By replacing the weight to a bigger one, you only increase the effective tonearm mass and that's not something you want with a medium mass tonearm like that one. When it comes to stylus pressure: if it's set at 2, it's set at 2, regardless of the size of the weight. It's only an improvement when you need the additional adjustment range for a heavy cartridge.
A balancing weight is just that, no more. If the original weight is sufficient to counter-balance any new cartridge you might install, then it's a pointless action to replace the counter-weight. No explanation is offered to "just do it". Do it only if a heavy replacement cartridge requires it.
I don't think he was suggesting that excess stylus pressure [weight] on the record should be added. He was stating that a heavier, replacement counter-balance be purchased, but presumably dialed in to apply the same stylus pressure as with the original counter-weight. Just adding a heavier counter-weight poses no benefit and two negatives: a heavier moving mass to the tonearm, and the expense of the needless purchase.
It makes some sense if you have a low compliance cartridge and you need to increase the tonearm mass. But the silly S shape tonearm has more than enough mass for a 2M red.
Any cartridge/headshell combination that comes in around 18g or higher will need the heavier counterweight with an LP120. Also, if the heavier weight is used with an AT95e for instance, the counterweight will ride much closer to the pivot, thus possibly improving performance. Worth getting.
Yes, you need a heavy counterweight in case your system is so heavy that it is impossible to balance it to zero. For exact adjustments, use a tonearm scale.
Probably the only reason the heavier counter weight improved tracking was by changing the tone resonance. One needs to be careful to match the tone arm and cartridge for this reason.
I started my vinyl collection after my friends bought me a Crosley player for my birthday about 6 months back. I recently saved up and bought myself an AT LP120, and your words describe the difference perfectly; it's like night & day! I plan to upgrade my mat soon, but so far it sounds amazing!
I wouldn't bother the felt is fine. Other mats will take away the detail in the sound signatures, unless that's what you want. The best upgrade is to get the ATN95EX stylus
I took my pre-amp out off my LP-120, and it was day and night...the sound is more detailed and beautiful now. I also bought the Ortofon 2m Red and did not work for me at all, the highs were way too high, sent it back and bought the Audio-Technica VM540ML/H instead and OMG what a difference, IT SOUNDS BEAUTIFUL with my Vintage Yamaha Receiver CR-840! Alignment is super important, replacing your Counterweight not necessary at all, and acrylic mat is the best way to go in my opinion.
No, this is incorrect as there is still a discernible hum or slight distortion because the signal still goes through the pre amp board regardless of whether phono or line is selected.
@@The-Scots-man I've tried connecting 2 different preamps to my turntable but even switching to line, it just makes an awful noise that nearly blew my speakers, I think the only way to use this turntable with an external preamp, is to remove the existing internal preamp. Personally I'd rather just upgrade the turntable when I'm ready.
@@HappyTyke25it can be removed and it fixes the noise problem. You still have to get a decent external pre amp though. It's a pity the existing pre amp passed quality control.
All great points. From there just swap out and upgrade the stock plinth, platter, motor, and tone arm and I think we can all agree the turntable will sound and operate like a whole new rig.
You have inspired me to purchase this turntable. I very much love my Audio Techica LP120. After your review of it, I had to have one. The records sound so very clear, and mono records sound as if they were recorded in stereo. Thank you so much for all of the info you provide on your channel.
An option that I explored that makes a decent improvement in sound is upgrading the stylus from the atn95e that comes with the turntable to the atn95ex, which will fit on the cartridge that comes with the turntable. A good option especially if your stylus is due for a replacement as the the atn95ex is only 10 dollars more than the atn95e
The only important thing is to know the difference between styluses! A conical may be ok, but as a Norwegian sound engineer I would recommend an elliptical or a Shibata!
For all you guys wondering why you should remove the preamp it goes like this : the built in phono preamp adversley affects the sound quality EVEV WHEN IT IS BYPASSED WITH THE SWITCH. When you switch to phono direct the cartridge cables are still connected to part of the built in preamp. Research has shown that phono direct isn't pure, the residual connection to the preamp reduces the high signals on the lp. Even though it is "bypassed" with the switch. Got it?
I do not live to far from the AT headquarters in Ohio, do you think they take walk-ins? No way am I tech enough for this type of surgery removing the pre-amp. thanks in advance
Back in the day people did not buy preamps seperately. They came built in on amplifiers and receivers. Therefore, alot of new turntables come with preamps built in, to make up for the fact that modern receivers generally do not have phono preamps.
Great video! I love the channel! I have an LP120, as well. In my opinion, removing the preamp is the most noticeable thing you can do to improve the sound of the LP120. After I removed mine, I wondered why I waited so long. The installed preamp really does color the sound...even when it is switched off. The sound, with the internal preamp removed, opens up considerably and has better clarity. For me, it was like removing a curtain that muffled the sound. All the money spent on tweaks and better bits of equipment almost seem pointless in light of the internal preamp sitting inside coloring/muffling the sound. The difference in sound, to me, really was very noticeable. It's a shame that AT hampers the sound of their own unit by including the internal preamp in the signal path even when switched off.
Hi Jarrett! Thanks for all the time and effort you put in all your videos. I enjoy them VERY much! Just bought an LP120USB two weeks ago and yesterday I've upgraded the catridge to an Ortofon 2m Red. All of this thanks to your recommendations. I'll be sending some vinyl records in your way in the next couple of weeks. Regards from Argentina! Keep spinning that vinyl!
hello Jared i been repairing turn tables and record players for over 40 + years thank you for posting this . also thank you for knowing your limitations I could go on with horror story's of some one not qualified.
I don't know that if it's 'cause I got my at-lp120 later than Jarrett, but you don't have to remove the internal pre-amp to use an external one. there's a little black switch on the back that allows you to bypass the internal pre-amp.
just wanted to say thanks for making videos! I've been watching you for a while now in preparation for me buying a turntable! but my girlfriend found your channel and bought me the lp120 in black for Christmas!
I needed the built in pre amp because I live in an apartment and don't have room for an old school 2 channel set up. I plug RCA into a single 3.5 and play it thru my Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin
Thanks for all the advice, I will be recieving my lp-120 in the mail tomorrow and i feel well prepared thanks to your playlist on how to setup the lp-120. :)
There is a reason they are saying to rip out the preamp... as there is a supposed switch to "bypass" the preamp.. but that is not true... even if you go without the built-in preamp, for some reason, the preamp is still in the signal path and it's not a particularly good pre-amp and will obscure the pure sound you should be hearing from the turntable and vinyl on it
Hello Vinyl Eyezz, Thank you for the tips. I managed by now to use 2 of the tips you showed in the video and the sound improved pretty good. The first tip I used was to replace my old GRIP mat (or rubber mat) with a felt mat (because I couldn't find near me some cork to make my own cork mat) with a felt slipmat (which I made myself, as I am a bit of a DIY'er) The second thing I did was to properly allign my cartidge. It made a difference on the treble, in terms of a brighter sound. Also, a thing I did was to make my own phono cables. I used two 6.3mm jacks, two RCA jacks and the most important, I used balanced microphone cable. And now i got rid of the annoying buzz that I got when I switched to phono. For the other devices I'm going to use regular coaxial microphone cables as they carry a much higher signal than the phono cartridge. Keep up the good work!
