Do Record Players Need Electricity? Guide in Detail

Almost Every new turntable owner asks do record players need electricity? Well the case is different for all record players. Some are manual and can operate without electricity. While others will need a power source to play exquisite music. 

We all know technology is changing at a rapid rate. The same goes for record players. You can see a drastic change in record players. There was a time when you did not actually need electricity to listen to music. 

Types of Record Players

Record players are also of two kinds.

• Manual
• Automatic 

Manual

These are the pioneers of turntables. In the early ages the record players did not need a plug. Instead people used to play music through hand cranks. These turntables have large horns. Through which music would come out. 

These have two types 

• Portable 
• Hand cranked

Portable

The portable record players operate on batteries. Hence there is no electricity involved. But they still need electricity to charge the batteries. Indirectly the record players use electric current. Which helps them play music. There are two options in this. Either use rechargeable batteries and charge them when the battery is low. Or use batteries that are non rechargeable. Replace the batteries once they are out of order.

Hand Cranked

These non-electric record players completely use human force to operate. There is no need for electricity. You need to rotate the handle until it is enough to operate the record player. But these are the old version turntables. They do not produce good quality sounds. 

Automatic

Record players with automatic settings need an air plug. Hence these are the ones which operate on electricity. A record player need electricity for several reasons such as

• For the Rotation of a platter.
• To transfer sound waves through transmitter to player and speakers.
• For the automatic movement of the tonearm. 

Operation of Automatic Record Players

The operation of automatic record players consist of several different steps such as

• Connection
• Operation
• Output

Connection

In the initial stage you connect the record player to the wall plug. The electric current runs through wires and changes the voltages to enough power source. It helps to turn on the motor mechanism of the player. 

Operation

The record player has a motor which rotates directly or with a rubber belt and then powers up the belt drive mechanism. Which helps the motor to rotate at the same speed as the AC current which supplies power to the record player. 

The in-built circuit is what controls the turntables movement. But this option is different in each record player. So if you are still wondering if the record player needs electricity then this is your answer. Either directly or indirectly, the record player operates on electricity.

Output

After the secure input connection the record player starts to rotate the disc. Music starts coming out of the horn or the speakers. Whichever you have with your turntables. 

Parts of Record Player which Play Music

Tonearm

The tonearm is the little arm which moves on and off the cartridge. It consists of metal or plastic. At the end of the tonearm is a needle which applies pressure on the cartridge. The disc moves and the tonearm applies pressure on the notes of the disc which results in the music that you hear. 

Turntable

You can also call this a platter. You place the record on the top of the platter or turntable. Then do other operations. 

Cartridge 

The cartridge has a place on the end of the tonearm. It helps in transferring the information from the turntable then changes it into electronic signals. After that these signals change into music after amplification. 

Stylus

The stylus is the tiny needle which rotates with the record player. To change into music the stylus needs a good condition and steady needle which can later stay on the record and groove the music. 

Do Record Players Need Electricity and How Much? 

The electricity voltage differs in each record player. Because every record player is different on its own. Several factors affect the electronic current. 

Such as the power storage capacity and its usage time. 

Low power record players do not consume much electricity. But the high power ones use high electrical voltage. 

The high power turntables require more energy because they have large power batteries. They are usually large in size which means they need high force to rotate the tuntable. The most high power turntables use from 5 to 25 watts of energy. 

However normal or average range record players need 5 to 15 watts of energy. 

Effect of Amplifier and Preamp on the Record Players

The battery powered record player electronic usage also depends on the amplifier and preamp. We cannot take just the turntable’s motor into account. Keep in mind that the amplifier and preamp also need electricity to operate. 

The preamp takes upto 5 watts of energy while the amplifier takes 5 to 10 watts of energy. So when you operate both of your preamp and amplifier systems with a record player. Then keep approximately 25 to 50 watts of energy usage. 

There is also a case of low power record players. Which has no pre-empt and amplifier. In the case of these record players, keep in mind 5 watts of energy usage. 

Importance of Amplifier in a Record Player

Well record players really do not need amps. Record players can do well even without them. However some good players have built-in amps. Which means you do not need external amplifiers to connect with the record player.

In case you do not have built-in amps in your record player then you can connect external amplifiers with it. An amplifier usually has different benefits. The more prominent ones are that it can increase the volume. The amplifier can provide you with more high music. Also it can balance out various sounds which will help the user to get clear sound. 

The Function of Speakers with the Electronic Signal

The speakers play a vital role with the record player if you are a fan of high quality music. The amplifier turns simple music into high signals. Then the signals turn into music in the speakers. Some record players have a complete speaker set up with them. 

However, in some other cases, you need to connect external speakers yourself. The record player cannot produce high-quality music without its speakers, although you can still listen to the music, but in case of higher sound speakers are important.

You can get many kinds of speakers such as Bluetooth wireless. But if you’re getting external speakers, then choose wisely according to what suits you best.

Although many people consider speakers a nuisance. Because the initial purpose of a record player is to give simple, retro and aesthetic vibes. 

Conclusion

If the question “Do record players need electricity?” Still confuses you then the clear answer is yes they need electricity. Each part of the record player needs electricity to operate. 

The tonearm needs electrical current to play music on the recorder. Then there is a cartridge which sends a signal to the preamp. Then these signals travel from amp to speakers. All of this action needs electricity now some of the turntables run on battery too. Of Course they need electricity for charging. In short we can say that electricity is the main part and record players need electricity.

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