Whether it's a DJ spinning in a nightclub, a baby boomer attempting to recapture a little of his youth, or a youngster trying to discover what the fuss about records was all about, turntables have refused to go away. There's an undeniable quaintness about their appearance; something almost stately about their operation; and of course, the fact that they sound bloody good, that suggests that regardless of any new and ultra-convenient format that may come along, turntables will be alive and kicking for the foreseeable future.
History
In the 1940s vinyl began to be used to manufacture records, and in the post-World War II boom, the long-popular 78 rpm records gave way to long player albums (LPs) and 45 rpm singles. By the time the 1960s arrived, portable record players were all the rage, as were large all-in-one consoles, but it wasn't until the 1970s that hi-fi turntables made their appearance, as separate components became popular.
Turntables remained a fixture in home audio systems even after the introduction of cassette tape decks and even CDs, due primarily to the fact that the price of CDs and the CD players that played them remained higher in price for several years after their introduction. When these prices fell during the early '90s, turntables and the reign of the vinyl record suffered a rapid decline. After the turn of the century, turntables were such a niche product that very few new receivers were built with the phono input necessary for a turntable to be used.
Features
Turntable drive systems, whether belt or direct drive, turn a steel platter that is usually topped with a rubber mat to give traction to the record being played. Often the platter will have strobe markings around its edge to give a visual representation of the speed. The stroboscopic effect helps determine if the rotational speed is correct. If not, adjustments may be made via a manual pitch control.
The balanced and pivoting tone arm holds either a moving magnet or moving coil magnetic cartridge that houses the stylus. Usually diamond-tipped, the stylus tracks the record's grooves, causing a fluctuating magnetic field, which causes an electric current to be induced. The current, which follows the waveform cut into the grooves of the record, is transmitted to the system's amplifier and is then broadcast as sound through the speaker system.
Cost
Prices for audiophile-quality turntables vary greatly. Lower-end models can be had for around $200, with the most expensive models running as high as $100,000 (see linked article below in Resources). It should be pointed out that even at the low end of this scale, turntables can deliver excellent high-fidelity results. The general consensus appears to be that the results from ultra expensive turntables is not really directly proportionate to the increase in price. In other words, a turntable retailing for $1,500 is not necessarily twice as good as a $750 model, although there are no doubt a number of discerning hi-fi enthusiasts who wouldn't blink at spending twice that amount just for a tone arm alone, who would beg to differ.
Comparison
For the iPod generation with its programmable playlists that can run unattended for hours on end, it's difficult to fathom, but playing records on a turntable can be quite demanding of your attention. Playing a 45 rpm single means getting up to change the record after each play, and with singles generally running for two, three or four minutes, playing a selection of your favorites can be more akin to an exercise routine than a listening experience. Even if you're playing an album, it means getting up to turn over the record after five or six songs in order to listen to the other side.
It should be pointed out, however, that although MP3 players offer the capability of storing a vast number of songs that can be played continuously if desired, these songs are stored digitally in a compressed form. What this means is that the digital information that makes up the sound is compressed, and the resulting sound quality is somewhat compromised. This would seem to give a little weight to the opinion held by many record-loving audiophiles; namely that analog recordings pressed on vinyl are ultimately superior, and more pleasing to the ear than their digital counterparts on CD and hard disk.
Developments
Although commercially their heyday has undoubtedly passed, turntables continue to hold their own as a niche product. In fact, after an initial rapid decline in their numbers after the digital revolution of CDs and hard disk players, there has been an upswing in their popularity.
According to Nielsen Soundscan, 1.8 million vinyl records were sold in the U.S. in 2008, which is a significant increase from the reported 900,000 in the previous year. Certainly the baby boomer nostalgia angle is difficult to ignore, but there has also been significant interest in a growing segment of a younger demographic. Many young bands have begun to release limited-edition vinyl pressings along with CDs, and a new generation of listeners disenchanted with the digital listening experience have sought out turntables in order to sample the analog experience themselves.
A particularly interesting development is the marriage of old and new technology in the form of USB turntables. These turntables have all the trappings of the traditional turntable, but come with software and USB connectivity to enable an easy transfer of vinyl record collections to a computer's hard disk. This offers both a way to preserve collections of music and flexibility in the way that it's played back.
Tags: hard disk, that played, about their, baby boomer, fact that, listening experience