One thing that nobody seems to have mentioned regarding removing the preamp...(btw, my pre-amp is still intact. I don't use it, but the turntable still sounds really good -- that's what your equalizer is for!)... If you remove the pre-amp from the LP-120, that also takes away the USB connectivity, as the USB is actually part of the built-in pre-amp. So unless you have another way to route your sound to a computer if you want to make a digital recording of some of your vinyl, you might want to leave that pre-amp alone.
hey great video. I am going overhaul my Lp-120 this weekend. just ordered the super charger today and the nitrous should be in tomorrow. lol. seriously though good video, I just ordered a new mat. thanks
i have had one for a few years i have made one simple improvement i bought a schiit mani pre amp as the performance from the inbuilt pre amp is very ordinary and the difference in the sound is well worth it and all you need to do is turn off the inbuilt preamp and plug the Schiit mani in and there is also different levels of gain to select from there is a number of upgrades available my next one will be head shell and cartridge ant that will do me for now
Those are great tips for the LP 120 I love my LP 120 X I haven’t quite listened to the records yet I started listening to the record without having the amplifier hooked up to it and I love the fact that the motor is very quiet it’s fantastic I am not going to undo the preamps are you spelt because I’d love to keep my turntable in great shape.
No mention of acrylic mats. I'm using one from Hudson Hi-Fi on my Pro-Ject Debut Carbon and the static pops have dramatically decreased! Personally, I'd change removing the pre-amp to using a record weight/clamp. The biggest upgrade you can do for your entire system is a power conditioner.
Another couple simple mods that can improve the table are damping the platter and the tonearm. Do this with a product called "Sound Coat" it is adhesive backed, and you line the bottom of the platter with this. This improves speed stability (more mass in the platter), and also platter "ringing"). For the tone-arm, put 3 rubber o-rings (roughly 5/16" ID), and this damps the tone-arm to prevent resonances from travelling into the arm pivot improving the cohesion of the sound image. Finally, the Anti-skate doesn't work on this table. To make it actually work you need to replace a spring (UA-cam and Google are your friend here). This table can perform really well with careful setup and a couple of cheap modifications.
Problem is fixing the anti-skate requires some pretty delicate desoldering and resoldering. There are pictures somewhere of someone who attached fishing weights to fix the antiskate but with little to no explanation as to what exactly to do.
For those opting to bypass the preamp, I highly recommend the Schitt Mani. It's about 140 and is consistently rated as the best phono preamp under 1K. It's also completely manufactured in the US.
I bought the Numark cc-1 recently, and all I had to do was just plug it right in the tonearm, didn't need the head shell, and I am pleased with it. My turntable is the Technics SL-3200
Thank you very much for your work on your channel. I was inspired by this video to upgrade my DJ turntable to an audiophile/HI-FI turntable for Father's Day. I bought the Art DJ PRE II - $39.00. The pre-amp that is inside of my Roland TT-99 has a gate that shuts off the audio when below a set threshold. Nice idea but acts weird. The DJpre allows me to push some saturation is quite pleasant sounding to me. I bought the cork slip mat $14.99 and was surprised the difference that made. Then I bought a refurbished 2M blue for $100.00 (SCORE!!) The deck sounds completely different now. I noticed something. I took the default entry-level cartridge off and put it on its own headshell for quick installation later and aligned it with the free downloadable protractor and it sounded way better after being set up. I wish I had aligned this cartridge before. It is still not as good as the 2M Blue but definitely better than it was before. It had a slight anechoic sound before. The TT-99 seems to be a rebranded LP-120 less some features such as stylus height adjustment but gains a switch for phono out or line level (pre-amped out)so I don't need to open it up to use an external preamp. Happy Father's Day to me.
Late reply to this 5 year old video. I have the newer 120x. The sound from its stock upgraded cartridge and internal preamp is fantastic compared with the ones on the older 120. However: The next payday I upgraded from the stock elliptical stylus to the microline (The stock VM95 cartridge is said to be brilliant and only stylus upgrades are necessary) and a cork mat. Noticeable increase in sound quality, no distortion on inner groves of certain LP’s. I don’t feel a need to upgrade to an external preamp.
what is better, the new LP120 or the old one that you have? The new one doesn't have adjustable tone arm height, and the LED light isn't spring loaded. It just seems like they cut corners, but maybe its better? I actually got this old version on accident in an open box sale mishap, but considering sending it back. But now that i look at the new model i kinda am thinking of keeping it. What would you do?
My LP120 has a switch on the back to defeat the internal pre-amp. You can use this if you want to use a separate pre-amp. I know that removing the pre-amp can change the sound (as even when turned off the signal is still fed through a capacitor), but from what I've heard it just boost the high frequencies a bit, but to me it sounds overly bright. I just thought this was worth mentioning as you don't need to remove it (and void your warranty) to use a separate preamp.
Dan Xepha The reason it's often suggested to remove the internal pre amp altogether is that even though there is a switch to "bypass" the pre amp, it's been proven that the wiring still goes through the pre amp, and the audio quality is affected. It's a small difference, but it's there.
ryan bishop Indeed. As I said all I can hear is a bit more in the treble range. But in the demonstration I watched I preferred how it sounded before the mod. I think I prefer a slightly warmer sound.
Part of that sound depends on the cart used. I think I know the demo you watched and that guy uses an AT440MLa (as do I) and was playing his own single which he said was very badly mixed and was excessively sibilant. The AT440MLa does tend to be brighter than other carts (something that works well with the amp I have). With Ortofon carts like the 2M series, it has a warmer sound to begin with, so increasing the high frequencies may suit it. Personally I don't have an AT LP-120 TT (I have a Rega) but if I did, that pre amp board would be bypassed.
cjmillsnun I had a Rega Planar 1 but it was running too fast. Tried another one and it was the same. Gave up on them in the end and bought the LP-120 instead.
Back in the day while buying stereo equipment in Japan you never had to worry about modifying anything to get great sound. The Technics and Kenwood turntables I purchased in Misawa in 1981 still work and sound perfect. I did buy this Audio Technica lp120 from B&H to try out transferring hard to find remixes to CDs for the car. Let's see how it goes.
I stared at that copy of The Cure: Disintegration, all throughout the video, I really want that album on vinyl but i can't find it anywhere in stores and ordering it online takes the fun out of finding something I really want in store
If you're gonna do any surgery on this turntable, consider leaving in the preamp, but wiring in a bypass switch connected to another pair of RCA jacks. That way you can run it at either signal level.
