OK, I’m a “dust cover off” convert...

Housekeeping for sure needs to be part of the equation. However, I don’t know if you have experienced the kind of dry winter air I am talking about. There is practically static electricity in the air at times, and you can see dust floating if the sun comes in at the right angle, no matter how much you have dusted the room. When that is happening, I’ll usually abstain from even taking any records off the shelf.

And yes, my turntable is relatively light and sits very close to a speaker, and within a few feet of my subwoofer, too. Not ideal, but it’s what I’m working with. I really think my conversion to cover-off has solved any ill-effects I was getting from having it so close.

 

Having it closed reduces likelihood of feedback at louder volumes on my rp2 . Sometimes if getting feedback rumble when open, I close it and it goes away. Sometimes though it’s just too loud and I have to reduce the volume

 

My dust cover is hinged and is down whether there's a record on or not.

 

Off completely and you will reduce feedback further yet, if it's the higher volume that is exciting your cover.

 

As my case the lid protects from acoustical disturbance more than it is a problem, as measured in previous link. So lid on for me.

 

I remember an article decades ago in, I think, Stereo Review where they did a demonstration: They changed the stylus weight to zero or neutral, closed the lid and then rubbed the top of the dust cover with a cloth. The tonearm raised into the air by itself. Reason was static electricity. Something to think about. As I recall, it was a demo for the zerostat gun - they aimed it at the cover and the tonearm went back down as the static was removed.

 

If I try this and it works I move to make you emperor of this forum!

 

Of all the many audio debate/'mysteries', turntable dustcovers has got to be the most black&white, easy ones to solve. When not in use, absolutely leave it on, that's a no-brainer. And as far as whether it sounds better with it up, down, or off. Good Lord, simply use yr ears! That's what the hobby's all about. Make up yr own mind! It's not like yr playing with spkr placement, or switching out components, it's a dustcover! Jeez, this is the 2nd thread I've seen TODAY on the subject!

 

two things to say about this
Old SL 1200'S had enough power to turn with 50-pound weights on it.
I have watched it over 10 times and i can't stop smiling

 

YUP always off for me with my RP8. No question. No kats, kid out of the house.

 

When I place the dustcover behind a couch underneath a window. The curtains protect anything damaging it while it is off and I don't have to look at a dustcover laying about the place.

 

I treat my dust cover similar to how I treat my clothing, when I'm in a listening session.

Completely off.

 

That's a visual I can't un-see and I don't even know what you look like...

 

As for the main topic:

During vinyl spinning I store the lower hinges of the dust cover of my Rega Planar 3 in convenient slots located at the rear of the plinth, which makes it easy to position the dust cover directly on top of the plinth itself.

Does this adversely affect the sound quality? I absolutely and totally don't care.

 

Always down. Covered with a cotton dish towel or vcr cover when not in use. The old vcr covers fit perfect and have a clear front. Not covering the dust cover will eventually result in swirl marks or hairline scratches on the plastic.

 

The only argument in this debate I've ever assumed is logically supported is the notion that airborne vibration could directly affect the tonearm/headshell/stylus with the dust cover OFF. My impression is that any vibration the dustcover picks up is not effectively transmitted through the hinges, plinth, and up into the tonearm.

My TT has a silicone dampened tonearm anyways and I can't imagine the vibration could be greater when transmitted by the cover than when directly affecting the exposed tonearm.

 

Good the you came around!

A dust cover on the table is the enemy of high quality playback..it is going to vibrate and resonate. Period.

I put mine on the floor standing upright safely against the wall. Never an issue.

It DOES stay on the table when there is no listening going on.

 

TMI.

 

But it also protects from the airborne acoustic waves to hit the record surface directly.

 

I think this depends on how solid the plinth of the turntable is. On my turntable, if the cover vibrates, the plinth will pick some of that up, which will absolutely transfer to the platter and/or tonearm. The tonearm/headshell/stylus is much less surface area to catch any soundwaves, so overall airborne vibration hitting the turntable as a whole is less with the cover removed.

That’s my hypothesis, anyway.

 

If listening through headphones, what do you suspect is causing the 'distortion' with the cover on? No matter what side of the debate you're on, everyone agrees the issue is airborne vibration from the speakers influencing either the cover or the tonearm/cartridge. How could a total LACK of airborne vibration affect the sound?!?

 

Dust cover off for me.

 

Really?

 

Yeah, dude. She’s gross, but we love her.

 

Maybe. What I can tell you is I have had a couple instances of some feedback with the cover down, which got much worse when I went over and started opening the cover up. Sample size is still too small to conclude anything from this, but no feedback at all so far with cover removed. So annecdotally, in my home at least, cover off>cover down>cover opened, specific to feedback. As for noise floor, it’s noticeably better with the cover removed.