Turntables are great machines for listening to music. You can listen to your vinyl collections, both new and old. They are very easy to use, especially if you connect them to powered speakers.
When you choose powered speakers, you won’t need external amplifiers as these have built-in amplifiers. It would also be much simpler if your turntable had a built-in preamp; you just need to connect it to the powered speakers.
If you’re in the market to purchase powered speakers, read reliable recommendations on powered speakers to get quality sound and the best value for your money. Once you have a pair of powered speakers, you’ll surely enjoy listening to your vinyl records.
Unfortunately, turntables, similar to other devices, may break or may not act the way they are supposed to. They occur even while we are currently listening to music, which makes it more frustrating. But what can you do when this happens?
This article will give tips and tricks on what you can do when you don’t hear sound from your turntable.
Check the power
The easiest and most obvious thing to do is check whether electricity is powering your speakers and turntables. You might also want to check your circuit breaker to ensure it didn’t trip.
You should also check whether the turntable’s power adapter is plugged in properly, as well as the speakers, and other equipment, such as amplifier and preamp, if you have one in your setup.
Check the preamp
If you have a preamp in your setup, make sure that the preamp switch is in the “line” position. You also need to check whether the preamp is turned on and all wires are correctly inserted.
One of the most common mistakes is letting the RCA cables unsecure. These cables can be easily attached, but it has to be locked down to prevent them from slipping or getting detached. You should also do the same for grounding cables.
While securing the cables, you might as well check for any open wires. These things could be dangerous and even start a fire in your house. Ensure all wires and cables are in good condition and there aren’t any signs of breakage.
Clean the stylus
Over time, our turntables get dusty. Every time we play our vinyl records, the needle or stylus catches dust, making it dirty.
Cleaning the stylus isn’t too technical. You can purchase stylus brushes to clean them regularly. Other people prefer buying a magic eraser, which you can easily find at your local hardware shops.
Aside from the stylus, you should also make sure that your vinyl records are taken care of properly. Make sure that there’s no dust. If taken for granted, vinyl could have molds in it, making it unplayable.
Remove and reinsert the headshell
The headshell is a critical part of a turntable as it’s a piece that holds the stylus and the cartridge, then connects them to the tonearm. However, there are instances that it could get loose because of regular usage.
Instead of pushing it down right away, it’s best to remove it first and then put it back. Make sure that the locking nut is tight enough to hold the pieces together. Keep in mind that you should be a little careful when tightening the nut as it could damage the tonearm.
Adjust the tonearm
If the tonearm is too heavy, you’d hear distorted sounds, giving you a painful feeling, such as tinnitus.
Similarly, if it isn’t lowered perfectly, you wouldn’t hear any sound as there is no contact made. Since there’s no contact, the needle or stylus can’t get signals from the vinyl record.
It’s quite simple to adjust the tonearm. All you have to do is to look for the adjustment screw and turn it accordingly.
You can easily raise it higher or put it lower so it would touch the vinyl record, yet avoid the cueing lever bridge.
Take it to the professionals
Unfortunately, there are only things that we can do for our turntables. If we had done basic troubleshooting and it still doesn’t make any sound, there are several things you can do.
You can always check the manufacturer’s website, as they usually have information regarding the product. They also provide basic troubleshooting steps for specific models.
If you’ve tried them and nothing has worked, you can contact the manufacturer through the website or their hotline, or better yet, take your turntable to a service center to have it inspected and fixed.
Unless you are a professional turntable technician, you shouldn’t dismantle the equipment yourself as there are small components that could be damaged. Proper care and skills are essential when fixing devices, especially with turntables.
Sum Up
You can do a handful of things if your turntable doesn’t produce any sound. You can check the power supply, make sure that the equipment is on, clean the stylus or needle, reinsert the headshell, and adjust the tonearm. Don’t be afraid to try them out, as these things could save you money instead of taking them directly to a service center.