So I just looked at the back of this thing on image search. IT'S ALREADY GOT A BYPASS SWITCH. Switching it to LINE uses the internal preamp. PHONO bypasses it. Completely unnecessary to remove it.
hey Jarrett, I wanted to get a record player for a long time and I found your channel while looking and I watched almost all your videos because you're a good speaker and they're cool but I decided to go with the Audio Technica at-lp60 because I can't afford the 120. but I just wanted to thank you for helping me find this one it came in the mail today and I love it
I use the lighter counterweight that comes with the turntable, and records have never skipped. I'd be more concerned with the flawed anti-skating adjustment, which is almost non-existent with some units.
My dad gave me his LP120 a few weeks ago that he never used and I believe I’m running into that exact issue. I tried testing the AS feature while it was on a record and the tone arm didn’t budge at all.. now I’m trying to figure out if there’s a work around or I’m just stuck having to buy a whole new one.. Do you know of any workaround? When I try to search online it’s just a bunch of people saying they have the problem no other suggestions to how to fix though
Upgrades that are also valid for a Pro-Ject Essential 2 (except yanking the pre-amp out!). Fitting a 2M Red made a notable difference for me (from the factory fit 5e).
And eventually you’ll run into someone with a 2M Blue and it will make you realize the Red is garbage compared to it lol. I had to fork over the $$$ but well worth the upgrade
I show a few non invasive mods/tweaks on my channel. These include rubber street hockey pucks under the feet, and O-rings on the tonearm to reduce resonance. I've since sprayed the underneath of the platter with Rustoleum LeakSeal to reduce vibration caused by ringing. I will never, ever, remove the preamp. The better solution there is to add a second turntable. I like the AT95E so much that I have the same cartridge in my Pioneer PL-516. But the AT120 truly is a great table.
Question. Why cut out the built in pre amp when it already has a switch to turn it off? Sounds kind of pointless to do such a thing. About the only upgrade that’s necessary is to change out the cartridge. As far as the counterweight goes I’m sure the one that’s there should be sufficient enough.
Doesn't the LP120 have a phono-line switch on the back? Why would you need to take out the preamp to use an external preamp? Wouldn't you just switch over to phono and use the rca out to the input of the external pre? What am I not getting here?
Even if you switch to not using the preamp, there is a weird flaw where the sound is still piped through the preamp, and will affect your sound to not get the most pure sound the vinyl has to offer... it makes it sound slightly darker and muffled sounding
@@okalright3941 I spent nearly 2k on a new cartridge and the sound quality became audibly worse. The best are never worth more than $200, and I've tried dozens for ripping tens of thousands of records.
I have said this for years, one of the best improvements to a turntable is the surface it is sitting on. Get a good heavy, HEAVY, table or console with a solid surface and lots of mass, and be sure that nothing else is touching it. Then of course hot-rod the device.
Jarrett. This record player really can go toe-to-toe with most record players. I have this turntable and I have a Marantz TT-2200 and it's virtually impossible for me to differentiate the sound. They both sound amazing. The only thing I can really say is different is that the stabilizers on the bottom of the AT LP-120 is superior and I have yet to hear it skip. The stylus in my Marantz turntable has a pickering stylus - something I have t seen you talk about. If you don't know what it is - it's basically an attachment to the cartridge that has a little brush on it that dusts the next groove your needle will encounter as the record spins. It's pretty awesome and I definitely recommend getting one. Would love to see you talk about it. I will definitely be talking about it in my channel very soon.
man for real. i play house but i sincerely think that listening to reggae on vinyl amplifies the experience like nothing else - maybe jazz. but thats it. bless mi sibling
Anthony Grassetti consider price, budget, and space. Also consider active or passive speakers. I own the Alesis M1Active 320USB speakers which I love. I've heard Edifer's and Klipsch are good as well.
All AT-lp120's made before 2017, was made with a defective "anti-skate" spring in them! After 2017, it was corrected! You can install a new spring on the ones made before 2017, but you should get a professional to do it!
I heard that now, audio technica completely bypasses the preamp when switched to phono, so removing the preamp would sound counter intuitive. Can anyone confirm?
thanks man got an lp120 in augest best purchase i ever made i loved this video aint messing with the pre amp lol but the cork map and heavier weight sounds useful i am happy for now with my setup but i keep this vid in mind
I would not recommend the 2M red at all its overpriced for what you get I would recommend the Audio Technica AT440ML or At120eb as a better upgrade from the AT95e Another upgrade would be removing the transformer. You may as well get this done if you are getting an Electrician to remove the pre-amp. My final suggestion - Isolation feet
I bought about 5 moving magnets (including a 2M Red) and finally settled on a Denon 103 Moving Coil+ Emotiva XPS-1 MC preamp, which is totally on the next level. Glad I'm done with that journey! Amazing how much performance you can get out of this low cost turntable!
If you go to the LP Gear website, they also have some excellent upgraded stylus' for the AT95e, which is really a great sounding cartridge..still my favorite moving magnet.
Cool video, I chose to upgrade my stylus but decided to go for the Audio Technica VM95EN. It's a great upgrade as its a elliptical nude stylus & it's designed to fit the AT-LP120's original headshell, so fitting it was as simple as swapping out a worn out stylus. I've also added a Cambridge Audio AXA25 amplifier with a pair of passive speakers. This is a great upgrade from the set of powered speakers I was first using when I originally got my turntable.
Get the Nagaoka MP110 cartridge, you won't be disappointed. And if you remove the built in preamp get the Fosi Audio Box X2 Phono Preamp which sounds excellent for a budget preamp, $70 but frequently on sale for$50.
Personally, I'd go with Schiit Mani preamp. I had the Pro-Ject pre but it was noisy and hot. It was warm but not worth the price. The Mani is the way to go, clear and sound stage improves dramatically. You'll definitely benefit especially with those Klipsch, which sound quite airy already. I'm running my LP-120 with a Nagaoka MP-110, Schiit Mani, Yamaha R-S201(Represent), and Elac Uni-Fi UB5s. So good, so so good!!! Private concerts for days.
I recently bought the Schiit Mani for my LP120. It's amazingly inexpensive, it sounds great, and it's endless fun to watch people's reaction when you tell them what you've bought.
I briefly owned an AT LP120 but returned it because of motor noise. It's a great looking turntable but in my view has features that most users will never use, e.g. reverse, rather than putting better quality into the essentials. So I replaced mine with a Pro-ject RPM-1 which has the Ortofon 2m Red as standard, and a motor which is silent. I do think your viewers should think VERY carefully before removing the on board pre amp since such action may invalidate the manufacturers warranty.
