Upgrading your AT-LP120 turntable

One thing I can say about Audio Technica is that the customer service is top notch. The bail-hatch on my tone-arm rest broke and it took just one email to them and a I got a new one sent out. Then I was missing a rubber bumper on the lid and they sent me a bag of 10 grey ones and 10 black ones.

 

I second that. Mine broke as well (completely my fault) and one email later, a replacement is in the way - at no cost to me. Impressive!

 

I just picked up the LP120 and have some questions. I'm using my Sound Blaster ZXR's aux for my input source but...it's 20 feet away. I have the TT itself set to line and have a 25ft RCA extension cable running to the sound card. Even with the large extension cable the sound quality is good but I'm wondering if I'm limiting its potential with that long of an extension?

Placing the TT closer to the speaker input is not possible with how my room is set up. I know using the phone input, you want as short of a distance as possible but what about using the line input? What is roughly the distance before the sound starts to degrade?

I was looking at the Art DJPre II Phono Amp which seems to be getting positive reviews paired with the LP120. Would it make sense to get the amp (which is likely more powerful than the one built into the TT) and then use its line outs to the sound card instead? The way it's connected now, I'm not getting a ton of volume out of it and I'm wondering if that's just due to the weak line out of the TT or the cable extension. Would the Art DJ resolve this issue and does it clean up the sound noticeably?

Thanks

 

I have not used the Art DJ Pre but with any decent pre that you use, you can usually set the volume out which is an improvement because the TT itself can only produce a set volume (which is ok anyway just as with any device that you connect such as a CD player for example). Long cables tend to degrade any kind of signal, that's valid for coaxial, regular or even high grade cables. The only medium that has no degradation is fiber optic and that belongs to another area and not to analogue sound. I'd place the new pre not necessarily close to the TT but at a standard RCA cable distance and then possible have a longer distance from the pre to the desired input in your system. That way the pre I support would be getting an ok signal from the TT and you can supply more volume from the pre out. All I can think of now... good luck! Mario

 

If you still have this problem, the Art DJPre II is exactly what you want. You don't get hardly any volume out of the LP-120's stock preamp. This is a very noticeable on a lot of newer vinyl which seems to be recorded at lower levels than vinyl from the '70s and '80s. The ART can give you more power than your computer will ever need, the highest I have ever turned the input recording volume on it up to was 14 out of 100 when recording a record.

 

Most lower-cost pre-amps don't have adjustable gain like the ART DJ-PRE II.

 

I had a question about rubber mats versus leather mats. I did replace one of my felt mats with a leather one and was pretty happy with the results. Is rubber better than leather? I never really noticed noise from the motor but that doesn't mean it's not there. I just brought two AT-120's to the shop yesterday for pre-amp removal surgery! I can't wait to hear the results!

 

I have cleaned my stylus with magic eraser, using a microscope, I have never seen any kind of damage. Magic eraser use on a stylus isn't like cleaning your tub.

I havent had any issues and it shines the stylus tip very nicely. Definitely a big difference before and after.

 

I've never used leather, but rubber is definitely far better at damping motor rumble than felt!

 

Thanks. I did pick up a few new leather ones for around $25 each but have not yet had adequate time to test them. I think they are certainly better than the felt for static. The dampening is probably not as good as thicker rubber or at least that is what I suspect. I did notice over time that the felt one I was using seemed to get worse static wise.

 

With the stock felt mat, the platter on my LP120 rings like a bell. With the KAB supermat (since discontinued, but it's a 1/4" rubber mat identical to the SL-1200 Mk2 stock mat), I just get a nice, dull CLUNK.

 

I use Ms. Cleans Magic Eraser to clean the tub, and shine my stylus tip very nicely

No microscope jokes now!!

 

There was a reddit post on r/vinyl where someone took the anti-skate spring, cut it in half, and put it back. Now it works properly. Hmm...

 

ive got a pretty thick homemade cork mat and its not close enough to make this level, thinking i may double up the cork and just raise the tonearm height if needed

 

I wish they made the spindle longer so you can add thick cork and not run out of spindle.
Make sure you don't run out of spindle with a thick mat.

 

yeah that might be a problem, i was just looking at it with some extra cork thinking the same thing.

 

For those of you who wish to keep the pre-amp option with the "LP" model version you can install a high quality switch between the cart wires and the pre-amp board which is what I did. I also ran high quality coaxial cable out the back just for the cart connections. This gives you the best of both, if there is a "best" with that stock pre-amp, I don't care for it, but I did this because sometimes I get people wanting to buy my equipment and can't wait around for a shipment to arrive. Just my my 2¢

 

I haven't removed the preamp yet, but today I got in a Schiit Mani preamp. My ears don't necessarily notice a lot of sonic subtleties that a lot of people do, but I could definitely hear a difference between the internal preamp I've listened to in the year I've had the ATLP120 and switching to the mani with just one record. Pretty impressive difference.

I want to get a new counterweight, but the AT-CW1 seems to be sold out online when I look. Is there an alternate counterweight that could upgrade what I have? Is this the same thing as the upgrade, or is this the same as the stock one that came with my turntable? Cracks me up this is in excercise/fitness
Amazon.com : Technics: Counter Weight / Tone Arm Balance Weight for Technics 1200 (SFPWG17201K) : Exercise Equipment : Sports & Outdoors

 

I dont thnk it will work _ i have asked this question before and the answer I got was the ATL120 and Technics parts are not interchangeable

 

Hey Ben - your tips in this thread are still super helpful. I got my ATLP120 last year and I'm slowly getting up to speed, eventually got better than computer speakers, haven't pulled my preamp but just switching to an external was a noticeable difference even for me who rarely notices subtleties.


Today I printed out the protractor you recommended. I assumed the cart and headshell from AT came properly aligned, but I did have to adjust mine, it definitely makes the cart look turned in a little. Playing one of my most sibilant albums, the reissue of the cure's kiss me kiss me kiss me, and the s's and cymbals sound like actual s's, especially on Hot Hot Hot. Can't wait to play other records to see how they sound now. But that was a quick easy tweak, and I'm wondering if what I thought was IGD just needed a better alignment.

 

Sounds just like my experience with that protractor. I think you'll see much improvement with those inner tracks pretty much across the board.

 

Hey Ben you tips are now on youtube

 

I wish mine still worked!

 

Ok just ordered a new cart - at440mlb. Got a tracking force scale, the protractor that worked great on my current cart. Do I need the technics overhang thing? Or would proper alignment with the protractor be fine?

 

Use the protractor!