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Dust Cover Open/Closed While Playing?

shacky

shacky

Addicted Member
I've laways heard that you should leave the dust cover open while playing to prevent what I guess are vibrations inside the closed dust cover from hurting sound quality.

Is that a real concern? :scratch2: I have forced air heat/AC and tend to get a good amount of dust. So I'm trying to figure out if the exposure is worth the sound difference.

I think I know the first anwer - try it and see if you hear a difference. Which I am doing as I type.
 
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I use no cover on my Thorens, but use the cover down on my Technics. It would seem to me that the cover up would collect more vibrations and SPL then having it down. I have A/B tested it with my eyes closed and my wife changing it's position and could detect no audible difference, other than my wife finally laughing at me and shaking her head in amazement!:D
Regards,
Jim
 
I conducted that same experiment Ehoove did, with similar results, right down to spousal hilarity.....
 
TJLitt said:
I conducted that same experiment Ehoove did, with similar results, right down to spousal hilarity.....
Click to expand...

God Bless them, they do try to understand! But they also enjoy kidding the Audio side of us!
Regards,
Jim
 
Haven't had my TT set up in some time (cough-cough), but I do remember many years ago it was suggested that static build-up in/on cover might affect tracking(?). I always played mine with cover down; gave it a shot with the Zerostat when I noticed static particularly scrappy...
 
I thik open would be the worst option. Think of a sail on a sailboat--cathces much more air movement when in the up position.

I think the question is whether to have a dustcover at all.

I take them off and store them in the closet.

Some say a dustcover, even when down, produces too much resonance. Others say they keep resonance away from the arm its self. Some also think they are important to keep dust from falling on the LP when it's playing.

You've stumbled upon one of the minor debates in the hobby. Here are some past conversations:

Spinning with the dust cover...
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=266187

Dust cover?
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=230011

How important is dust cover?
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=232511

dust cover on or off?
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=267551
 
Since I'm doing audio transfers for paying customers, the question of potential feedback degrading quality is something I've considered and actually tested.

My tests (JVC QL-A7 & Technics SL-1200 turntables) have shown that:

At normal to moderately loud listening levels, there is no measurable feedback, dustcover up or down or completely removed.

At ear-shattering volume, there is very faint feedback, revealed only in my testing procedure. During a listening session, that same very faint feedback is totally obliterated by the extremely loud volume of the music, and for intents and purposes undetectable.

Obviously, my test results are limited to two specific turntables/cartridges, the unique characteristics of my room, and the rest of the equipment. But I can draw the conclusion that the dustcover up/down/off is a non-issue in my situation.

The value of my testing was that I learned that I could make audio transfers (while listening at reasonable levels) without worry of feedback, and that I should not do transfers while the volume is extremely loud.
 
Although I fear that this topic falls into the same category as the speaker wire and belt/direct/idler drive debates, I will offer that I play my Dual 1229 with the dust cover off and my Pioneers with the covers open. Have I a rational reason for doing so? Since when has rational thought had anything to do with vinyl addiction?
 
Cover tilted up and open on mine.

My house is dusty, so I do need the cover for when the TT is not in use. Of course, since I leveled the TT with the cover up, I leave it up for playing LPs.
 
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