Isolating the turntable from what it's sitting on. There are mats &feet you can buy to do this. It helps eliminate feedback (hum & rumble) from your subwoofer. I like the inflatable ones personally.
For just a few extra dollars, you can buy the Debut Carbon. Already has the 2m, and no need to remove a preamp. Of course if you already own the 120, these are good upgrades.
My LP120 USB has a switch on the rear to bypass the inbuilt phono preamp. I don't think I'll be removing it any time soon when I can do that and use an external phono preamp.
How does upgrading the counterweight improve the sound quality of your TT? Unless your stock counterweight is so bad that it doesn't actually apply the pressure force marked on the disk giving you the mass, 2.5 g is 2.5 g no matter the counterweight.
I just got my Audio Technica lp-1230 and it's amazing! I was going to buy a crosley (ugh) but thanks to you I didn't! btw I love your the cure record on the wall, I'm saving up for it because i grew up with them. well thanks !
I do recommend changing the cartridge that comes with it when buy it it tracks to heavy. I upgraded to a better AT that tracks between 1.5 - 3.0 grams. You just need to adjust weight and antistatic, also make sure to use the protractor for your cartridge alignment. I love my Audio Technica direct drive the negative is I wish it was fully automatic. I also have a U-turn orbit plus with the acrylic platter and blue Ortofon cart.
I finally got ahold of the AT-CW1 counterweight and unfortunately it didn't help with skipping on a few records in my collection that skip. Those same few records don't skip on a buddies turntable. His table is a different company and uses a Shure cartridge. I'm using the original AT-95E cartridge.
Maybe add one more step to balance the entire turntable by using a center round balance or a small balance sitting on the platter. Shimming a turntable properly will improve your sound and allow you cartridge to play properly.
My LP120 which is about 12 years old has a pre-amp switch which I leave turned off and use a DJ mixer from Radio Shack I picked up about 15 years ago. The built in Amp makes the music sound flat as where an external pre-amp ads another dimension to the sound. Back then I paid $350 for the turntable which lacks USB. My only complaint is a faint clicking noise in quiet parts of the music. If I ever buy another turntable I will probably get a Pro-ject.
Just got my AT LP 120xUSB that has a phono/line bypass switch. Do you still recommend an external (cheap 50 USD Power Dynamics ) preamp over the built in one?
I used to sell Hi-fi from 1976-81. I have four turntables, the last being this one I bought used off Craigslist a year ago. This one is my favorite now. I got it mainly to play records during breaks for my bands' gigs. However, I plugged it into my computer using Audacity (I already had it installed for quick recording) and a USB cable. I was amazed how good it sounded through my high quality headphones. I can now listen to records while doing stuff on the computer. My old TT's are your typical low torque affairs, I've found that with this one I do something I NEVER used to do. I put the needle on the record and THEN I start it. And I will sometimes hit Stop to pause playing. That one is a bit risky so It depends on the record... My old turntables have more exotic components, but because my hearing now rolls off at about 9.5 khz (thanks to playing bass next to some pretty loud drummers), I've got to listen pretty carefully to hear the difference. Nevertheless, I do need to replace the cartridge on this one (the factory one). BTW, because I love the versatility of the built in pre-amp I've chosen to leave it in. If I really need to get the best possible sound, I use the old turntables from the 70's with the better components.
You mentioned all the pre amp details. But the only reason and the main reason for this turn table is its usb output feature. And you did not mention whether separate pre amps are available with USB out put?
A Technics headshell, lighter than the original AT, is also a nice upgrade along with the heavier counterweight (will make it go inner to reach the desired tracking force), which helps the tracking even further.
Hey Jared, thanks for the shout out! Glad my old blog was of assistance. My poor old AT-LP120 eventually died ... power supply failed.
What are you using now?
@@thelastowitch Hopefully a Technics TT
By replacing the weight to a bigger one, you only increase the effective tonearm mass and that's not something you want with a medium mass tonearm like that one.
When it comes to stylus pressure: if it's set at 2, it's set at 2, regardless of the size of the weight.
It's only an improvement when you need the additional adjustment range for a heavy cartridge.
"a smattering of everything, and a knowledge of nothing" Charles Dickens. Read my comment.
@@robertuskoppies444exactly well said.
A balancing weight is just that, no more. If the original weight is sufficient to counter-balance any new cartridge you might install, then it's a pointless action to replace the counter-weight. No explanation is offered to "just do it". Do it only if a heavy replacement cartridge requires it.
I don't think he was suggesting that excess stylus pressure [weight] on the record should be added. He was stating that a heavier, replacement counter-balance be purchased, but presumably dialed in to apply the same stylus pressure as with the original counter-weight. Just adding a heavier counter-weight poses no benefit and two negatives: a heavier moving mass to the tonearm, and the expense of the needless purchase.
It makes some sense if you have a low compliance cartridge and you need to increase the tonearm mass.
But the silly S shape tonearm has more than enough mass for a 2M red.
Any cartridge/headshell combination that comes in around 18g or higher will need the heavier counterweight with an LP120. Also, if the heavier weight is used with an AT95e for instance, the counterweight will ride much closer to the pivot, thus possibly improving performance. Worth getting.
Yes, you need a heavy counterweight in case your system is so heavy that it is impossible to balance it to zero. For exact adjustments, use a tonearm scale.
Probably the only reason the heavier counter weight improved tracking was by changing the tone resonance. One needs to be careful to match the tone arm and cartridge for this reason.
I'm so glad that it's finally 2017.
I started my vinyl collection after my friends bought me a Crosley player for my birthday about 6 months back. I recently saved up and bought myself an AT LP120, and your words describe the difference perfectly; it's like night & day! I plan to upgrade my mat soon, but so far it sounds amazing!
I wouldn't bother the felt is fine. Other mats will take away the detail in the sound signatures, unless that's what you want. The best upgrade is to get the ATN95EX stylus
I took my pre-amp out off my LP-120, and it was day and night...the sound is more detailed and beautiful now. I also bought the Ortofon 2m Red and did not work for me at all, the highs were way too high, sent it back and bought the Audio-Technica VM540ML/H instead and OMG what a difference, IT SOUNDS BEAUTIFUL with my Vintage Yamaha Receiver CR-840! Alignment is super important, replacing your Counterweight not necessary at all, and acrylic mat is the best way to go in my opinion.
Jarret, i have to thank you you gave me the inspiration to get into vinyl. And i enjoy listening to it
To bypass the preamp on the LP 120, one can flip the switch at the back from line to phono then add the preamp as normal.
yea i was thinking that too. idk why you would remove it when you have a setting to bypass it
Because it actually does not bypass the preamp. The signal still goes through the preamp board and got frequencies cut out
No, this is incorrect as there is still a discernible hum or slight distortion because the signal still goes through the pre amp board regardless of whether phono or line is selected.
