Audio Technica AT LP140lXP Turntable

 I recently bought a new turntable, the AT LP140lXP, to replace my worthy AT120 USB, I was not expecting a huge improvement in sound quality and I only heard a marginal improvement. Both these turntables attract both love and hate from commentators on "HIFI" forums. I can't see how anyone could love or hate a turntable. 

I could afford to pay a lot more money for a Technics Direct Drive (DD) turntable which is the progenitor of Audio Technics DD models.  So why didn't I splash out? I do not have a big collection of pristine and completely analogue produced LPs. If I did I might have spent a small fortune on a high quality Technics turntable or even a Linn belt drive. Most of my playing is by digital records. I have a number of modern re-mastered LPs but these have all be remastered using digital methods so I nearly always play the digital version unless I feel in the mood for a little bit of analogue nostalgia. The ATLP140xp serves my purpose well, I can play 78rpm shellac recordings, 45 rpm vinyl records and vinyl LPs both old and modern. The direct drive gives me plenty of torque for 78 rpm records and the pitch sliders are useful to play back "78" records that were not recorded at standard speed.

The ATLP140xp runs silently and I can hear no motor noise either from cupping my ear next the platter or when the record is running through the amplifier. I can hear no appreciable hum from the turntable even when the amplifier is turned up to maximum when I am not playing a record. My amplifier produces white noise at high volumes which masks any noise from from the turntable. I hear plenty of noise from the records themselves if I turn up the volume high enough. I do not hear any wow or flutter and a RPM calculator  on my portable 'phone shows that the turntable performs much better than specified. The tone arm does not skip even though I do not use the anti-skate. I have set up my cartridges to 2 grams down force and they show no signs of mis-tracking. I  use both micro line and conical styluses and they both sound wonderful. All in all the turntable provides a stable platform for my needs and I am amazed at how good it sounds even though it cannot match the performance of a well mastered cd. A piano sounds like a piano and a violon sounds like a violin etc. The turntable performs well with all sorts of music especially jazz.  I saw no need to change the "RCA" provided connector cables as they perform so well. So there is not need to spend  a fortune on the doubtful benefits of different cables.

I run the audio signal through a budget pre-amplifier which performs equally as well as the turntable and my all analogue amplifier.

The turntable is really well built with a metal plinth, it is heavy and all the controls work well, there is nothing to complain about. It also looks impressive. A technics deck is much stronger and it is built to finer tolerances and it is admirable, so I am sure owners are proud of this renowned and famous brand. 

However, I can't justify spending hundreds or even thousands more for a machine that will not be used that often. I have reached my full understanding of the law of diminishing returns, so I am not prepared to pay a fortune for almost minuscule improvements. My turntable cost £389, it performs really well. If it lasts as long as the AT 120 USB then I shall be delighted and will have found a real bargain. The AT120 USB has gone to a good home. The AT LP140xp will be looked after well and I shall show a little bit of admiration for it.

WiiM Pro Streamer

 I  bought a WiiM pro streamer a few months ago and it is a mighty fine device for the money. It replaces a Teufel Raumfeld streamer which bit the dust some time ago. It is not just a streamer but it is also a DAC and it has very good connectivity. It will play music via WIFI from my network, from  local files on my my tablet computer and TV set. It has digital optical, analogue line and  digital co-axial electric connectivity. It will stream music directly to my amplifier or to my DAC which is marginally superior to the WIIM Dac. It will not only stream my digital music files but also internet radio and music services from Amazon and Tidal etc. I can even connect the WIIM to the line output from my phono-stage to stream music from an LP but of course it converts LP music from analogue to digital . It also connects  via Bluetooth. The quality of the streamed music is second to none, and the user interface is superb and it maintains its connectivity, ably. All this for about £150!

If you want to pay £350 quid for the more sophisticated Wiim Ultra you get a built in phono-stage which will convert the phono output from a turntable to line level RIAA  output, so no need to buy a separate phono-stage, but of course the LP music will then be digital rather analogue.  Some purist won't like this. 

 I am so impressed with the little device, even though the case is made of plastic, that I no longer play CDs and I am also less enamoured of playing LPs, but so what - digital music sounds better and cleaner than vinyl anyway. This little device is a bargain which can easily compete with DAC and streamer separates which cost hundreds if not thousands more. It is Chinese music technology at its best,try it if you are not already into streaming; you won't be disappointed.  

What do you expect

 I have just installed new speakers to replace my 30 year old transmission line ones. They do sound a little better but by not much of a margin. I wasn't expecting a big improvement but modern technology has improved matters. But as for night and day differences then no. If there is a night and day difference between the sound of your HIFI equipment then one or the components you are testing is not High Fidelity .It is possible that both components being tested are not HIFI too. You can't have your sound quality cake and eat it.

