catch intocollecting vinyl group recordscan be one of the most fun and rewarding musical experience you’re able to have . Not only does the music vocalise great , but there ’s the haptic ritual oflowering the needleand read the arm and liner notes that makes a deep connection with the music and the artists .
One of the business deal - offs , however , is that part of that vinyl ritual is also the gearing ( liketurntables , speakers , andamplifiers ) and maintenance of it that can make the experience better and more merriment ( if you ’re into tinkering ) or a piece of a chore .
low-toned and behold , my vinyl - loving friends , there are turntable accessories and tools to help . From better cartridges andphono preampsfor coaxing the best sound from your lazy Susan to preciseness setup creature to check that everything ’s decent balanced , we ’ve put it all together in this roundup of the skillful add-on for turntables to take down up your spinning animation .
Neoteck Digital Turntable Stylus Force Scale Gauge
A stylus tracking force gauge ’s lone purpose is to verify the exercising weight that your lazy Susan ’s needle is pressing down on your record book is precise so you get the best sound and do n’t ruin your record book or stylus . Every cartridge manufacturer just sets the idealistic trailing violence for their stylus ( a quick Google hunt and you may find the free weight for most pickup out there ) , and while many modern turntable come with this already calibrated at the mill , there are a few reason you might want to catch a strength caliber . First , there ’s no guarantee that it ’s kept its right weightiness out of the boxful , and it ’s always good to be sure . Second , a gauge is the easygoing and most accurate way to lay and check force system of weights on a new turntable that you have to go down up yourself . Lastly , if you ever raise your style or cartridge down the route , this tool is priceless .
Femeli 304-gram Turntable Weight
Adding a record weightiness to your vinyl kit can do several things to assist ameliorate the sound of your records , and this stabiliser weight from Femeli is an inexpensive , middle - of - the - road option that ’s suitable for most . At a average 304 grams ( weights can straddle up to three pound ) , this weight will help dampen vibrations that can transplant from the record to the stylus while increasing the record ’s contact with the platter to prevent slippage . to boot , if you have records in your collection that are a minute falsify , a record system of weights will help flatten them to improve how the stylus tracks in the grooves . record book weights come in all frame and size of it , but we opt this one because of its low profile and power to fit under a closed dust cover . One note , though : there may be specific system of weights recommendations for your turntable . Too heavy can punctuate the motor , so check with your participant ’s manufacturing business .
Boundless anti-static record brush
An anti - static brushing is probably the shaft you will utilise the most when it do to keeping your phonograph record dust - free . You ’ll run this atomic number 6 - fiber - bristled gold rush over all your vinyl group before and after you play them . Electrically conductive , an anti - static brush will pick up everything from dust to pet pilus to other dust and lift it from your records to better maintain them and your style . To be clear , you do n’t have to buy this one , you may get them anywhere — your local track record workshop likely sells them with its logo on it . It ’s a must - have turntable accessory .
Pro-Ject Audio Cork it turntable mat
Your lazy Susan may or may not come with a platter mat in either the more vernacular rubber or mat varieties , and while the debate over which is the in effect rage on , many maintain that the honorable cloth for anti - slippage , sonorousness isolation , and static reduction is cork . Pro - Ject Audio is one of the good makers of turntables and audio gear in the business and this mat is well made , reasonably priced ( you’re able to chance them cheaper on Amazon ) , and also comes in a more expensiverubber - cork composite matthat offer additional anti - resonance property .
Fluance IB40 Isolation Base
Maybe you ’ve sensed a operative root word in some of these add-on suggestions : anti - resonance . With record players , unwanted oscillation are the enemy as turntable stylus and pickup are super - sensitive mechanisms that are not only adept at cull up all that affectionate sound inside a record ’s grooves , but can be affected by vibration in their surroundings , such as footsteps , rumbling from a nearby loudspeaker , and more .
One of the best fashion to combat this resonance and shaking is by placing your turntable ( or speaker or other components ) on top of an anti - resonance cornerstone like the Fluance IB40 Isolation Base . Competitively priced at just over $ 100 , the 10.5 - Irish punt , eminent - pile MDF Base is a substantial 2.4 - column inch thick , stable platform with adjustable , sound - isolating foot . And I can confirm that the Fluance Sound Isolation Base does a good job at lose weight vibrations to the turntable , let in safeguarding it from toilsome footstep that would otherwise cause the needle to decamp .
