Question: What tools does A-T offer that help maintain or enhance the vinyl listening experience?

Answer: To help maintain your vinyl record collection you should at the very least own some basic record and stylus care products.

Our AT6012 Record Care Kit is very affordable and consists of a record cleaning brush and liquid cleaning solution. Microscopic dust particles and contaminates can cause wear and tear on your records and stylus and diminish sound quality too. The AT6012 Record Care Kit is designed to gently remove contaminates while improving record fidelity and tracking.

Follow up regular record cleaning with an occasional stylus cleaning using the AT607a liquid stylus cleaner. It removes dirt and dust from the stylus tip for improved performance and extended stylus life.

Making certain that your cartridge is properly aligned will ensure the lowest possible amount of record and stylus wear, the lowest possible tracking distortion and the best fidelity for years to come. The use of a stylus overhang gauge or cartridge alignment protractor will be needed for this. Note that our AT6180a Stroboscope disc not only enables you to check the rotational speed of your turntable for accuracy, it also has markings for setting stylus overhang – the distance the stylus tip extends beyond the center spindle.

If you are in need of a good bubble level to help make leveling adjustments during setup, the AT615a Turntable Level is a high-precision, easy-to-read bubble level housed in a durable, machined aluminum housing.

In addition to basic maintenance-type tools, Audio-Technica also offers tools to enhance the vinyl experience.

Our AT618a Disc Stabilizer fits over the turntable’s center spindle to hold records firmly in place, reducing resonance and improving sound quality. It can also help flatten records that are bowed. The stabilizer is constructed of machined brass with a protective rubber cover.

Improve signal transfer with our 6N-OFCC high-purity oxygen-free copper AT6108 headshell lead wires.

Use the AT6011a Anti-Static Record Brush to remove dust and contaminates from your records. Its conductive synthetic fibers help to dissipate static.

If you own a manual turntable, consider adding our automatic tonearm lift, the AT6006R Safety Raiser, to your setup. It lifts the tonearm automatically at the end of a record, preserving the stylus tip. The raiser has a hydraulic lift with rubber bar that operates safely and smoothly. The AT6006R can be mounted on a variety of turntables with different tonearm heights. Just make sure you have the space required between the tonearm mounting base and record platter.

If you have any additional questions about how to properly maintain and get the most out of your turntable, cartridge and records, please contact the Audio Solutions Department.