Why Does My Vinyl Sound Distorted

Phono cartridges are incredibly sensitive transducers.

Why does my vinyl sound distorted.

To my ears this doesn t sound like an electronic issue it sounds like an issue originating with the stylus vinyl interface. Check and adjust if necessary the stylus pressure. Those unwanted movements result in distortion which muddies the sound. Some would call it a design flaw for others it s just part of the vinyl experience.

But what causes it. Bad tracking indeed damages the vinyl as your stylus bumps agains the groove walls in stead of actually accurately following them. The record is damaged the turntable is cheap and nasty the tonearm is incorrectly calibrated correct balance tracking force and anti skate forces are critical to clean playback and to avoid damage to records. Let s dig briefly into some light physics.

It is usually best to use the manufacturer s highest recommended pressure but no higher. As needed to get good sound quality. They don t just convert the microscopic grooves of your vinyl records into sound. They have become too thin to fill the entire groove width and bump against the wall where the groove modulates causing damage.

That s also the main reason you should replace worn styli. Problem with a record skipping or distortion here are some things to check. A few days ago my pro ject debut carbon came in the mail. Vinyl playback fuzzy distorted first system.

If you have a spare stylus i d try that or at least get a good magnifier to. Vinyl can sound bad for all sorts of reasons chief among which. Way too light a tracking force can sometimes sound a little like your video. Setting the tracking force too light causes distortion and excess record wear.