First, notice what the platter does
- If the platter never turns, check power and the start control before touching any drive parts.
- Find your model's drive type before looking for a belt. A direct-drive player has no belt to reseat.
- If it starts and stalls or scrapes, stop repeated attempts. If speed wanders, check the record and, on a belt-drive player, the belt.
- Stop using the player if you find electrical damage, heat, smoke, a burning smell or liquid.
A platter that sits still, one that turns briefly, and one that spins without sound lead to different checks. We'd try the power and start controls first, because a player can light up while its motor is still waiting for a control action. Watch what happens when you start it normally, then find the full model number before handling the platter.
Check the model's stated drive type, too. Belt instructions apply to a belt-drive player. The AT-LP120XUSB, for example, is direct drive and has no belt. If you can't identify the drive type, leave the platter in place and use the power and control checks first.
Find the control that starts your player
Lights and power switches don't start every platter. Match your model to its control before buying a belt or trying a reset. Here's how a few popular players start. For another model, use its own start instructions.
| Player | What to check | What should happen |
|---|---|---|
| Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB | Release the tonearm clamp, but leave the arm on its rest while checking rotation. Turn the power dial on, select the record's speed, lower the volume and press START/STOP. After more than 30 minutes without use, blinking speed buttons mean standby. Press START/STOP or turn the power dial OFF and back ON to wake it. This is a direct-drive model. | The platter begins turning after START/STOP. |
| Audio-Technica AT-LP60X | After assembly, check that its belt sits on the brass-colored motor pulley. Select the record size and speed, then press START. During playback, don't bump the player or change the record-size setting. Let the arm return to its rest on its own. | The platter turns and the tonearm moves across. |
| Fluance turntable with Auto-Stop | Select 33 or 45. If Auto-Stop is on, move the tonearm over the platter using your model's cueing steps. | The platter starts when the selected speed and tonearm position engage it. |
| Victrola Stream | Check that the platter belt is installed and select a speed with the speed knob. | The platter starts with its speed selected. |
| Electrohome RR75 | Turn the rear power switch on, then press the front POWER knob or the remote's POWER button. Check that the transit screw is fully lowered (clockwise), select PHONO and choose the speed. Remove the stylus protector, unlock the tonearm, raise the cueing lever and move the arm over the record. Lower the lever to play. | The platter starts as the tonearm moves over the record. |
If you have a Fluance turntable with Auto-Stop, select a speed and move the tonearm over the platter. Use Fluance's platter checks (opens in a new tab) if it still doesn't turn.
The platter never starts
Work through these checks in order.
If it never worked after assembly or a move, retrace that model's setup steps before ordering parts. A transport setting or an unfinished belt installation can be specific to one player. Don't turn an unfamiliar screw or pull off a platter to find out.
- Disconnect power and look over the cord and the connections you can reach. If anything is damaged, stop. If your player uses an AC adapter, make sure it's the one that came with it. If it's missing or you're not sure, ask the maker for the approved one for your model. The AT-LP60X has no power switch, so check its adapter connection. If the connections are undamaged and the outlet is safe to use, reconnect power and try the player's normal start control.
- Select the playback mode and speed your model requires, then use its start control. If the platter turns, the start setting was the issue. If it stays still, check whether Auto-Stop requires you to move the tonearm over the record.
- If the player is confirmed as belt drive, disconnect power. Put the stylus protector on, if it has one, and leave the tonearm on its rest before you touch the platter. Check only the belt placement your model's instructions make accessible. A belt that missed its pulley needs reseating along that model's path; a worn or damaged belt needs a replacement made for that model. On the AT-LP60X, remove the felt mat and lift the platter with your thumbs through its openings. Fit the belt without twisting it around the inner circle of the platter. Seat the platter, line up an opening with the brass-colored motor pulley and pull the belt onto it. The AT-LP60X belt diagrams (opens in a new tab) show the placement. Then finish any reset your model lists before reconnecting power. On the AT-LP60X, lift the tonearm and slowly turn the platter ten times by hand in the direction it normally turns (clockwise from above). Plug it back in with the stylus protector still on. If the platter starts turning by itself, press STOP without touching the tonearm and let the arm go back to its rest.
- For an AT-LP60X, remove the stylus protector after the arm returns to its rest. Try the normal start once more after reassembly. If the platter still doesn't turn, or it binds or scrapes, stop trying and contact the manufacturer or a turntable repair technician with the model number and the checks you completed. Get it diagnosed before you buy a motor.
Before you order a part or ship the player, read its warranty terms and find out whether a claim goes through the maker or the original seller. Ask for a written repair estimate that includes any diagnostic charge, the terms if you decline the work, and return shipping.
For Audio-Technica service in the US, a declined repair estimate costs $30 plus return shipping. Use Audio-Technica's repair service page (opens in a new tab) for the current process, and ask for packing directions for your exact model and which removable parts to include before sending it.
These details help the technician pick up where you left off.
Tick what applies and add details; the note above fills in as you go.
It starts, then stops or runs unevenly
First, notice whether the trouble happens with one record or with several. For slow or changing speed, check whether the record is warped and, on a belt-drive model, whether its belt is secure and in good condition. Sony's speed checks (opens in a new tab) cover those two checks for applicable turntables. If one record is warped, check how you store your vinyl records before putting it away. If the speed still wanders with a flat record and a good belt, contact the maker or a turntable repair technician.
If the platter scrapes, binds or repeatedly stalls, stop trying to play records. On the Fluance RT82, RT83, RT84 and RT85, a motor cap that sits incorrectly can rub the pulley; with power disconnected, its notch should line up with the arrow in the motor cut-out. If the cap won't seat normally or scraping continues, contact Fluance.
A hum, a click or a lit control won't pinpoint a failed part. Leave the cabinet and internal electrical work to qualified service people.
A couple of questions before you try more
Should I turn the platter by hand to reset it?
Only follow a reset made for your exact model. After power and belt checks on a Sony PS-LX310BT, remove any string holding the tonearm, raise it with UP/DOWN, slowly turn the platter ten times clockwise by hand, then lower the arm. On the AT-LP60X, keep power disconnected, lift the tonearm and slowly turn the platter ten times by hand in the direction it normally turns (clockwise from above) after fitting the belt. Reconnect power with the stylus protector still on. If the platter starts turning, press STOP without touching the tonearm and let it return to its rest.
Will a replacement belt be covered by warranty?
Check your own warranty before ordering. Fluance excludes consumable parts, including rubber belts, from its warranty; another maker's terms may differ.
Is stopping at the end of a record normal?
On the Electrohome RR75, the platter stops at the end but the tonearm stays where it is. Put the arm back on its rest and lock it after playing. If it stops early, try a few other records.
The platter turns but there's no sound
Once the platter turns normally, check the sound path. Select the right input on your amplifier or powered speakers and match the turntable's output setting to it.
On the AT-LP120XUSB, use PHONO for a phono input and LINE for AUX or another line input. PHONO into AUX or LINE can leave the sound silent or quiet. LINE into PHONO can make it too loud or distorted. Make sure the cartridge protector is off and the tonearm is lowered for playback. If the settings are right and it's still silent, follow that model's cartridge and stylus checks.
On the AT-LP60X, set PHONO for a phono input or LINE for an AUX or line input.
On the RR75, headphones plugged into the front jack switch off the built-in speakers. For an external system, connect its rear RCA output to an ordinary audio input, never PHONO, set the RR75's volume to 0 and adjust volume on the external system.
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