Does the turntable break in over time?
Over the course of the first hundred hours, the bearing and the thrust plate seat. A small dimple, approximately 1/32″ deep will wear into the thrust plate. This is the normal equalization of forces and is common in all turntables with a thrust/ball bearing architecture. During the break-in period, you will want to observe your VTA/SRA adjustment – moving your tonearm down as the thrust ball nests into the thrust plate. Interestingly, we have found no difference in thrust wear between thrust plate materials as “soft” as Delrin and hard as stainless steel and brass. We use Delrin because of its excellent balance of sonics, low friction, and high durability. We have also observed the oil break in over the first 12 hours of operation. After this, the sound “loosens up” and the music breathes with more dynamic ease.
