I tried vinyl for the first time — what I love and hate
My first experience with a record player was (mostly) smooth
Over the past few years, I’ve amassed a small collection of vinyl records, but I’d never given any of them a spin owing to the fact that I didn’t own a record player until a couple of weeks ago.
Previously, I was using my records as display pieces or buying them as a way to support some of my favorite artists, but when I was given the chance to go hands-on with a Lenco record player, I jumped at the opportunity to finally see what all the fuss was about.
And I’m clearly not the only music fan that is curious about vinyl right now. The format has been making a major comeback over the last decade. In 2021 sales of vinyl doubled year-over-year to 41.7 million records shifted in the US alone. Last year marked 16 consecutive years of increased growth without any signs of slowing down.
In fact, the demand for vinyl is growing so much that manufacturing plants are struggling to keep up. I've noticed multiple artists opting to delay new music until they can print enough discs to satisfy demand.
So with my small stack of records itching to be played and a Lenco LS-410WA record player now in my possession, I was ready to see if vinyl truly lives up to the hype…
Not quite a smooth setup
Out of the box, what surprised me most about using a record player was how involved the setup process is. I had, perhaps naively, assumed that I’d pull the player out of the box, plug it in, slap a vinyl onto the turntable, click play and would be listening to my favorite music within minutes.
Instead, the initial setup process took me more than thirty minutes — some assembly was definitely required here. Placing the belt on the motor pulley was a little fiddly, but I managed it easy enough. It was the act of balancing the tonearm that really caused me grief. In fact, I had to resort to a helpful YouTube tutorial after several attempts of playing with the counterweight left the tonearm hopelessly out of balance.
However, with a little video assistance, I eventually got the record player set up and was ready to finally give one of my records a spin. At this point, I was a little frustrated, but also eager to hear what a record actually sounded like.
Sounds good to me
With the record player setup and ready to start spinning some wax, I pulled out one of my favorite albums, Tourist History by Two Door Cinema Club, and very carefully placed it on the turntable. A single button press later, and it was spinning. I lowered the tonearm — half expecting it to need rebalancing again — and watched with bated breath as it slowly made its way down onto the revolving vinyl record surface.
Within moments a crackle emitted from the player’s built-in speakers and the first seconds of the first track began. And...I was immediately impressed. There was a fullness to the song that I’d not experienced before when listening to it many times through streaming services or on CD (remember those?). It could arguably be the placebo effect, but listening to music through a vinyl player in my experience so far really does sound better.
Later when I played the same album for my partner (who is also a vinyl newcomer) she was equally enthusiastic, describing the sound as noticeably crisper than what you hear through a Bluetooth speaker and a streaming service combo.
Even now many spins later, I’m still equally as impressed. In a short space of time listening through vinyl has become my favorite way to enjoy music. I also greatly enjoy that vinyl strongly encourages you to listen to albums in full, rather than jumping around between singles. Most albums are meticulously crafted with the track order debated for hours; vinyl offers a stark reminder of why a well-constructed album is such an artistic achievement.
The disadvantages of vinyl
Of course, there are drawbacks to vinyl. For starters, records themselves are pretty pricey. For example, a copy of the aforementioned Two Door Cinema Club album costs $38 on Amazon — that’s more than the price of three months of Spotify Premium.
Even as a fresh vinyl convert it’s still hard to see me ever buying more than a couple of dozen vinyls; if I’m going to be spending between $20-40 for a record it needs to be an album that I really love all the way through. I’m comfortable(ish) spending that on LPs that I regularly want to listen to front-to-back, but for albums where I only enjoy a handful of tracks, the investment wouldn’t be worthwhile.
There’s no denying that vinyl has a high barrier to entry, but it also comes at the cost of convenience. On a streaming service, I can quickly hop between artists, creating a playlist of my favorite tracks from across genres, whereas with vinyl the process of switching records is laborious and not something you’d want to be doing after every three-minute song. Not to mention, vinyl greatly limits your ability to discover new music, because realistically who's likely to spend $40 on a record they've never heard before?
The real appeal of records
In a lot of ways, I would compare using a record player to driving a manual car. It’s much easier to drive an automatic vehicle, but some people still opt to drive stick because they appreciate the additional control and the more hands-on nature of the process.
It’s the same with vinyl. If you want the most straightforward and cheapest way to enjoy your music then I wouldn’t recommend investing in a turntable. But if you can take pleasure from the more involved process of using, operating and maintaining a record player, then vinyl is absolutely a valid way to consume your music. Plus, a record player comes with the added bonus of sounding absolutely brilliant.
Even with the clear audio advantage of vinyl, I’ll definitely not be canceling my Spotify subscription anytime soon. However, in the space of a few weeks, I’ve gone from somebody with no first-hand experience of vinyl to someone who would happily join the growing chorus of support for the format. And I look forward to expanding my record collection even larger in the future, but I might wait to see if Black Friday deals bring any vinyl record discounts first.
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Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team.
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kep55 Some tips from an old vinyl over.Reply
NEVER handle a record by the grooves. ALWAYS hold it by the edge.
Clean the record with a good cleaner and lint free cloth when first used and after several plays.
ALWAYS keep the dust cover closed except when changing records.