My new speakers are better able to show up differences between the performance of different cartridges and styluses. For instance I have a cartridge with a conical stylus and another cartridge with a micro-line stylus. If you read HIFI magazines then you will be told that micro-line styluses are so much better than conical ones, they are also much more  expensive. I cannot honestly say that the performance of the micro-line stylus is significantly better, and there is certainly not a night and day difference. My new speakers enabled me to hear more detail coming coming from the micro-line stylus especially when playing classical music but not much more. The speakers also reproduced the tiny clicks, that all LPs are plagued with, better. LPs are fun but I much prefer to play CDs of classical music because there are no physical flaws apparent from the medium. 

When using  an LP record player with my old speakers, compared to the new ones, I can hardly tell the difference between one stylus or another if at all. Classical music can be used to test HIFI performance because of the wider dynamic range and variety of instruments. Also you can compare the recorded performance against a live performance , if a recorded violin sounds exactly like a violin in the flesh then you have a good recording and good HIFI equipment. The same could be said for the human voice when listening to opera.

Modern HIFI has probably become as good as it can get. Therefore you can understand why HIFI magazines and Manufactures use so much hyperbole to manipulate your expectation that your  new piece of expensive equipment is so much better than your old one. Let's be honest it can only be marginally better and you may not be able to tell the difference in a double blind test. The same applies to digital sampling rates, as CD 16/44.1 kHz  streams are more than sufficient to playback all music with complete clarity.

I often ask myself why would you want to pay thousands of pounds to play back an LP record which is made of almost worthless plastic that is full of flaws. I can understand why pride of ownership is important and that we can all appreciate top notch engineering, so good luck to anyone who has ten grand in their back pocket to spare - even if the music won't sound very much better.

I have bought new speakers

 I wasn't going to buy new speakers until I heard a deterioration in my existing TDL RTL 2 transmission lines which are now over 30 years old. I was reluctant to change anything. However, I was listening to some opera about two weeks ago and heard some distortion when Mirella Freni sang an aria from La Boheme.

Her voice is very powerful and has a huge dynamic range when she was at full volume then her voice sounded distorted. My old speakers were tired at high volumes. I invested in a pair of Acoustic Energy AE109 Mk2. I hadn't auditioned them but I knew I could send them back if I was not satisfied.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7923506--puccini-la-boheme

The speakers cost £600 for the pair. They offered terrific performance for the money from the outset without being "run in". I am not convinced that speakers need to be "run in" for that matter. Anyway, after playing Mirella Freni again the distortion had disappeared when she hit the high notes at high volume. The speakers sounded  noticeably better across the frequency and dynamic range. My wife also noticed that the the diction of the singers was clearer. The speakers were keepers and I was very pleased with them. The old speakers were almost holding their own especially when comparing pop music and jazz, but it was classical music that revealed the differences. I tested the sound reproduction by playing the BBC proms on Radio Three and I noticed the improved sound quality of the new speakers.

At one point when playing Beethoven's 9th symphony at higher than the usual volumes, I though that at some times the bass sounded a bit booming. However, this was more a function of the recording which was apparent when listening through a decent set of headphones.

I also tested LPs against their digital equivalent; I played Chasing The Dragon's Espana LP  which was recorded directly to vinyl without the intervention of a tape or digital recording machine. Essentially, I was listening to a live recording. Rosie Middleton's voice sounded almost perfect, and at at some points it felt as if two mezzo-sopranos were singing, as her voice was that rich. When I compared the LP to the digital recording which was made at the same time I could hardly notice any difference, which is a tribute to how good vinyl can sound if it is produced and recorded well. It is also a tribute to modern turntables and cartridges. However, the LP record reproduced some clicks perfectly. Clicks and static discharges annoy me intensely which is why I rarely buy classic LPs, I prefer the digital purity.  

https://snvinyl.co.uk/Espana

I also compared a remastered vinyl version of Miles Davis Blue Haze to its CD equivalent. Once again I could hardly notice much difference in sound quality, but the LP sounded more "lush" and "thicker "to my ears, some may call this warmer. Obviously, the CD produces better sound quality, and I prefer the accuracy of a well recorded CD, but I can understand why some people think that LPs sound better, as the inherent sound distortion of LP playback introduces extra harmonic features. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Haze

All in all replacing the speakers was a good HIFI experience for me and points out that when making comparisons and judgements there are too many variables to consider. One thing is certain; it is the quality of the recording that really matters. A £10,000 set of speakers will not improve a bad recording and won't stop you hearing the annoying clicks and crackles which are always present on vinyl LPs even brand new ones.

Audio Technica ATLP120 USB turntable

 In 2017 I bought the ATLP120USB turntable to play my old 45 rpm singles and to convert some old records, now deleted, to digital files for archiving. I was rather pleased with its performance. After some time I discovered that the turntable was rather good especially as I found a 180 gm remastered vinyl record of the " Turtles  Greatest Hits". I did  some research on the web and discovered  that the turntable was a big talking point on "audiophile" forums. Some people hated the table and traduced it. Others loved it.

The main criticisms were the following:

The built in phono pre-amp was useless and even affected the sound quality when you switched it off. Some enthusiasts ripped out the phono  pre-amp.

