Sense and nonsense of upgrades
Contents
Audiophiles are sometimes strange snouts. We are allowed to say this, because we also fall under this category. The sound quality may always be better with ‘us’ and if we see a possibility, then we seize it. But with this Yamaha Vinyl 500, we’re reluctant. This is why we are asking aloud whether we could upgrade this Vinyl 500 somewhere, without losing sight of reality. Always tricky. But let’s be realistic. This player is made for a specific purpose and performs well even above expectation for this purpose. Do we have to want this?
Of course this turntable can be equipped with a better quality element, but we don’t see why you would do this at all. After all, quality is almost the weakest link. Only with a better cartridge a much higher sound quality has not yet been achieved automatically. There may be marginal profit to be made, but the maximum achievable quality of this investment will not necessarily be achieved. After all, the internal (arm) cabling, phono stage, skirting construction, arm bearing and the adjustment of the element after mounting all have a major influence on the final sound quality.
Believe us, the techies of Yamaha are really not a night gone by with this Vinyl 500. The applied element of Audio Technica has even such a good quality that it is in most hifi sets not so fast the weakest link will be. So we wouldn’t say that simply changing the element will add a new dimension to the sound and imaging properties of your vinyl. If you still want to try it, the element including the headshell can be changed in an instant by means of the handy bayonet fastening.
Our advice
If you want to upgrade at short notice, we recommend first purchasing a slab of marble or bluestone and three spikes so that the Vinyl 500 has a stable surface and is less sensitive to vibrations from the floor surface. We also think it makes sense to invest in a good quality interlink and a good power supply from, for example, Sbooster that will allow both the phono stage and the streamer to perform at a higher level.
When the supplied needle has made a few thousand playing hours, we would choose to replace it with a (not prescribed by Yamaha) good quality elliptical. This often makes the display more lively and brings out more detail. We would therefore advise you to take a look at a record washer, which, after a thorough wash, will bring out the maximum sound quality from the vinyl. If you still want more, after all these steps you could consider purchasing a higher quality (MC) element and possibly a matching external phono stage.