Check the needle for lint every time you start the fist record.
Properly balance the tone arm so it barely touches the record. Too much force will ruin both the record and the needle.
Quality turntables have anti-skating and an adjustable counter balance. Don't even consider a turntable without both.
The old argument was which was better - direct drive and belt drive. Personally, I preferred belt drives as the helped isolate the motor from the pick-up / needle.
Better turntables have the turntable on some type of suspension. Some even has sprung feet under the turntable. Both are to reduce outside vibrations.
Don't put the turntable on the amp or too close to the speakers. Vibration & heat. And lastly...
Old school method to take warping out of record - Place record on top of console television with a dictionary large enough to cover the record. Most of the warping will be gone after an evening of watching the telly.
Bonus: NEVER store record flat or outside of the dust sleeve & jacket. Always store on edge as verticallt as possible. And remove the cello wrapping. It can cause the sleeve to bend and then warp the record. -
Scratchal
You need to look at the huge catalog that's out there from previous owners. I am 73, I have hundreds of albums purchased in my youth. They need to find a home. Some are really well loved and played. Some are very clean. There are people all over the world who have albums and singles. Look around and find surprises.admin said:I've owned a small vinyl collection for several years but I just got the chance to spin them on a record player — here's what happened.
I tried vinyl for the first time — what I love and hate : Read more
kep55 said:Some tips from an old vinyl over.
NEVER handle a record by the grooves. ALWAYS hold it by the edge.
Clean the record with a good cleaner and lint free cloth when first used and after several plays.
ALWAYS keep the dust cover closed except when changing records.
Check the needle for lint every time you start the fist record.
Properly balance the tone arm so it barely touches the record. Too much force will ruin both the record and the needle.
Quality turntables have anti-skating and an adjustable counter balance. Don't even consider a turntable without both.
The old argument was which was better - direct drive and belt drive. Personally, I preferred belt drives as the helped isolate the motor from the pick-up / needle.
Better turntables have the turntable on some type of suspension. Some even has sprung feet under the turntable. Both are to reduce outside vibrations.
Don't put the turntable on the amp or too close to the speakers. Vibration & heat. And lastly...
Old school method to take warping out of record - Place record on top of console television with a dictionary large enough to cover the record. Most of the warping will be gone after an evening of watching the telly.Bonus: NEVER store record flat or outside of the dust sleeve & jacket. Always store on edge as verticallt as possible. And remove the cello wrapping. It can cause the sleeve to bend and then warp the record. -
jsim86 Rather enjoyed reading this article. I, too, decided to delve into the vinyl market after being curious as to what all the hype was about. I opted for a reasonably cheap turntable, but have amassed a fair number of vinyls since acquiring this piece of equipment. I must be honest and say I didn't encounter any of the setup difficulties that the writer did! Basically, I was able to unpack the turntable, plug it in at the wall and start playing!Reply
There is no doubt that the vinyls themselves are costly compared to other formats of music, but if you are searching for that authentic, traditional sound (that crackle!) then you have certainly made the right choice! I think comparing running a turntable to driving a manual car is a sound analogy. It really doesn't involve much effort though, switching between sides or artists and for me, is part of the joy of the whole experience.
It is true to say that other means of listening to music may well be more manageable/convenient, but I have to admit that there is a sense of wonder around the whole vinyl scene; an aura.
I have had some problems with my vinyls, that I wouldn't have streaming my music digitally, namely issues of the record jumping. So, thanks to kep55 for the long list of tips and advice that will prove useful, as I am still to this day learning.
Overall, I can now understand why there has been a revival on the Vinyl front, something that I expect to continue, as more and more music lovers rediscover or simply discover what can only be described as a 'true' listening experience. -
andag Seriously, you're not going to be able to appreciate vinyl with that Lenco turntable. You'd need a proper one, a proper cartridge, with proper amp and speakers. That's just for casual listening, if you're not interested in audio quality, but even then you're losing the convenience of the CD format without getting anything in return really.Reply
Besides, preferring LPs over CDs only makes sense in very few instances of audiophile, AAA reissues, or for vintage original pressings... Generally speaking, most of today's reissues are sourced from digital and there's no way those are going to sound better on LP than CD -
zecalouro I do something that will sound crazy, but is what people did when playing vinyl on radio stations. here it goes. you should first wash your record with running water using soap and your own hands as a brush. as soon as it finished, play the record completely wet. you will get rid of the cracks and keep your collection shiny in the meantime.Reply -
andag That's very funny, thank you for that...Reply
Just don't try it if your cartridge is $1000 worth, or above
:giggle::giggle::giggle: -
Pearsonally The users who mentioned your Lenco will not give you the experience you deserve are absolutely correct. However, what they did not mention is that players such as that and Crosley players is they are harmful to your albums.Reply
By having the speaker (which involves a moving diaphragm to create sound) in the turntable unit (or too close, etc.), the vibration will push the needle against the side of the groves in a way which will give one or two of several degenerative effects on the sound. Either this will produce a noticeable reverb or decrease the sharp edges needed for the reproduction of certain sounds.
See the YouTube channel vinyleyezz, especially the video "Are You DESTROYING Your Records?"