TURNTABLES!! Automatic Vs Manual

Difference between Automatic and Manual 

Essentially how you get the STYLUS on and off a record. Mhhhmmmmm thought as much! Definitely thought I'd got this wrong when explaining to customers cheap turntables were automatic. Cause they believe its a POSITIVE feature, yet expensive turntables DONT have it?! INTERESTING.

So there is Automatic, Semi Automatic & Manual.... here are the differences....

AUTOMATIC:

Is a turntable where the tonearm will lift out of position and gently lower itself on the record at the right spot, and when it has finished it will automatically lift back up and shut the turn table off. 

PROS OF THIS:

• Good for people who are NEW to turntables. For the worry of damaging record or stylus by dropping it. 

• Never have to worry about missing the record, or falling asleep and having the stylus get stuck. 

CONS OF THIS:

(According to "Audio Advise" blog these are more expensive? but that isn't what I've found... so confuses me slightly.)

• Extra components are required to make the mechanisms move automatically, so you are really paying for that feature rather than quality of the turntable.

• Having all the extra parts to do this can effect sound quality, the moving parts under the turntable can effect the tone arm tracking perfectly. 

MANUAL: 

Is a turntable where have to lift the tone arm yourself, place it on the right position, when finished pick it up and turn it off. (Stating the obvious I guess).

PROS OF THIS:

• Provide the best sound due to no extra components that reduce how well the tone arm tracks the record

• Fewer things that would ever require maintenance or go faulty. 

• More options, and most of high performance turntables are manual.

CONS OF THIS:

• Don't bloody fall ASLEEP! 

• You need to take more care lifting and placing etc.