The anti-skate spring did not work.

You could hear cogging and other noises from the motor, which intruded into the sound when playing a record.

The wow and flutter, and signal to noise ratio specifications were not up to standard.

The general build quality was not up to the standard of a technics sl12000 mk2.

The plinth is resonant because it is made of ABS plastic and the body of the turntable is a bit hollow so that if you tap the plinth with your knuckle when a record is playing then you hear a thump.

Audio Technica quality control was not good enough.

I got the feeling that if you got a bad example then the criticism was justified. I also got the feeling that many of the complainers had never actually heard a good example of the turntable, and were basing their criticism on prejudice and comparisons of just the technical specifications with much more expensive turntables.

My experience is completely different I must have got a good specimen.

I accept the criticism of the phono pre-amp which I have replaced with an external one. My new pre-amp and existing amplifier and transmission line speakers are very good and make up for déficiences.

My anti-skate spring is weak but it does work but badly. I never use anti- skate as their is so much mumbo jumbo spoken about it. It is next to impossible to find the right setting on any turntable. Anyway, my tone arm, on the ATLP120, has never mis-tracked or skipped and the sound appears from the dead centre of a pair of headphone when playing a mono record. I don't notice any inner groove distortion.  This is a tribute to my particular turntable.

 I can't hear any noise coming from the motor even when I hold my ear up to the platter with cupped hands to amplify any sound. I can't hear any rumbling noises unless I listen with earphones turned well up; then it could just be surface noise for the recording itself.

I don't hear any wow and flutter so the turntable is up to standard. I find that that the signal to noise ratio is as good as most turntables. Audio Technica are probably being conservative with their stated specifications. 

Admittedly the build of the turntable is nowhere near thee quality of a Technics and the plinth does sound a bit hollow. However, who the hell raps the plinth with their knuckle when  record is playing to deliberately to make a thumping sound, are they mad? I have sited my turntable on a heavy metal and tempered glass stand this protects it from any vibration of footfall.

Overall the turntable sounds very good it does not sound as good as a Technics SL1200 Mk2 or a £30,000  rig but it comes very close.

I have compared a a well mastered LP to its well mastered digital equivalent on my set up. It is impossible for an LP to sound better than its well mastered digital equivalent. However, in my opinion, if a CD scores 100 for sound quality then the ATLP120 USB scores 96. A Technics 1200 MK2 probably scores 97. Do I want to spend £30,000 to get to 98 or 99; well no.

The ATLP120 USB cost me £250 in 2017 and represents phenomenal value for money. It now has a more modern and improved brother , which you can exchange if you get a duffer. I find it difficult to justify replacing my ATLP120 USB for cost and  sound quality reasons. It may not last forever but neither will I.

Buying new speakers

 In my last blog I talked about buying new speakers. After auditioning some alternatives, I have decided not to. The candidate speakers did not sound any better than my existing ones. One of my existing speakers shows some  slight peeling at the circumference. It is hardly noticeable by sight. The speaker still performs just a well as its twin. I like the speakers so much that I really don't want to part with them. I shall keep them until there is a noticeable deterioration in sound quality. 

All this goes to show that speaker technology has not progressed too much in the last 30 years, and it is my view that since the advent of CD technology, the quality of sound reproduction has not improved much in general. Most of the hyperbole attached to 'HD' sound reproduction is just hot air.

Buying New Speakers

 Soon I shall have to buy new speakers as my 35year old Transmission transducers are beginning to fade away . One of the speakers is in the process of slowly disintegrating, as the rubber is stating to peel away. I can't notice any deterioration in sound quality but soon the inevitable will happen. When I get my new speakers I am not expecting to hear much improvement in sound quality no matter how much I pay, unless I get something really cheap. One thing I won't be making any judgement for a new transducer on the opinions of hysterical HIFI magazine and Forum writers. Most of what they say is tosh and often it makes me laugh. I shall stick with renowned manufacturers. I shall also audit the speakers myself and if they do not meet my expectations then the speakers will go back to the retailer. I am not interested in reading about the pace, fast or slow of a HIFI product, it won't be sited on a running track or whether the speaker veils the music whatever that means. I am not interested in subjective opinions and marketing hyperbole. I couldn't careless whether or not a speaker can reproduce frequencies above the generally accepted sound limit of about 20 KHZ, which only the young can hear. Sounds, above 20KHZ,  which  my very young    ears could once hear were uncomfortably shrill and not at all musical.

I am not prepared to spend thousands of pounds on speakers that hardly perform better than than transducers that cost much less. The major manufacturers cracked the problem of producing acceptable sound for acceptable cost a long time ago in the 90's

Of course, you can spend a fortune on a pair of speakers from an independent manufacture which will sound glorious, and good luck to if you want the pride of ownership of a wonderful product. Sound engineers also deserve their jobs when the push the boundaries to find improvements for us all. I have a second sound system which uses much more modern speakers; they do sound a little better than my 35 year old transmission lines, but I will regret having to make changes.