Turntable Set Up Page

Turntable Setup

Here at the Dual Reference Website we get quite a few inquiries as to how one goes about properly setting up their turntable for use.

It's pretty easy to do. Here is some information that you should find useful.

Location

There is a lot of discussion as to where you should place your turntable. A lot of audiophiles think the best location is on a slab

of concrete suspended by chains that are connected to the studs in your wall. While this is the ultimate set up it's not practical

for everyone. There is a lot of information on the internet that discusses this, I will just cover some of the do's and don'ts.

DO find a location in your listening are that is solid, and vibration free. You don't want "resonance feedback" affecting your turntable.

DO take into consideration things like sunlight, radiators, heat sources. These are not good for your turntable either.

DO consider installing damping pads under the corners of the turntable. Audio Technical sold a set that were very good. Here

at the Dual Reference Website we use liquid filled rubber "dots" that dampen the vibration return to the turntable effectively.

There are also rubber mats that are sold that you can place your turntable on that work well.

Don't put your turntable on the top of a speaker. This is a worst case idea. The turntable will vibrate from the sound coming

out of the speaker and will transmit it to the turntable. This definitely affect the sound quality, and not in the best way, either.

Don't put your turntable too close to your speakers. This could cause feedback problems.

OK, now that you have located the turntable in the proper place here is another tip.

Make sure your turntable is level! You can use a "spot" level made for turntables, or a small carpenters level. Yes, we have seen

Dual 701's playing upside down, but level is the best way to go.

Look at the audio cords coming out of the turntable. This is a weak link in Dual turntables, especially in the 1000 and 1200 series

turntables. The original cables were just plain cheap. You can go to your local audio store and buy new cables. They are relatively

inexpensive and will improve the sound of your turntable. If you don't have a local audio dealer who sells these, check with Laserwave,

located on our Parts/Service page. The original audio cables are likely plugged into a pair of RCA jacks under the bottom cover of

your turntable. Just take the bottom off and unplug the old ones, and plug in the new ones.

Old audio cables are often a source of hum in your turntable. For more info about hum, please see our special section covering hum.

Next, check the stylus of your cartridge. Look for things like a bent needle shank (the part the connects the stylus to the cartridge).

If it's bent to one side or another, it's best to replace the stylus. Also look at the stylus with a magnifying glass. How does it look?

It's pretty easy to see how worn the stylus is. We have a list of vendors who offer good prices on cartridges and replacement styli

on our "Parts/Service" page.

Next balance the tonearm. Whenever you change a cartridge or are installing your turntable for the first time it's always best

to make sure that your tonearm is balanced properly. All Dual turntable tonearms use the following procedure.

Here is an excellent video about how to do this.

Note: When setting the tracking force on your Dual turntable it is advised that you use a separate stylus pressure guage such as

the Shure SFG-2. This will be more accurate than the built in stylus pressure guage on your turntable. Over time the spring

in the stylus pressure control changes spec and is not as accurate as you would think. When I set the stylus pressure to

1.75 on my Dual 701 it's really 1.40. That's a bit of a difference and in higher end cartridges will make a difference in the

quality of the sound.

Set the Tracking Force to "0"

Set the Anti-Skate control to "0"

Using the weight at the back of the tonearm, turn it until the tonearm floats perfectly level to the turntable platter. When this is done:

set the tracking force dial to the weight (in grams) recommended by the cartridge manufacturer. If you don't know what it is, do a

Google search for your cartridge. The manufacturer may have the specs online. If you can't find it, set the tracking force to "2".

Next Set the Anti-Skate control to the same setting as the tracking force. That's all there is to it!

Your turntable is now set up and ready for play.