Victrola Record Player Sounds Distorted? (Easy Fix!)

If your Victrola record player sounds distorted, and you don’t know why, this guide will help you out!

The audio distortion with turntables can appear due to numerous reasons, some of which include the record itself, the stylus, tracking force, the platter, the belt, and much more…

So, in this guide, we’ll go over everything that could produce audio thutter, and help you resolve this!

Victrola Record Player Sounds Distorted – (Quick Fix in 7 Steps!)

Tip: We strongly recommend testing for audio distortions while listening through the built-in record player speakers, since wireless or wired output can cause additional sound issues.

1. Level Out the Victrola Turntable

If the sound from your Victrola record player is distorted, one of the main suspects is the leveling of the turntable.

When the surface beneath the record player is uneven, this may cause inner groove distortion and your records can sound weird since the tracking force of your needle (aka stylus) is not balanced.

So, the first thing to do is relocate your Victrola turntable to a perfectly leveled (solid) surface and avoid positioning the turntable on carpets. 

If you have a leveler, you can take this step further and verify that your turntable is perfectly leveled and not wobbly.

• In addition, we recommend using the adjustable feet to remove any movement in the stand.

Warning: Using your record player in an unleveled position for long, might damage your vinyl records!

2. Balance the Tonearm’s Tracking

The sound distortions on your Victrola record player are mainly caused by the stylus, especially when the tracking force is too much or too low.

This is the force that the needle contacts the record’s grooves and when it’s too hard, the playback might include a severe thutter.

You can adjust the tracking force to perfection by using the counterweight on the back of the tonearm, which is a delicate procedure and requires some patience.

Here are the steps for adjusting the tracking force on the Victrola record player:

1. Acquire an Allen wrench and locate the counterweight.
2. Using the wrench, release the tracking force of the arm.
3. Now you can remove the tonearm from the holder unit.
4. Next, you need to rotate the weight to balance the arm.
5. Then, you must hold the weight and only rotate the ring.
6. The target is to get exactly 0 on the weight number ring.
7. You must then perform exactly 1 and a half ring rotations.
8. Hence, starting from 0, surpassing 0, and stopping at 1.
9. When the tracking force is set, tighten the weight firmly.

Reminder: When ready, don’t forget to set the anti-skate knob to 1.5, which is the recommended value for this tracking force adjustment.

3. Align the Tonearm’s Cartridge 

If you are still hearing the Victrola vinyl player sound thutter, then you definitely need to inspect and align the cartridge via the alignment protractor.

The protractor should have been supplied with the turntable.

This is an easy way to find out whether your tonearm and cartridge are positioned and aligned correctly, otherwise your stylus might be missing the record’s grooves.

Here’s how to use the alignment protractor to adjust your tonearm and cartridge:

1. Remove any records from the Victrola turntable.
2. Position the alignment protractor on the spindle.
3. Put your tonearm in the center of both grids.
4. Check if the cartridge is parallel to the grid lines.
5. If not, rotate the cartridge until it is precisely set.
6. To rotate the cartridge you must undo the screws.
7. Finally, you can remove the alignment protractor.

Important: Don’t forget to tighten the screws on the cartridge when you’re ready with aligning its position!

4. Inspect & Clean Victrola’s Platter

If you still can’t get rid of the sound distortion on your Victrola record player, it’s time to proceed with some inspections and cleaning. 

One of the fundamental pieces to inspect is the platter’s up-facing surface, on which you position the vinyl records.

If you notice any dust, debris, or tiny particles you must remove them by using a microfiber cloth, since this might damage your record and cause sound thutter.

Another crucial component is the spindle, which must be free of dust accumulation or wrapped hair, or the vinyl record might spin in a wavy motion causing the distortion.

Note: When using liquid to clean the platter, be careful not to moisten the motor under the record’s platter.

5. Clean the Stylus and your Record

The stylus is where the magic happens!

The so-called “needle” is the component of your Victrola record player that picks up the vibrations from the record’s grooves and turns them into music.

Hence, if your stylus is damaged, this will not only lead to audio distortions and thutter but also damage the grooves on your vinyl records.

If you don’t have a replacement stylus to test with, the only thing you can do is gently clean the tip of your needle and wipe clean the grooves on your records.

Then you can test whether the sound distortions are still there!

Try a Different Vinyl Record!

One more thing to attempt, which will rule out a lot of possibilities is to test via a different record, preferably a new one, which will pinpoint where the issue comes from.

If you hear audio thutter on a new vinyl record, this generally shows that the problem is with the turntable, not the record.

However, if you don’t hear the distortions on different records, your old record’s grooves may be worn out.

6. Verify that the Belt is Not Misplaced

Sometimes the belt of the Victrola record player comes partially loose from the underside of your platter, which leads to a wavy and wobbly rotation motion.

In turn, this causes higher and lower pressure of the needle onto the record’s grooves, producing constant distortions and sound thutter in your audio output.

The only way to fix this is by manually re-installing the belt on the platter and motor!

Here are the detailed instructions:

1. First, unplug your Victrola record player from the power.
2. Remove the little ring holding your platter to the spindle.
3. Now you should gently lift up the platter and put it aside.
4. The belt will come loose from the motor on the top right.
5. Inspect whether the belt is ripped, damaged, or broken.
6. If not, stretch the belt and wrap it around the platter ring.
7. Info: You can find the platter’s ring on the underside of it.
8. When the belt is firmly wrapped around, flip over the platter.
9. Hover the platter just above the spindle but don’t insert it yet.
10. With your fingers, pinch the belt on the motor’s right side.
11. Attach the stretched part of the belt to the motor’s spinner.
12. You can release the belt and put the platter on the spindle.

When ready, the motor and inner ring of the platter must be connected with the belt, which will spin the platter upon playing the record player.

Note: If the belt is worn out and overstretched it may come loose again, which will either stop the platter from spinning or cause audio distortion.

7. Troubleshoot the Wired/Wireless Signal

If you don’t hear audio distortions from your Victrola record player’s built-in speakers, then the problem is not in your turntable, but rather your speakers/wireless device.

Hence, to solve the issue, based on the type of connected audio output, you need to troubleshoot by using the steps that match your setup.

Troubleshooting Wireless Connection:

If you have connected a wireless speaker to your Victrola record player, and you hear audio distortions, there are a couple of things you can attempt:

• Move your wireless speaker closer to Victrola.
• Forget and reconnect the wireless connection.
• Turn off nearby devices using Bluetooth or RF.
• Test via connecting different wireless speakers.

Troubleshooting Wired Audio Output:

If you hear audio distortions from your Victrola record player, only when connected via wire (AUX or RCA), the problem is either with the speaker or cables.

• Disconnect and then re-plug all the cable connectors firmly.
• Verify that the ports/connectors are not obstructed or bent.
• Ensure the cables are not ripped, twisted, or under pressure.
• Switch from RCA to AUX or vice versa to test the distortion.
• Connect proven-to-work speakers to your Victrola turntable.

That’s it. If you still hear distortions, we recommend taking your turntable for inspection by a professional!