@@The-Scots-man I've tried connecting 2 different preamps to my turntable but even switching to line, it just makes an awful noise that nearly blew my speakers, I think the only way to use this turntable with an external preamp, is to remove the existing internal preamp. Personally I'd rather just upgrade the turntable when I'm ready.
@@HappyTyke25it can be removed and it fixes the noise problem. You still have to get a decent external pre amp though. It's a pity the existing pre amp passed quality control.
All great points. From there just swap out and upgrade the stock plinth, platter, motor, and tone arm and I think we can all agree the turntable will sound and operate like a whole new rig.
...or buy Technics at first place.
Those are all good suggestions. I've been using, repairing, upgrading, and even built some turntables for 40 years.
You have inspired me to purchase this turntable. I very much love my Audio Techica LP120. After your review of it, I had to have one. The records sound so very clear, and mono records sound as if they were recorded in stereo. Thank you so much for all of the info you provide on your channel.
Another note is that you also void your warranty by removing the pre-amp, so it might be a good idea to do so after warranty expires.
My new LP-120 arrived at my house today, great timing on the video :)
Your videos are great, keep it up dude.
An option that I explored that makes a decent improvement in sound is upgrading the stylus from the atn95e that comes with the turntable to the atn95ex, which will fit on the cartridge that comes with the turntable. A good option especially if your stylus is due for a replacement as the the atn95ex is only 10 dollars more than the atn95e
The only important thing is to know the difference between styluses! A conical may be ok, but as a Norwegian sound engineer I would recommend an elliptical or a Shibata!
For all you guys wondering why you should remove the preamp it goes like this : the built in phono preamp adversley affects the sound quality EVEV WHEN IT IS BYPASSED WITH THE SWITCH. When you switch to phono direct the cartridge cables are still connected to part of the built in preamp. Research has shown that phono direct isn't pure, the residual connection to the preamp reduces the high signals on the lp. Even though it is "bypassed" with the switch. Got it?
I hear that AT fixed this issue on newer models.
I do not live to far from the AT headquarters in Ohio, do you think they take walk-ins? No way am I tech enough for this type of surgery removing the pre-amp. thanks in advance
Back in the day people did not buy preamps seperately. They came built in on amplifiers and receivers. Therefore, alot of new turntables come with preamps built in, to make up for the fact that modern receivers generally do not have phono preamps.
Great video! I love the channel! I have an LP120, as well. In my opinion, removing the preamp is the most noticeable thing you can do to improve the sound of the LP120. After I removed mine, I wondered why I waited so long. The installed preamp really does color the sound...even when it is switched off. The sound, with the internal preamp removed, opens up considerably and has better clarity. For me, it was like removing a curtain that muffled the sound. All the money spent on tweaks and better bits of equipment almost seem pointless in light of the internal preamp sitting inside coloring/muffling the sound. The difference in sound, to me, really was very noticeable. It's a shame that AT hampers the sound of their own unit by including the internal preamp in the signal path even when switched off.
Hi, do you still have this table six years later. Or have you upgraded.
Hi Jarrett! Thanks for all the time and effort you put in all your videos. I enjoy them VERY much! Just bought an LP120USB two weeks ago and yesterday I've upgraded the catridge to an Ortofon 2m Red. All of this thanks to your recommendations. I'll be sending some vinyl records in your way in the next couple of weeks. Regards from Argentina! Keep spinning that vinyl!
+jgadadi thank you so much! Glad I could help!
I'm more than happy with the way mine sounds just out of the box. !
hello Jared i been repairing turn tables and record players for over 40 + years thank you for posting this .
also thank you for knowing your limitations I could go on with horror story's of some one not qualified.
I don't know that if it's 'cause I got my at-lp120 later than Jarrett, but you don't have to remove the internal pre-amp to use an external one. there's a little black switch on the back that allows you to bypass the internal pre-amp.
Just go to your local Wal-mart and imagine all of the people with flying cars. Are you sure you still want flying cars?
+Daniel Jones haha maybe it's for the best.
Vinyl Eyezz they are dangerous enough in normal cars
Daniel Jones. Drones are on their way. (They say)
its not like flying cars don't exist. there have been several functional prototypes. 1 still too expensive, 2 we arent ready!
narzq. beside the point.
just wanted to say thanks for making videos! I've been watching you for a while now in preparation for me buying a turntable! but my girlfriend found your channel and bought me the lp120 in black for Christmas!
+James Crawley nice! Congrats on your new LP-120! And thank you for watching! A lot of great new stuff on the way!
450$ on a pre-amp.... this is more expensive than the turntable(at lp-120) itself.
i also tired my ortofon vinyl master silver with it (i have some more spinners here;)....it´s about what you can do, not what´s rational ok ;)
Exactly what i was going to say!
He also doesn't tell you that you need a receiver only a turntable, pre amp, amplifier, and speakers
they say that the preamp that is in this turntable degrades the sound even when it is turned off
You do not have to buy a preamp for $ 450. you can even find one for $ 100 that sounds really great
Bro, you are a life saver! My record collection is getting much better, but now the sound is getting better because of the tips you share! thanks!
I needed the built in pre amp because I live in an apartment and don't have room for an old school 2 channel set up. I plug RCA into a single 3.5 and play it thru my Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin
Thanks for all the advice, I will be recieving my lp-120 in the mail tomorrow and i feel well prepared thanks to your playlist on how to setup the lp-120. :)
I really needed this video, THANK YOU!!
+helenehaugenh no problem! 😄
Would you want to "rip out" the preamp if you can switch it off?
Good point Bro.👍
@@dennisrodash3763 Not even a point right there, if the preamp is off there are still circuit doing things.
Its not True bypass
There is a reason they are saying to rip out the preamp... as there is a supposed switch to "bypass" the preamp.. but that is not true... even if you go without the built-in preamp, for some reason, the preamp is still in the signal path and it's not a particularly good pre-amp and will obscure the pure sound you should be hearing from the turntable and vinyl on it
@@MedalionDS9 From what i have been reading, models made after 2017 and forward, have addressed the issue with the pre-amp and anti-skate. FWIW
Hello Vinyl Eyezz,
Thank you for the tips. I managed by now to use 2 of the tips you showed in the video and the sound improved pretty good.
The first tip I used was to replace my old GRIP mat (or rubber mat) with a felt mat (because I couldn't find near me some cork to make my own cork mat) with a felt slipmat (which I made myself, as I am a bit of a DIY'er)
The second thing I did was to properly allign my cartidge. It made a difference on the treble, in terms of a brighter sound.
Also, a thing I did was to make my own phono cables. I used two 6.3mm jacks, two RCA jacks and the most important, I used balanced microphone cable. And now i got rid of the annoying buzz that I got when I switched to phono. For the other devices I'm going to use regular coaxial microphone cables as they carry a much higher signal than the phono cartridge.
Keep up the good work!
