I just made the decision (and possibly the mistake) of purchasing a Numark PT-01. I bought it to listen to vinyl. I'm not interested in its archiving technology, however I like the fact that I can listen to it through my PC speakers without having to buy a receiver, amp, additional speakers etc. The sound quality is definitely not high fidelity, which is fine, but I've read on a lot of vinyl forums that playing records on this turntable will potentially damage or accelerate wear on the vinyl. One person said you might as well be playing records with a nail if you're going to play records on such a turntable.
Apparently this is due to the heavy, nonadjustable tone arm weight, no anti-skate technology, the ceramic cartridge and/or the stylus being cheap. This allegation is also leveled at most other USB turntables that sell for around $100.Is there concrete truth to this allegation? If there is, would the replacement/upgrade of the cartridge/needle help avoid damage? Or do I need to just replace it with a decent retro turntable? I can deal with bad sound quality, but I CANNOT afford to damage my vinyl. I have some albums which are precious to me. Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks.
I just made the decision (and possibly the mistake) of purchasing a Numark PT-01. I bought it to listen to vinyl. I'm not interested in its archiving technology, however I like the fact that I can listen to it through my PC speakers without having to buy a receiver, amp, additional speakers etc. The sound quality is definitely not high fidelity, which is fine, but I've read on a lot of vinyl forums that playing records on this turntable will potentially damage or accelerate wear on the vinyl. One person said you might as well be playing records with a nail if you're going to play records on such a turntable.
Apparently this is due to the heavy, nonadjustable tone arm weight, no anti-skate technology, the ceramic cartridge and/or the stylus being cheap. This allegation is also leveled at most other USB turntables that sell for around $100.Is there concrete truth to this allegation? If there is, would the replacement/upgrade of the cartridge/needle help avoid damage? Or do I need to just replace it with a decent retro turntable? I can deal with bad sound quality, but I CANNOT afford to damage my vinyl. I have some albums which are precious to me. Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks.