Comparison Pro-Ject RPM 3 Carbon vs Pioneer PL-990

The presence of a non-removable pickup in the design of the player.

The pickup (cartridge) is a key part for any turntable; failure of this part renders the entire device unusable. Therefore, non-removable (that is, unsuitable for replacement without disassembly in a workshop) pickups are made mainly in low-cost players, where the manufacturer tries to simplify and, accordingly, reduce the cost of construction. However, even in such models, usually, it is possible to replace the most delicate part of the pickup — the needle.

Model of the pickup (cartridge) supplied with the player. The pickup is one of the most important parts of any vinyl player, the quality of the received sound largely depends on its quality. Knowing the name of the model, you can find detailed data on it and determine how satisfied you are with this particular cartridge.

The type of pickup (cartridge) supplied with the turntable.

- MM(with moving magnet). The most common type of cartridges nowadays. The electrical signal in such devices is created by the oscillation of a moving magnet connected to the pickup stylus between special coils. These cartridges give a good output level, making them compatible with the simplest phono stages, they are easy to set up, and the needles in many models can be replaced by the user himself.

- MC(moving coil). Pickups in which the magnets are made stationary, and the signal is created by a moving coil that vibrates from the vibrations of the needle. This design allows you to reduce the mass of moving parts (compared to MM), which has a positive effect on the accuracy and reliability of sound transmission: MC cartridges are capable of transmitting almost all the nuances of sound. On the other hand, their output signal level is low, which puts forward increased demands on the quality of phono stages and significantly affects the cost. So pickups of this type are typical mainly for high-end equipment.

- MI (with a movable iron element). Quite an exotic type of pickups: the coils and magnets in them are made stationary, and the vibration of the needle sets in motion a miniature piece of magnetic material (for example, iron), which moves between the coils and changes their inductance. Theoretically, such cartrid...ges can compete with MCs in terms of overall sound quality and detail, while MI technology allows you to achieve a high level of signal output, which does not require expensive phono stages. However, in fact, such pickups are rare for a number of reasons.

Anyway, for the normal operation of the player, a phono stage is required for the corresponding type of pickup; A phono stage may also be built-in (see “Characteristics”), however, if external equipment is used, it is necessary to know the type of pickup to select it.

The shape of the needle in the pickup (cartridge) that the player is equipped with.

— Conical. It may also be called spherical. The simplest type of needles for vinyl players. Such needles are inexpensive, but the sound quality when using them is relatively low — due to the fact that the shape of the needle rather weakly matches the shape of the groove on the record.

— Elliptical. Elliptical needles have a narrower shape than conical (spherical) needles, which improves contact and allows, in particular, more accurate reproduction of high frequencies, and also reduces record wear. Due to the good value for money, this option is very popular.

— Linear. The most advanced variety: sharply sharpened needles of complex shape, following the contours of the grooves on the plate as accurately as possible and having the largest contact area among all types. The downside of this is the complexity in production and, accordingly, the high cost.

The force of pressing the needle on the plate, which the complete pickup (cartridge) is designed for.

This force depends on the rigidity (compliance) of the needle: the greater the clamping force, the harder the cartridge, respectively, the less pliable it is. It is also believed that less pressing force wears out the record less, but it cannot be said that "light" cartridges are definitely better — there are many other nuances. So in fact, information about the pressing force of a complete pickup is needed mainly in case of its replacement. Usually, the pressing force provided by the arm of the turntable is regulated within these limits, so the new cartridge must also be rated for the same values of downforce — otherwise there is a chance that the turntable will not be able to correctly align.

Model of the tonearm — the movable lever on which the pickup is attached — supplied with the turntable. The tone arm is responsible for the correct position of the needle and the accuracy of its movement along the grooves, which is critical for sound quality. Therefore, many music lovers try to clarify not only the general data on the tonearm, but also its specific features in each particular “turntable”; in order to be able to find this information, the name of the tonearm is given in the characteristics.

The shape of the complete tonearm (viewed from on top). Modern players may have both straight and S-shaped or J-shaped tonearms. It is impossible to say for sure which of them is better: the advantage of the first option is its light weight, the second and third ones are its greater length and low resonant frequency, which reduces the likelihood of interference. Therefore, in practice, the choice depends on the specific situation and personal preferences.

The main material used in the construction of a complete tonearm.

- Aluminum. This is a fairly lightweight and durable material that has average characteristics in terms of sound quality: it does not dampen extraneous vibrations as well as carbon, but for entry-level and mid-level turntables this is quite enough; in expensive models, you can use other methods of eliminating interference, and aluminum is noticeably cheaper.

— Carbon. A high-quality material that is lighter in weight and has more advanced anti-resonance properties than the metal described above. The main disadvantage of carbon fiber is its rather high cost.

- Plastic. Plastic is inexpensive, but this is perhaps its only key advantage: the performance characteristics of this material are quite modest. That is why it is used extremely rarely - mainly in retro-style players, where a plastic tonearm is a necessary part from a design point of view.

The effective length of a tonearm in set is the distance from the attachment point (axis of rotation) to the stylus.

This indicator is important primarily for rotary tonearms: the longer the length, the lower the angular error, the smaller the discrepancy between the direction of movement of the track and the longitudinal axis of the pickup (for more details, see “Type”) and the lower the level of corresponding distortion. In addition, a longer length reduces the resonant frequency and reduces the likelihood of distortion. On the other hand, a longer tonearm turns out to be heavier, which requires certain technical tricks and can also negatively affect the purity of the sound. Therefore, a large length is not always a guarantee of high quality – you should also pay attention to weight (see below).