There are two categories for turntable upgrades.
One is when you add accessories like record mats, tonearm lifts or cleaning gear. The other is when you replace core components that can overhaul audio performance.
Here we’re focused on the second category.
If you’re looking to upgrade your turntable for a big jump in sound quality, you’re in the right place.
Below you’ll find six of the best turntable performance upgrades.
- Read this first: A word on turntable design philosophy
- Turntable upgrade #1: Power supply
- Turntable upgrade #2: Tonearm
- Turntable upgrade #3: Stylus (or cartridge)
- Turntable upgrade #4: Phono preamp (AKA phono stage)
- Turntable upgrade #5: From appliance to platform
- BONUS Turntable upgrade #6: Uberlight Frame
Read this first: A word on turntable design philosophy.
If you’re here looking to upgrade an entry-level turntable (like an Audio-Technica LP70XBT, Pro-Ject Primary E, Rega Planar 1, or similar) then the main upgrade you should probably consider is the stylus (or the whole cartridge).
You can skip to the section below about stylus and cartridge upgrades here.
However, this particular article is focused on upgrades for turntable designs that are intended as platforms. Meaning they’re serviceable and have more replaceable parts.
The nature of vinyl is hands-on. It leaves room for the hobbyist to really enjoy themselves. To unsleeve and place each record. To learn and understand their device in intimate detail. To tweak, tune and optimise the vinyl playback chain. To start with what you can afford today, and upgrade gradually toward a great turntable that’s uniquely your own.
Decks intended for that style of ownership are the focus in this article.
To know if a turntable falls into this category, here are the minimum design features to look for:
- Tonearm is replaceable rather than fixed
- Deck is compatible with a phono preamp upgrade
- Deck is compatible with a power supply upgrade
There are other features that take this even further, like a serviceable bearing and platter subsystem, or tuneable chassis structure. However the above three are the basic qualifiers.
At that, let’s dig into the best upgrades.
Turntable upgrade #1: Power supply.
Ivor Tiefenbrun founded Linn, one of today’s leaders in high-end stereo, on the premise that the most crucial component in an audio system is the source.
The idea is simple: if the first step in the process of extracting music from your record is not doing a fantastic job, then the rest of the audio chain is compromised—regardless of how “good” any given component is.
This challenges the conventional wisdom that the speakers or amplifier are the most important components for audio performance.
And it makes sense. If say, the cartridge, is doing a perfect job of tracking the audio waveform etched onto the record… but the speed at which the record spins is inconsistent… then the resulting sound will be inconsistent. You don’t hear what the cartridge can really do if something before it is lacking.
“Once information was lost, distorted or corrupted, it was gone forever and could never be retrieved.” —Ivor Tiefenbrun, founder of Linn
Thus, the number one upgrade for most platform-tier turntables is usually the power supply.
Here’s why a turntable’s power supply is so important…
Mains electricity (coming from the wall) is noisy, and the supply frequency wanders by small amounts in the short-term (even though it usually averages out to around 50 Hz).
That inconsistent power feeds directly into the motor of most turntables, as most rely on either AC synchronous motors (like Rega models) or open-loop DC motors (like base Pro-Ject models). Both of those are directly affected by mains electricity.
Replacing the power supply is quite an elegant solution, and it’s something that anyone can hear for themselves.
Instead of jumping to a cartridge upgrade, bring your deck to your nearest dealer and ask to demo a new power supply. There’s a good chance that there’s more to hear from your current setup.
(If you have an LP12 and you’re in Sydney, you can bring it to us at Audio Connection and we’ll show you one of Linn’s excellent power supply upgrades.)
Turntable upgrade #2: Tonearm.
Following the source-first philosophy, the next item in the signal chain which is usually replaceable on platform-tier decks is the tonearm.
The tonearm’s job is to hold the stylus in the record groove so it can ride along and pick up the music signal. The stylus and groove are tiny and precise, however. And the electrical current produced by the cartridge is delicate. So this process is vulnerable to errors that have an audible impact on your sound. For instance:
- The downward force the tonearm imposes onto the stylus at the groove must be appropriate for the cartridge.
- Pressure between the stylus and the groove must be as even as possible on both sides.
- The stylus must track tangentially to the groove as much as possible, at all locations along the tracking arc.
- The tonearm and cartridge act like a spring-mass system (where the cartridge is the spring) which must not develop a resonance “bounce.”
