The thrill is gone

If your records are not sounding like they used to, there's a key place you should check (before you throw your turntable out the window)

Vinyl is magical: that warm, distinctive, intimately present sound… until the tiniest bit of dust, or a microscopic mark, gets in the way and spoils all the fun.

Photo by Cristian Georgescu on Unsplash

Few things in the life of a vinyl collector are more exasperating than a record not sounding like it should.

The sweet spot

The place where your stylus meets the record. That’s where you need to look first. Usually, this is where most sound issues come from.

Makes sense, right? At the end of the day, this is also where (most of) the magic happens.

Photo by Eugene Chystiakov on Unsplash

I wrote a mini series on styli a while ago. If you missed it, or would like a refresher, here’s why your stylus matters, how to look after it, and when to upgrade.

Dust it off

If the sound is weak or muffled, the most likely culprit is a dust particle stuck between your stylus and the grooves.

Even the tiniest bit of dust can affect what you hear. If you spot dust, remove it carefully using specialised products (record and/or stylus cleaner—ideally both).

It’s always good practice to clean your records before each spin. Your cleaning routine should be effective and simple. If it’s too complicated, it’s not serving any purpose other than being a huge inconvenience.

Ssssssh with that noise!

You may notice that the s or sh sounds are getting a bit too harsh, particularly in the inner grooves (the last tracks of each side of a record). This is commonly known as sibilance.

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The most likely cause is either a heavily worn record, or stylus… or both. You can test different records and compare, although not all records will sound the same (even on a worn stylus).

Ideally, you should also experiment with a different stylus or turntable, as this will aid your decision-making process.

Every vinyl lover will have to learn to live with a certain degree of harmonic distorsion: this is, in part, what gives vinyl that warm, distinctive sound we all love.

However, when issues like sibilance or distorsion start affecting your listening experience, this is a sign that, most probably, something needs adjustment (or replacement).

Bottom line

In some cases you will need to recalibrate your turntable and you should follow the instructions of the manufacturer. However, in my experience, a lot of issues (especially sibilance in the inner grooves) can be resolved with a microlinear stylus.

Before you spend time and money on protactors, or reinventing the wheel with the anti-skating function, make sure you get the best stylus you can afford within the compatibility ecosystem of your turntable.

Photo by Zane Persaud on Unsplash

At the end of the day, your stylus is the only one allowed to touch the grooves, so make sure you are giving it all the love and attention it deserves.

Thanks for reading/listening and, as always, happy spinning!