Listen to Your Favorite Music Using a Stereo Console
If you have vinyl records that you want to listen to, you can play the tracks on an affordable console stereo. On eBay, you'll find large vintage stereo consoles with turntables that blend in with wooden furniture and small console turntables that fit on a desk.
What are the main stereo console components?Console stereo systems have multiple components that play records by working together. The main parts include:
- A turntable: The turntable is the base that holds all of the other audio parts. On a turntable, you'll find a rotating platter that spins a record and various knobs that control how quickly the mechanism rotates.
- A stylus/cartridge: This part is a transducer that's designed with electromechanical hardware. As a record spins on a platter, the stylus/cartridge uses a needle that transmits sound from a record through a speaker system.
- A tone arm: A tone arm keeps the needle steady on a spinning record. It has a mechanism that adjusts the shaft horizontally and vertically.
- An amp: This part helps a console produce a phono signal. A typical preamp is compatible with a classic speaker and stereo speakers.
On eBay, many turntables have features that give music fans opportunities to enjoy audio from other sources. Most stereo consoles have:
- An AM/FM radio: The AM/FM radio plays local radio stations. Both radio frequencies are transmitted from a stereo console using an antenna.
- A tape deck: A tape deck is often included with larger turntables that are docked within a cabinet. This deck can play classic tapes that have a solid housing or a clear housing.
A new or preowned stereo console plays many records that are traditional sizes. However, in order to spin some records, you'll have to put an accessory on the pole in the center of the deck to provide stability and support. A stereo console can spin and play:
- 12-inch records
- 10-inch records
- 7-inch records
Large stereo turntable cabinets are very long, and they usually have a base that's constructed of wood. The turntable hardware is typically positioned in the center of a large cabinet. On both sides of a cabinet, there is empty space for a stack of records. The main speakers are mounted inside a cabinet. However, sounds from the speakers fill a space efficiently because a cabinet's wooden housing doesn't block or restrict sound waves. You can find lots of vintage stereo cabinets on eBay, including affordable mid-century stereo consoles.