One thing that nobody seems to have mentioned regarding removing the preamp...(btw, my pre-amp is still intact. I don't use it, but the turntable still sounds really good -- that's what your equalizer is for!)...
If you remove the pre-amp from the LP-120, that also takes away the USB connectivity, as the USB is actually part of the built-in pre-amp. So unless you have another way to route your sound to a computer if you want to make a digital recording of some of your vinyl, you might want to leave that pre-amp alone.
hey great video. I am going overhaul my Lp-120 this weekend. just ordered the super charger today and the nitrous should be in tomorrow. lol. seriously though good video, I just ordered a new mat. thanks
don't forget the flames and red paint :D
Slap some stickers on there while you're at it. They'll improve the sound as much as the mat does.
Thanx Bruv, I’ve been using these to DJ for over 20 months. Your so flipping helpful!
Totally invaluable information!!!!!
I had a feeling he wasn't going to mention removing the preamp, but he did, so props for that.
I just got my lp120 in the mail today. Thanks for the recommendation, it sounds very nice :D
i have had one for a few years i have made one simple improvement i bought a schiit mani pre amp as the performance from the inbuilt pre amp is very ordinary and the difference in the sound is well worth it and all you need to do is turn off the inbuilt preamp and plug the Schiit mani in and there is also different levels of gain to select from there is a number of upgrades available my next one will be head shell and cartridge ant that will do me for now
Those are great tips for the LP 120 I love my LP 120 X I haven’t quite listened to the records yet I started listening to the record without having the amplifier hooked up to it and I love the fact that the motor is very quiet it’s fantastic I am not going to undo the preamps are you spelt because I’d love to keep my turntable in great shape.
This is the channel that I was looking for!
Don't have a record player, or the room to have a stereo setup...still love your channel.
No mention of acrylic mats. I'm using one from Hudson Hi-Fi on my Pro-Ject Debut Carbon and the static pops have dramatically decreased! Personally, I'd change removing the pre-amp to using a record weight/clamp. The biggest upgrade you can do for your entire system is a power conditioner.
Another couple simple mods that can improve the table are damping the platter and the tonearm. Do this with a product called "Sound Coat" it is adhesive backed, and you line the bottom of the platter with this. This improves speed stability (more mass in the platter), and also platter "ringing"). For the tone-arm, put 3 rubber o-rings (roughly 5/16" ID), and this damps the tone-arm to prevent resonances from travelling into the arm pivot improving the cohesion of the sound image. Finally, the Anti-skate doesn't work on this table. To make it actually work you need to replace a spring (UA-cam and Google are your friend here). This table can perform really well with careful setup and a couple of cheap modifications.
Problem is fixing the anti-skate requires some pretty delicate desoldering and resoldering. There are pictures somewhere of someone who attached fishing weights to fix the antiskate but with little to no explanation as to what exactly to do.
The Anti skate is something I'm looking forward to fix because it totally doesn't work
, needs spring replacement for sure.
For those opting to bypass the preamp, I highly recommend the Schitt Mani. It's about 140 and is consistently rated as the best phono preamp under 1K. It's also completely manufactured in the US.
Yeah but im wondering, why would you remove the preamp entirely as opposed to switching it off? wont it have the same effect?
I bought the Numark cc-1 recently, and all I had to do was just plug it right in the tonearm, didn't need the head shell, and I am pleased with it. My turntable is the Technics SL-3200
Thank you very much for your work on your channel. I was inspired by this video to upgrade my DJ turntable to an audiophile/HI-FI turntable for Father's Day. I bought the Art DJ PRE II - $39.00. The pre-amp that is inside of my Roland TT-99 has a gate that shuts off the audio when below a set threshold. Nice idea but acts weird. The DJpre allows me to push some saturation is quite pleasant sounding to me. I bought the cork slip mat $14.99 and was surprised the difference that made. Then I bought a refurbished 2M blue for $100.00 (SCORE!!) The deck sounds completely different now. I noticed something. I took the default entry-level cartridge off and put it on its own headshell for quick installation later and aligned it with the free downloadable protractor and it sounded way better after being set up. I wish I had aligned this cartridge before. It is still not as good as the 2M Blue but definitely better than it was before. It had a slight anechoic sound before. The TT-99 seems to be a rebranded LP-120 less some features such as stylus height adjustment but gains a switch for phono out or line level (pre-amped out)so I don't need to open it up to use an external preamp. Happy Father's Day to me.
What is that hole for in the top right of the deck?
I took the leap and removed the preamp. highly recommended.
An older version of the blog post suggested adding o-rings to the tonearm to add dampening and increase the effective mass.
Late reply to this 5 year old video. I have the newer 120x. The sound from its stock upgraded cartridge and internal preamp is fantastic compared with the ones on the older 120. However: The next payday I upgraded from the stock elliptical stylus to the microline (The stock VM95 cartridge is said to be brilliant and only stylus upgrades are necessary) and a cork mat. Noticeable increase in sound quality, no distortion on inner groves of certain LP’s. I don’t feel a need to upgrade to an external preamp.
+Vinyl Eyezz Is there a video that explains the difference between cork, leather and rubber vinyl mats? Love these videos!
what is better, the new LP120 or the old one that you have? The new one doesn't have adjustable tone arm height, and the LED light isn't spring loaded. It just seems like they cut corners, but maybe its better? I actually got this old version on accident in an open box sale mishap, but considering sending it back. But now that i look at the new model i kinda am thinking of keeping it. What would you do?
My LP120 has a switch on the back to defeat the internal pre-amp. You can use this if you want to use a separate pre-amp.
I know that removing the pre-amp can change the sound (as even when turned off the signal is still fed through a capacitor), but from what I've heard it just boost the high frequencies a bit, but to me it sounds overly bright.
I just thought this was worth mentioning as you don't need to remove it (and void your warranty) to use a separate preamp.
Dan Xepha The reason it's often suggested to remove the internal pre amp altogether is that even though there is a switch to "bypass" the pre amp, it's been proven that the wiring still goes through the pre amp, and the audio quality is affected. It's a small difference, but it's there.
ryan bishop
Indeed. As I said all I can hear is a bit more in the treble range. But in the demonstration I watched I preferred how it sounded before the mod. I think I prefer a slightly warmer sound.
Part of that sound depends on the cart used. I think I know the demo you watched and that guy uses an AT440MLa (as do I) and was playing his own single which he said was very badly mixed and was excessively sibilant. The AT440MLa does tend to be brighter than other carts (something that works well with the amp I have). With Ortofon carts like the 2M series, it has a warmer sound to begin with, so increasing the high frequencies may suit it.
Personally I don't have an AT LP-120 TT (I have a Rega) but if I did, that pre amp board would be bypassed.
cjmillsnun
I had a Rega Planar 1 but it was running too fast. Tried another one and it was the same. Gave up on them in the end and bought the LP-120 instead.