- Any external vibrations introduced to the tonearm (like those that travel from the speakers, into the floor and furniture) can introduce microphonics that effect the music signal.
These errors can be minimised through careful tonearm design and manufacturing.
Factors that matter here include bearing quality, weight distribution and “effective mass,” structural rigidity, wiring and connection quality, overall geometry, and adjustability.
Going from a lower quality tonearm to a better one can improve detail retrieval, dynamic contrast, and channel separation by reducing smearing—especially on loud passages—independently of how good the cartridge is.
In fact, a great tonearm will simply “get out of the way” of the cartridge, and let you hear what it can really do.
(That’s the value of the source-first approach.)
Here’s how to upgrade a tonearm:
First you need to confirm that the tonearm is replaceable. For some turntables it’s cast directly into the plinth with no separate mounting hole. If that’s the case, you might consider upgrade 5 below.
Assuming it is replaceable, you’ll need to pay attention to the pivot-to-spindle distance (PSD) and the arm mounting pattern. These basic geometric constraints will limit your replacement options—unless you can upgrade or modify the armboard itself.
The simplest approach however, is to look at tonearm upgrades made by the same brand as your turntable. For example, Rega have their own upgrade tonearms, as do Linn for the LP12.
Turntable upgrade #3: Stylus (or cartridge).
In order to extract a music signal from a vinyl groove, turntables use a magnet and coil system.
Move a magnet around near enough to a stationary coil of wire, and it will produce a fluctuating electrical signal in that wire. The same happens if you move the coil and keep the magnet stationary.
This whole system is often referred to as the cartridge, however it’s actually both a cartridge and a stylus.
The cartridge is a housing that’s attached to the end of the tonearm, which contains the stationary part. And the stylus (which is replaceable) is the moving part of the system that rides in the record groove.
The cartridge is a major upgrade.
It’s a delicately-made device that converts tiny stylus movements into an electrical signal.
There are two common configurations for cartridges: moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC). Design-wise, these indicate which part of the system is moving—either the magnet or the coil.
MC cartridges generally have much better performance, as the coil is much lighter and can respond to the groove more dynamically. However they’re more costly to manufacture, and produce a lower current signal—which means you need a phono preamp with a more significant gain stage.
MM cartridges are more affordable and have a higher current output, so they work with a broader range of phono preamps, but at the cost of performance.
Higher quality cartridges are more carefully designed with tighter manufacturing tolerances, and are usually hand-assembled and individually tested. Whereas budget cartridges are usually mass-produced to a lower standard that hides unit-to-unit performance variance.
Material selections are huge part of the performance scale as well. There are a few reasons for this, including that fact that the material of the cartridge body can cause resonance (like the tonearm).
Note: If your current turntable is minimally upgradable, we strongly recommend you consider upgrade 5 below before committing to a new cartridge.
For some cartridges you can also upgrade just the stylus—and that’s often a significant upgrade in itself.
The shape of the stylus makes a huge impact on the sound you hear. It has to ride along a record groove as accurately as possible, while it changes direction rapidly and constantly.
However, it must have a diamond tip in order to survive an endless onslaught of friction. And shaping a tiny diamond tip is costly and challenging, so there are limits to how a stylus can be shaped.
That’s why most lower-end turntables come with a conical stylus, which is a simple dome shape. However the contact area and depth of a conical stylus is very limited.
Going up from there in general terms of sound quality, you see elliptical, hyper-elliptical, shibata, and microlinear styli. (You can learn more about stylus shapes here.)
The material of the cantilever, on which the tip is attached, also matters. The lighter and more rigid it is, the better it can follow the groove and retrieve details.
On the lower end you see materials like plastic (a poor choice) and aluminium. And on the higher end you see materials like boron, titanium, and ruby.
While going from the stock cartridge on an entry-level deck to an upgrade cartridge will usually make for a big improvement, the best approach is to bring your existing deck into a dealer and ask to hear some options.
That way you can compare your current cartridge with a new one.
Important info you’ll need to have includes your phono preamp voltage and impedance requirements, and your headshell pattern (which the dealer can check on site).
At Audio Connection we have a wide range of cartridges and styli from excellent manufacturers in our catalogue. If you’re in Sydney, feel free to bring your deck in and check a few out.
Turntable upgrade #4: Phono preamp (AKA phono stage).
