his love for vinyl. I highly recommend listening to this album.

Where The Magic of Vinyl Started

Let’s go back in time a little, not as far back as the gramophone but the age of popular music in the 50s. This was a time when our only access to new music was either listening to the radio or going to the local record store and listening to the new singles of the day. Music styles change over time and artists evolve but to me, the big changes started to really happen in the late 60s with the rise of the guitar heroes such as Clapton, Hendrix, Beck and Page, to name but a few.

As consumers, we bought their singles and then their albums as this was the way they were released at the time. Many of us still buy music this way, although sadly there’s very few listening cubicles in record shops these days, but in saying that, some of the small independent record shops out there will put a record on if you ask!

The Vinyl Time Machine

For me, records hold memories and emotions, new, old, good and bad. For instance, this takes me right back to when I was a lot younger, queuing outside Spillers Records in Cardiff when an album was released. I remember nagging my dad back in 1987 to take me to my local record shop to get Guns ‘n’ Roses ‘Appetite For Destruction’. Opening that gate fold and looking at the album artwork while listening to the record and thinking ‘this is a cornerstone in the sound of rock & metal’.

Moving on a little later, I remember queuing up for Metallica's ‘Black’ album in 1991… Yep I was once one of the long haired band T-shirt brigade. Not much has changed apart from getting older and my hair being a lot shorter now! It’s fair to say my listening habits haven't changed. The funny thing is, I will still wait in line for a record even now. It’s memories like these that tie us to the music that we enjoy.

All this talk of music brings up an important question. Why have Vinyl LP sales been increasing year on year for the last 16 years? The truth is, vinyl never went away, despite new technologies coming along such as CD players and then streaming. The turntable seems to be stronger than ever right now. Why? Is it a trend, a fad or a passing craze? The truth is that turntables and vinyl collecting has always been here and the wonderful, magical analogue way of listening to music has never completely ceased. When mainstream record labels opted for digital formats, independent labels, especially those specialising in Punk and Metal really leaned in to vinyl and pushed limited edition coloured variants to encourage sales.

The great thing is that as well as people rediscovering their love for their record collection; younger generations have discovered vinyl for the first time and started their journey into collecting. This discovery/re-discovery of the format has piqued a great interest in new turntables and good quality Hi-Fi to complement it. With customers looking beyond the basic turntables sold in the high street shops it’s no surprise really… Why play a £30 record on a £100 all-in-one player? We all know vinyl can sound so much better!

The Ultimate Vinyl Sound?

A big question asked in store is “can vinyl sound better?” The answer is a big resounding “YES” and the other question is, “Do I have to spend thousands to accomplish a great sounding turntable?” The answer is “No”, you don't have to spend thousands. A great example of a turntable to start with is the Rega Planar 1 Plus teamed with a Wiim streaming amplifier and a pair of Dali Spektor 1 speakers, a fantastic starter system. This system takes care of the vinyl as well as streaming, so you have the best of both worlds. The only thing is, there’s always a way to make things sound even better.

One Giant Leap For Vinyl

The possibilities are endless with so many manufacturers out there, it can get very confusing. The great thing is that all of us at Audio T are here to help and guide you. Although my own system is very good I can still see ways of improving the performance, as we say “there’s always room for improvement”!

What do I look at first? We strongly believe source first. This brings the turntable back into the equation as this is the voice of the system. My advice will always be to listen to at least three options of turntable, for instance Rega Planar 2 to Rega Planar 3 or other brands such as Linn and Michell. The other part of your turntable to look at is the cartridge, from moving magnet to moving coil options we supply brands such as Audio Technica, Ortofon and Dynavector. As we know every cartridge has its own sound and is a very big part of the character of your turntable. The proof is in the listening and we can offer you the chance to hear what sounds right to you, as I always say there are no wrong answers.

Taking Care Of Business

One of the only annoying things about vinyl is noise, snap, crackle and pop and not in a good way. So how can we help with this annoyance? How do I look after my turntable? And just as important, how do I look after my vinyl? Fear not, there are multiple ways of looking after your new turntable and keeping your prized possessions such as your vinyl in good shape.

Let’s start with the tools of our trade.