Mine runs at 33.4 rpm. Measured using a tachometer.
Loving that Disintegration on the wall! Fine taste!
+Jean Pierre Blanco Castiblanco thank you! Love that album!
Back in the day while buying stereo equipment in Japan you never had to worry about modifying anything to get great sound. The Technics and Kenwood turntables I purchased in Misawa in 1981 still work and sound perfect. I did buy this Audio Technica lp120 from B&H to try out transferring hard to find remixes to CDs for the car. Let's see how it goes.
I stared at that copy of The Cure: Disintegration, all throughout the video, I really want that album on vinyl but i can't find it anywhere in stores and ordering it online takes the fun out of finding something I really want in store
If you're gonna do any surgery on this turntable, consider leaving in the preamp, but wiring in a bypass switch connected to another pair of RCA jacks. That way you can run it at either signal level.
So I just looked at the back of this thing on image search. IT'S ALREADY GOT A BYPASS SWITCH. Switching it to LINE uses the internal preamp. PHONO bypasses it. Completely unnecessary to remove it.
beautman1 It can't possibly affect the sound that much. The external preamp and EQ should compensate for any minute coloration.
beautman1 Oh. You mean it's, like, a matter of opinion?
B. Jason Ouellette no, he means all your system could be a bottle neck. if You have an "ok" system then it shouldnt make any diference.
hey Jarrett, I wanted to get a record player for a long time and I found your channel while looking and I watched almost all your videos because you're a good speaker and they're cool but I decided to go with the Audio Technica at-lp60 because I can't afford the 120. but I just wanted to thank you for helping me find this one it came in the mail today and I love it
I use the lighter counterweight that comes with the turntable, and records have never skipped. I'd be more concerned with the flawed anti-skating adjustment, which is almost non-existent with some units.
My dad gave me his LP120 a few weeks ago that he never used and I believe I’m running into that exact issue. I tried testing the AS feature while it was on a record and the tone arm didn’t budge at all.. now I’m trying to figure out if there’s a work around or I’m just stuck having to buy a whole new one.. Do you know of any workaround? When I try to search online it’s just a bunch of people saying they have the problem no other suggestions to how to fix though
what is the purpose of having a heavier counterweight if the stylus only requires 1.6g ? the small counterweight can do 1.6g too !?
i have an lp120 and i love it
Good job! I noticed Jobim's 'Wave" album in the backround. You have good musical taste as well.
Upgrades that are also valid for a Pro-Ject Essential 2 (except yanking the pre-amp out!).
Fitting a 2M Red made a notable difference for me (from the factory fit 5e).
And eventually you’ll run into someone with a 2M Blue and it will make you realize the Red is garbage compared to it lol. I had to fork over the $$$ but well worth the upgrade
I show a few non invasive mods/tweaks on my channel. These include rubber street hockey pucks under the feet, and O-rings on the tonearm to reduce resonance. I've since sprayed the underneath of the platter with Rustoleum LeakSeal to reduce vibration caused by ringing. I will never, ever, remove the preamp. The better solution there is to add a second turntable. I like the AT95E so much that I have the same cartridge in my Pioneer PL-516. But the AT120 truly is a great table.
I have the AT9E in my Thorens & my AT-120....they both sound great to me.
Question. Why cut out the built in pre amp when it already has a switch to turn it off? Sounds kind of pointless to do such a thing. About the only upgrade that’s necessary is to change out the cartridge. As far as the counterweight goes I’m sure the one that’s there should be sufficient enough.
See my reply above to JinJanMcFlan
Doesn't the LP120 have a phono-line switch on the back? Why would you need to take out the preamp to use an external preamp? Wouldn't you just switch over to phono and use the rca out to the input of the external pre? What am I not getting here?
dubnessIII The internal preamp is not very good. It's not completely able to be bypassed with the switch.
Even if you switch to not using the preamp, there is a weird flaw where the sound is still piped through the preamp, and will affect your sound to not get the most pure sound the vinyl has to offer... it makes it sound slightly darker and muffled sounding
The Audio Technica LP-120 is just fine stock.
Yes it is. But you can improve it alot and make the sound even better
@@okalright3941
I spent nearly 2k on a new cartridge and the sound quality became audibly worse. The best are never worth more than $200, and I've tried dozens for ripping tens of thousands of records.
@@henlofren7321 you are correct, at that point the ROI is not worth it. I recommend the Nagaoka MP-110, it sounds great with my setup
God bless your videos i'm a new time vinyl collector and really wanted to get it right and not waste money and my first is going to be an ATLP120
I have said this for years, one of the best improvements to a turntable is the surface it is sitting on. Get a good heavy, HEAVY, table or console with a solid surface and lots of mass, and be sure that nothing else is touching it. Then of course hot-rod the device.
Jarrett. This record player really can go toe-to-toe with most record players. I have this turntable and I have a Marantz TT-2200 and it's virtually impossible for me to differentiate the sound. They both sound amazing. The only thing I can really say is different is that the stabilizers on the bottom of the AT LP-120 is superior and I have yet to hear it skip. The stylus in my Marantz turntable has a pickering stylus - something I have t seen you talk about. If you don't know what it is - it's basically an attachment to the cartridge that has a little brush on it that dusts the next groove your needle will encounter as the record spins. It's pretty awesome and I definitely recommend getting one. Would love to see you talk about it. I will definitely be talking about it in my channel very soon.
Reggae vinyl , once you feel the vibes and dog deep for that very obscure reggae man it's life changing
man for real. i play house but i sincerely think that listening to reggae on vinyl amplifies the experience like nothing else - maybe jazz. but thats it. bless mi sibling
Why would you need to remove the built-in pre-amp when the 120 offers a switch to bypass the internal and use an external pre-amp?
Just got the lp 120 I was looking for upgrades earlier glad for this video
Oké you dont need to remove the internal pre amp Just use it in phono stand in what ever you want or iam wrong?
I'm so lost as to what speakers to select for this set up. So many contrasting suggestions out there.
Anthony Grassetti consider price, budget, and space. Also consider active or passive speakers.
I own the Alesis M1Active 320USB speakers which I love. I've heard Edifer's and Klipsch are good as well.
Adding a bit of sound dampening under the platter will reduce ringing,
All AT-lp120's made before 2017, was made with a defective "anti-skate" spring in them! After 2017, it was corrected! You can install a new spring on the ones made before 2017, but you should get a professional to do it!
Yep, mine has that issue. It's a real PITA to replace the spring
I set mine to 7, highest number and it worked
I heard that now, audio technica completely bypasses the preamp when switched to phono, so removing the preamp would sound counter intuitive. Can anyone confirm?
