Audio-Technica AT-LP240USB Direct-Drive Turntable

Comments about Audio-Technica AT-LP240USB Direct-Drive Turntable:

The Audio-Technica LP240 series turnable is as great sounding as it is good looking. Solid build quality, expectional sound! This direct drive turntable stops and starts on a dime. Recommend this turntable to those looking for a fantastic stand-alone unit for listening to vinyl - would not recommend for aspiring DJ's - no pitch adjuster etc.

Comments about Audio-Technica AT-LP240USB Direct-Drive Turntable:

I ordered this AT-LP240 because of its sleek looks and styling. I wanted a turntable that could play LPs and 78 RPMs. I wanted no excessive frills just a quality manual turntable. I got anything but... When I first received the AT-LP240 in early December 2011, I thought that I noticed the strobe going very very slowly counterclockwise on 33 and 45. I thought that this was just my imagination - after all, this turntable is quartz locked, it has to be exactly on the correct speed. Sometimes when you move while you are viewing the strobe it will appear as if the dots move. Finally in mid January, I bought a 78 rpm cartridge. I installed it on a separate headshell set the tracking force with a digital gauge and was ready to listen to my first 78 RPM record. I pressed 33 and 45 at the same time to set the AT-LP240 to a 78 rpm speed. Now I could see for sure that the strobe was moving counterclockwise, meaning that this turntable is running slow. It wasn't my imagination. I pressed 45 and noticed the strobe moving ever so slightly counterclockwise then I pressed 33 and noticed the strobe moving counterclockwise as well but it is barely perceptible at the 33 speed. Unfortunately there is no way to adjust the speed. This turntable has a manufacturing defect and runs slow on all speeds. The problem is magnified by the faster speeds. When you get to 78 it is really obvious. I checked the turntable with my KAB USA strobe and verified the problem. Apparently Audio Technica relies on the tolerances of all the electronic components being exact. The accumulation of error within the electronic tolerances leads to an incorrect speed at the platter. Now you would think that this would have been checked at the factory before it was shipped to a retailer for sale - NOT! Very poor quality control. Now my dilemma is that I wasn't sure about this problem until 2 weeks after my 45 day return policy was up. I'll have to call the online retailer and see if they'll have mercy on me and allow me to exchange this defective unit for another (hopefully working this time).

Comments about Audio-Technica AT-LP240USB Direct-Drive Turntable:

I ordered this AT-LP240 because of its sleek looks and styling. I wanted a turntable that could play LPs and 78 RPMs. I wanted no excessive frills just a quality manual turntable. I got anything but... When I first received the AT-LP240 in early December 2011, I thought that I noticed the strobe going very very slowly counterclockwise on 33 and 45. I thought that this was just my imagination - after all, this turntable is quartz locked, it has to be exactly on the correct speed. Sometimes when you move while you are viewing the strobe it will appear as if the dots move. Finally in mid January, I bought a 78 rpm cartridge. I installed it on a separate headshell set the tracking force with a digital gauge and was ready to listen to my first 78 RPM record. I pressed 33 and 45 at the same time to set the AT-LP240 to a 78 rpm speed. Now I could see for sure that the strobe was moving counterclockwise, meaning that this turntable is running slow. It wasn't my imagination. I pressed 45 and noticed the strobe moving ever so slightly counterclockwise then I pressed 33 and noticed the strobe moving counterclockwise as well but it is barely perceptible at the 33 speed. Unfortunately there is no way to adjust the speed. This turntable has a manufacturing defect and runs slow on all speeds. The problem is magnified by the faster speeds. When you get to 78 it is really obvious. I checked the turntable with my KAB USA strobe and verified the problem. Apparently Audio Technica relies on the tolerances of all the electronic components being exact. The accumulation of error within the electronic tolerances leads to an incorrect speed at the platter. Now you would think that this would have been checked at the factory before it was shipped to a retailer for sale - NOT! Very poor quality control. Now my dilemma is that I wasn't sure about this problem until 2 weeks after my 45 day return policy was up. I'll have to call the online retailer and see if they'll have mercy on me and allow me to exchange this defective unit for another (hopefully working this time).

Comments about Audio-Technica AT-LP240USB Direct-Drive Turntable:

I had initially bought this table due to the fact that it was a high end usb table and looked real killer. While it definitely fits the bill, I was unhappy with the low line levels coming from the usb during recording. I switched it over to the preamp and ran that straight into my soundcard's line-in. Absolutely wonderfull. Next, I ran it through the preamp on my Luxman amp. Excellent sound quality. All I had to do was purchase a cartridge and needle (I got a 'SHURE M92E' for $30) and now I've gone through twelve or so albums that were so precious to me I would rarely play them. Not any more. I'm jammin' all the time.
While I do recognize that the usb function is rather silly (as you cannot adjust the levels), I still give this table a 5 star rating as I am completely content with the quality of sound it has been producing. Super quiet and stable. Adjustable every which way. Etc. Etc.
However, it is important to know that this table is definitely designed for recording. It's not going to be a dj table. Manual tonearm, manual stop, manual manual manual. The only thing that's not manual is the speed setting and the on/off button. I believe the reason they did this is to cut back on extra moving parts in order to eliminate any chance of vibration. And it worked. The next step up would be a Technics 1200 or whatever for more than twice the price and possibly not as quiet as they are more for DJ's.