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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. |
: 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. |