Why should I be maintaining my turntable?
Turntables are carefully engineered devices, relying on intricately engineered mechanical parts. As a result, a turntable's various components can be affected by forces that cause the parts to wear or degrade. Knowing how to counter this is key to the long-life of your turntable and for ongoing great sound.
Should I grease a turntable bearing?
Turntable bearings fitted to turntables from Pro-Ject Audio Systems are factory-equipped with a high-quality film of oil, which ensures years of friction-free function. Regardless of the frequency of use, it is recommended to check from time to time if a sufficient protective oil film is present.
If a turntable is used with a lack of oil, serious damage to the platter bearing may be caused. To ensure adequate lubrication and prevent the premature wear of the turntable bearing, we recommend using our special lubricant 'Lube it' or 'Grease it', which can be obtained from any authorised dealer. In extreme cases where a lot of dust/dirt is present, it may be necessary to clean out the bearing with a cotton bud and penetrating oil such as WD-40, dry it with a clean cotton bud, and then apply “Lube-It” or “Grease-it” as applicable.
Do I need to replace my turntable drive belt?
Drive belts are another thing that will need periodic checking/replacing if you are to keep your turntable performing at its best. The belt will inevitably dry out over time or become overly greasy and slippery on fingertips when being handled. This means it will likely lose grip and be less effective at rotating the platter perfectly, resulting in an inexact speed and a higher chance of wow and flutter. Because of these factors, we recommend you replace the belt every year, or at least every two years. This timeframe does not necessarily have anything to do with how often you use your turntable, because even if you do not play it and interact with the belt regularly, it can dry out.
What if I've damaged my turntable?
If you know the part of the turntable you've damaged, you can do a spare part search on The Henley Audio website by selecting your brand, clicking the search icon and selecting "Spare Parts" when you see your search list. Otherwise, you can reach out to the Henley Technical Support team directly.
Pro-Ject are proud of their after-sales ability and holds spare parts for almost every turntable they produce for many years, even after discontinuation.
My sound isn't right. Could it be my cartridge?
Cartridges, as you might imagine, also have a finite lifespan. Given enough time or heavy usage, there are several ways in which a cartridge may begin to sound subpar. Firstly, the stylus, being the only part of a cartridge that actually comes into physical contact with your records, can wear out slowly; tracking the record grooves by its very nature involves a small amount of friction. Friction that bit by bit will grind away at your stylus.
Thankfully, it is relatively easy to change a stylus and often cheaper than replacing a whole cartridge - it will simply click onto your existing cartridge body and breathe new life into your vinyl spinner. Check out this handy series for advice on changing cartridges and setting up for playback.
Another aspect of turntablism that you should keep tabs on is the quality of life of your deck. Keep your turntable in too dry or too humid an environment, and, over time, certain components may start to require some attention. In particular, the rubber of the cartridge suspension, which can dry out and harden given time anyway, is the prime suspect if you’re noticing a decrease in playback detail. There is no real way to repair this if it occurs, but thankfully modern cartridges, used in a good, thought-out environments, are notably improved over older models - easily lasting thousands of hours.
Provided by Henley Audio