Your correct, AT have now sorted out the issue on the 120X and it would not now need removing.
thanks man got an lp120 in augest best purchase i ever made i loved this video aint messing with the pre amp lol but the cork map and heavier weight sounds useful i am happy for now with my setup but i keep this vid in mind
I have the tube box s! Its a great preamp. Sounds great with my debut carbon and my klipsch speakers. I highly recommend
I would not recommend the 2M red at all its overpriced for what you get
I would recommend the Audio Technica AT440ML or At120eb as a better upgrade from the AT95e
Another upgrade would be removing the transformer. You may as well get this done if you are getting an Electrician to remove the pre-amp.
My final suggestion - Isolation feet
I recently bought the AT440MLb and it sounds amazing. I agree though, the 2M red is mediocre at best.
I'm not sure I agree. Right now the Audio-Technica AT440MLb cartridge is $199 on Amazon and eBay while the Ortofon 2m Red is only $99.
I bought about 5 moving magnets (including a 2M Red) and finally settled on a Denon 103 Moving Coil+ Emotiva XPS-1 MC preamp, which is totally on the next level. Glad I'm done with that journey! Amazing how much performance you can get out of this low cost turntable!
If you go to the LP Gear website, they also have some excellent upgraded stylus' for the AT95e, which is really a great sounding cartridge..still my favorite moving magnet.
at440ml ftw
Cool video, I chose to upgrade my stylus but decided to go for the Audio Technica VM95EN. It's a great upgrade as its a elliptical nude stylus & it's designed to fit the AT-LP120's original headshell, so fitting it was as simple as swapping out a worn out stylus. I've also added a Cambridge Audio AXA25 amplifier with a pair of passive speakers. This is a great upgrade from the set of powered speakers I was first using when I originally got my turntable.
Get the Nagaoka MP110 cartridge, you won't be disappointed. And if you remove the built in preamp get the Fosi Audio Box X2 Phono Preamp which sounds excellent for a budget preamp, $70 but frequently on sale for$50.
Just got this for Christmas, and I'm in love with it!
Personally, I'd go with Schiit Mani preamp. I had the Pro-Ject pre but it was noisy and hot. It was warm but not worth the price. The Mani is the way to go, clear and sound stage improves dramatically. You'll definitely benefit especially with those Klipsch, which sound quite airy already. I'm running my LP-120 with a Nagaoka MP-110, Schiit Mani, Yamaha R-S201(Represent), and Elac Uni-Fi UB5s. So good, so so good!!! Private concerts for days.
I recently bought the Schiit Mani for my LP120. It's amazingly inexpensive, it sounds great, and it's endless fun to watch people's reaction when you tell them what you've bought.
I briefly owned an AT LP120 but returned it because of motor noise. It's a great looking turntable but in my view has features that most users will never use, e.g. reverse, rather than putting better quality into the essentials. So I replaced mine with a Pro-ject RPM-1 which has the Ortofon 2m Red as standard, and a motor which is silent.
I do think your viewers should think VERY carefully before removing the on board pre amp since such action may invalidate the manufacturers warranty.
Isolating the turntable from what it's sitting on. There are mats &feet you can buy to do this. It helps eliminate feedback (hum & rumble) from your subwoofer. I like the inflatable ones personally.
For just a few extra dollars, you can buy the Debut Carbon. Already has the 2m, and no need to remove a preamp. Of course if you already own the 120, these are good upgrades.
My LP120 USB has a switch on the rear to bypass the inbuilt phono preamp. I don't think I'll be removing it any time soon when I can do that and use an external phono preamp.
How does upgrading the counterweight improve the sound quality of your TT? Unless your stock counterweight is so bad that it doesn't actually apply the pressure force marked on the disk giving you the mass, 2.5 g is 2.5 g no matter the counterweight.
Your videos have been very helpful for me. Thanks
I just got my Audio Technica lp-1230 and it's amazing! I was going to buy a crosley (ugh) but thanks to you I didn't!
btw I love your the cure record on the wall, I'm saving up for it because i grew up with them.
well thanks !
I do recommend changing the cartridge that comes with it when buy it it tracks to heavy. I upgraded to a better AT that tracks between 1.5 - 3.0 grams. You just need to adjust weight and antistatic, also make sure to use the protractor for your cartridge alignment. I love my Audio Technica direct drive the negative is I wish it was fully automatic. I also have a U-turn orbit plus with the acrylic platter and blue Ortofon cart.
I finally got ahold of the AT-CW1 counterweight and unfortunately it didn't help with skipping on a few records in my collection that skip. Those same few records don't skip on a buddies turntable. His table is a different company and uses a Shure cartridge. I'm using the original AT-95E cartridge.
Waw your voice man so smooth
Maybe add one more step to balance the entire turntable by using a center round balance or a small balance sitting on the platter. Shimming a turntable properly will improve your sound and allow you cartridge to play properly.
Great Video's Jared. Im a total vinyl Record Geek. I spend way too much money on Records, its becoming an addiction. LOL! Keep up the great work!
What stylus for DJing and schreching? thank you
My LP120 which is about 12 years old has a pre-amp switch which I leave turned off and use a DJ mixer from Radio Shack I picked up about 15 years ago. The built in Amp makes the music sound flat as where an external pre-amp ads another dimension to the sound. Back then I paid $350 for the turntable which lacks USB. My only complaint is a faint clicking noise in quiet parts of the music. If I ever buy another turntable I will probably get a Pro-ject.
Ahhhh the Disintegration album in the back thoo :D 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
Just got my AT LP 120xUSB that has a phono/line bypass switch. Do you still recommend an external (cheap 50 USD Power Dynamics ) preamp over the built in one?
Mine sounds good either way, aux or phono.
I used to sell Hi-fi from 1976-81. I have four turntables, the last being this one I bought used off Craigslist a year ago. This one is my favorite now. I got it mainly to play records during breaks for my bands' gigs. However, I plugged it into my computer using Audacity (I already had it installed for quick recording) and a USB cable. I was amazed how good it sounded through my high quality headphones. I can now listen to records while doing stuff on the computer.
My old TT's are your typical low torque affairs, I've found that with this one I do something I NEVER used to do. I put the needle on the record and THEN I start it. And I will sometimes hit Stop to pause playing. That one is a bit risky so It depends on the record...
My old turntables have more exotic components, but because my hearing now rolls off at about 9.5 khz (thanks to playing bass next to some pretty loud drummers), I've got to listen pretty carefully to hear the difference. Nevertheless, I do need to replace the cartridge on this one (the factory one).
BTW, because I love the versatility of the built in pre-amp I've chosen to leave it in. If I really need to get the best possible sound, I use the old turntables from the 70's with the better components.
You mentioned all the pre amp details. But the only reason and the main reason for this turn table is its usb output feature. And you did not mention whether separate pre amps are available with USB out put?
A Technics headshell, lighter than the original AT, is also a nice upgrade along with the heavier counterweight (will make it go inner to reach the desired tracking force), which helps the tracking even further.