Record brush
Stylus brush

The record brush: Static can be an LPs worst enemy and a good quality record brush can reduce static build up. We offer solutions such as one of our favourites the Audio Technica AT 6013A record brush which has two steps of carbon fibre bristles as well as a velvet pad which removes the dust particles from the record. While the LP is spinning on the turntable you gently hold the brush on the record and the dust will start to collect on the carbon fibre bristles, then proceed to pull the brush toward you off the edge of the LP. The carbon fibre bristles remain straight and can get deep into the vinyl groove. Also available is the Pro-Ject Brush-IT which does a job but our go to is the Audio Technica AT 6013A.

The next tool to have on hand is a stylus brush. The Pro-Ject Clean-IT is a fantastic little stylus brush for everyday use, again utilising very fine carbon fibre bristles for a safe and effective clean of the stylus tip. With the tone arm locked in the arm rest you offer the brush to the tip of the stylus and then gently clean the stylus by pulling the brush towards you. This brush gets rid of those little bits of fluff on the stylus and helps with the life of the LPs and the stylus itself. If the stylus is very dirty you may need to use a fluid or a gel to get rid of that ingrained dirt. The Audio Technica “Tacky Gel” AT617A is a simple yet effective way to clean the stylus tip, or for a deep clean the tool for the job is a stylus fluid. The Audio Technica AT607A stylus fluid should only be used when the stylus is particularly dirty and should be used sparingly.

Sill Not Sounding Right?

There are a few things you can check such as the tone arm set up. Tracking force, cartridge alignment and anti-skate set up. Wear on the stylus or even wear on the belt which can cause speed issues. If you don’t feel comfortable checking these things yourself fear not, we can help with this. I find there’s nothing more satisfying than getting a turntable playing and sounding like it should. Speaking of turntable setups, we can set up your new turntable for the first time when bought from us, also if you buy a cartridge from us we set up your tonearm and check the health of your turntable free of charge.

Cleaning Vinyl

There are multiple ways we can clean our vinyl collection and no it doesn't involve the dishwasher. On the odd occasion you might find a second hand bargain in a charity shop but the trouble with that is a lot of the time the vinyl isn't in the best shape giving you those unwanted crackles and pops and possibly extra stylus ware. There some great products on the market to clean your vinyl and get it sounding right.

The first method we recommend is record cleaning spray which works really well for manual cleaning. The cleaning method with the Tonar spray is really simple yet effective. A couple of light sprays on the vinyl then using the Tonar micro fibre cloth wipe around the record then wipe with a dry microfiber cloth.

The second manual way we recommend for cleaning your vinyl is a little more fun in the process the Project Spin clean Mk2 which comes with cleaning fluids and drying cloths. This cleaner is really simple but effective.

The third way we recommend cleaning your vinyl is even more in depth than the manual way of cleaning back to the Project brand once again with VC-E2 and VC-S3 cleaners both cleaners work their vacuum system to draw the cleaning fluid and dirt away from your vinyl into the machines inboard tank leaving your vinyl clean and ready to play.

The fourth way we recommend is more intensive again and is now currently our favourite way to clean vinyl, the Degritter Mk2 ultrasonic vinyl cleaner. This vinyl cleaner goes even deeper again when it comes to how it gets into the groove of the record with its ultrasonic cleaning process. You can alter the cleaning time depending on how dirty your vinyl is. It also dries the vinyl for you and it’s relatively quiet. Although this is one of the most expensive vinyl cleaners that we sell, I feel it is definitely worth its price tag if you have a large vinyl collection.

All of these cleaning methods above don’t just clean the vinyl they can also help with static build up on the vinyl. The other thing we recommend to do after you have cleaned your vinyl is to use a new antistatic record sleeve, which again helps to keep your record in tip top shape.

Conclusion

Music is the thing that binds us all and brings us together because of the emotional bond we have with it. Listening to music still remains very personal, wether it’s vinyl, streaming or compact disc. Vinyl will always be the main listening format for me, that wonderful feeling I still get when I lower the tonearm and the stylus catches the groove, especially when it’s a new record I haven't heard before. If you would like to start your vinyl journey, or improve the system you have, why not pop in and see us and have a chat and a listen.

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

Thanks for reading

Matt, Nick and Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

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“Spin The Black Circle” - The Vinyl Revolution