This is a simpler upgrade, since it’s an external device. It’s more like shopping for an integrated amplifier.
It’s also one of the most cost-effective ways to upgrade your turntable’s sound.
Given the cartridge output is very low and sensitive (especially for MC cartridges), the phono preamp needs to be good at its job. Any noise or distortion introduced at this stage will be very audible by the time it reaches your speakers.
How to upgrade your phono preamp:
Confirm that your turntable is compatible with this upgrade. If it has a phono pre built in, you’ll look for a switch labelled “phono / line;” set the output to “phono” if you want to use an external preamp.
Then you’ll need to look for a phono preamp to match the cartridge you’d like to use. MM cartridges are universally compatible with MM phono preamps. However with high-end MC cartridges, it’s worth confirming that the preamp can be adjusted to match the cartridge’s output voltage and impedance.
This is something you can ask an experienced dealer, or us, to help you with.
While you’re at it, bring your deck and existing phono preamp and, as always, give some new amps a test drive so you can hear the actual differences.
Turntable upgrade #5: From appliance to platform.
As mentioned in the beginning of this article…
On one hand, you have turntable models that are essentially done-for-you, complete appliances. These are more affordable and simpler, however they are limited in performance.
On the other hand you have models that are built as platforms. These have discrete, performance-oriented parts that can be adjusted, serviced or upgraded.
In truth, the absolute best turntable upgrade is to replace a typical appliance-tier turntable with a platform-tier turntable.
The Linn Sondek LP12 is the king of platform-tier turntables.
The original LP12 was released in 1972, and quickly became the dominant turntable in the UK. It’s rich history led Robert Harley at The Absolute Sound to say, “It’s impossible to imagine the high-end industry without the LP12.”
Linn have made several improvements over the years, resulting in the new LP12s sold today… however even the oldest model can be fully upgraded to match today’s performance.
That’s the beauty of platform-tier designs like the LP12: they have incredible longevity, which means you’re not just buying a turntable, but an heirloom that will be passed down to your grandchildren.
Other benefits of the LP12 include…
- More robust chassis designs and plinth materials that isolate external vibrations…
- Improved spindle bearings, motors and power supplies to support consistent record speeds…
- Better tonearm designs with lighter, more rigid materials that give the stylus better tracking balance across the duration of the record…
- Adjustable, serviceable components that allow the deck to operate at peak performance for decades…
And, to top it off, the LP12 gives you the ability to buy what you can afford today, and upgrade gradually over time. Which means you end up with a turntable that doesn’t just perform incredibly well, but is uniquely your own.
You can upgrade everything we’ve mentioned here (power supply, tonearm, cartridge, phono preamp). But you can also upgrade the spindle bearing for near frictionless rotation that makes your platter look like it’s floating on magnets. Or the sub-chassis for incredible stiffness and anti-resonance. Or the motor and motor controller.
You can even upgrade the plinth itself, as Linn recently created a new material they call Bedrok: a composite of layered Beechwood that’s been heat-and-pressure treated for drop-dead low resonance.
There’s a reason the LP12 is considered legendary.
If you’d like to see (and hear) one for yourself, you’re welcome to do so at our showroom in Leichhardt. Call 02 9561 0788 or use the live chat on this page to let us know you’re coming.
BONUS Turntable upgrade #6: Uberlight Frame.
(This is more of a bonus addition to the list, as it falls under the “accessory” upgrade category I mentioned at the start of this post. However it enhances the vinyl experience in many ways, so for those who take their turntable seriously, it’s worth considering.)
The Uberlight Frame is made by a task lighting company specifically for vinyl enthusiasts, as not just an aesthetic enhancement, but a functional one.
Being able to see what you’re doing when putting a record on is important. Quickly touch-adjust the brightness up, and you can examine an unsleeved record for dust and grime. If you decide to clean it, you can check to make sure the job is done. Then, you can see what you’re doing while cueing the stylus at the start of the record.
Dial back the brightness and set the colour temperature to warm, and you have an aesthetic frame around your deck, emitting an ambient glow as you sit back and listen.
It’s an extremely well-built and clever device. If you’d like to see the UberLight Frame for yourself, feel free to visit us at Audio Connection in Leichhardt and we’ll show you how it works.
Okay, that about sums this up.
Hopefully this has inspired you on your vinyl journey.
Happy listening!
