There is a common myth that one belt fits 95% of all turntables. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth! If a typical belt is, say, an inch too small, the turntable will probably run, but you will wear out your motor in about a year. If the same belt is an inch too large, again, the turntable will probably run, but as the belt ages, it expands. Because this belt is too large from the start, you will need to replace it years before it would normally need replacement!

Don't trust your turntable to a novice with an eBay account and an electronic parts account!

"Flat Rubber" belts have 5 measurements that are critical to ensure proper performance:

(1) The obvious one is length, this affects tightness. If the belt is too tight, it slowly kills the motor. Belt Drive motors are generally not available any longer. If its too lose, it does not put enough tension on the motor, and soon it will begin slipping, years before the correct belt would begin to slip!

(2) The width of the belt is one most of us do not think about very much, yet it is critically important. These usually range between 23/64 and 39/64 of an inch (or metric equivalents) these are usually measures down to the 64th of an inch to ensure precision. If a belt is too wide, the risk is not fitting the capstan of your turntable. If a belt is too narrow, the risk is slipping, which will make the table seem to speed up and slow down. This may be inaudible at first, but in six month, who knows?

(3) The thickness of the belt. This is the smallest of the belts dimensions. Belts that are made for most turntables will be about the same thickness. The belt is supposed to wrap tightly around the capstan. There are Flat Rubber Belts out there that are way too thick for use on a turntable. The capstan is the part of the motor that keeps the speed going consistently. A belt that is too thick will not be in contact with the capstan as much as the designer and manufacturer intended. The result? Wobbly pitch!

(4) External diameter. Its pretty simple, yet important; the distance around the inside of the belt. Obviously, this measurement is closely related to #3 and #5.

(5) External diameter. Its pretty simple, yet important; the distance around the outside of the belt. Obviously, this measurement is closely related to #3 and #4.

Audio purists have long claimed that the sound of a good turntable and cartridge combination is superior to the sound of CD.

How can that be? I used to wonder! These people bought a thousand dollar dinosaur and feel bad about it. Then one day I heard it for the very first time on a recording that I was very familiar with.

There was a theory that CD sampling created a "stair-step" effect, but that has clearly been disproven. The analogue output of a CD player averages the square waves, and the stair-step is only part of the digital process. So, I'm not exactly sure why CD, even on an expensive CD player (I own many that retailed ~$1,000) sounds less clear to me on things like plucked strings.

Try this: I used to present this for customers face to face. go to a thrift store and buy a $10 turntable. (OK, it is an old offer, there are no $10 turntables that run, buy a $35 turntable.) Plug it into your phono input on your stereo and get a copy of an album that you already have on CD. You can usually find the Heart album Dreamboat Annie on vinyl and CD. Play the track Barracuda and listen for details in the introduction, plucks of strings, etc. An acoustic guitar and a good close microphone is a great thing to compare, it is the beginning of notes that are more obvious to most listeners. Play the same part on the LP. Almost all of the face to face customers heard what I was talking about, and it changed the way they listen.