At roughly 17- by 15 - inch in size , it ’s perfectly sized for most turntables to fit on and can deal up to 25 pounds . It comes in three finishes to suit your desire aesthetic : pianoforte white , pianoforte pitch blackness , and walnut .
Record outer sleeves
This one ’s a bit of a no - brainer . Plastic outer criminal record sleeve are a enceinte way to protect your vinyl radical from detritus and other crud while they’rewaiting to be playedor stored , and they ’re cheap enough to keep on hand as your record collection grows . They ’re self-aggrandising enough to well check 12 - inch L-P , either individual or duple - disc varieties , and the plastic has the enduringness to last eld ( it ’s also clear enough to see the record album artwork beneath ) .
Mobile Fidelity anti-static inner record sleeves
The newspaper sleeves that come with most platter suck . They ’re abrasive and , over clip , the shrill shaping edge of your record can deflate through , leaving them vulnerable to chance event . These wakeful , three - ply charge card inner sleeve are trust in the industry for keeping records protected and static - free inside their outer composition board sleeve . Combined with the above - note outer sleeves , and you ’re well on your way topreserving your collection .
Pro-Ject Phono Box S2 phono preamp
Another style to greatly meliorate the phone of your turntable ( in add-on to upgrading your cartridge ) is by add an extraneous phono stage , aka a phono preamp , the chemical mechanism that withdraw the imperfect electrical signal from the turntable and makes it so it can be blow up .
Back in the day , most receivers had phono preamps built in ; hence the " phono " input selector on them , and you could stop up a turntable directly in . With vinyl group ’s resurgence , we ’re seeing more modernstereo pass catcher and integrated amplifiers(andpowered speakers ) include phono inputs again , but many still expect a lazy Susan to be connected through an AUX comment . For this connection , a phono stage must be used first . While manymodern turntable come with them build - infor easy connection , most of them are n’t , especially on budget turntables . It ’s somewhat dependable to say that unless it ’s a in high spirits - end deck , you ’re go to get a better , clean , and less noisy signal if you guide your turntable through one of thebest phono preampsfirst .
For that , one of the good and reasonably priced phono preamps we ’ve used is the Pro - Ject Phono Box S2 . A sub-$300 compact component that can be used for both MM and MC cartridge , the Phono Box S2 turn in audiophile - score sound at entry - level pricing . We ’ve tested this preamp ourselves and can affirm that its sound is super clean and disturbance free , due to its aluminium / metal sandwich construction that keeps interference at bay .
It ’s built like a llittle tank , well-heeled to connect with RCA cable television , and offer a switchable subsonic filter . There ’s not much else to say about it other than it will keep the affectionateness of your records , not alter the phone or color , and will improve clarity .
Ortofon 2M Red cartridge
One of the things we harp on a lot in ourturntable reviews , particularly for those buy their first turntables , is making sure that the deck you ’re buy has the ability to upgrade one of the most important part : the cartridge .
A good cartridge can be one of the good and most cost - effective ways of improving the speech sound and performance of any lazy Susan , from entranceway - tier to audiophile . Combined with the stylus , the pickup is responsible for for read and translate the modulations in the record ’s groove and turn it into an electrical signal that can then be amplify by your sound system or speaker . But they are not all created equal , and it ’s likely that if your first turntable was corrupt on a budget , one of the reasons it was cheesy than the rest is it cartridge . So let ’s remedy that right now .
Ortofon is one of the man ’s biggest and safe makers of high-pitched - conclusion phono pickup and components , and their 2 M moving attracter ( MM)range can be found on the practiced turntable in the human race . The 2 meter Redsits in the middle of that range , and its $ 100 cost make water it one of the best clap - for - buck pickup upgrades you ’re likely to regain . With the 2 M Red you ’ll notice much more balance and particular in your euphony , a wider and high soundstage , and good dynamics that make it more forgiving of a wide range of music .
Its spark plug - and - play connectivity makes it easy to go up on most headshells , and if and when you act the matter to the remnant of its lifetime ( roughly 1,000 60 minutes ) , you could replace the stylus for rough $ 90 . However , if you need to go even further with the upgrade , the pickup is compatible with the next - level2 M Bluefor and2 M Silverstyluses , if you ’ve got the extra Johnny Cash . Either way , it ’s an excellent acclivity that will better the underworld out of your lazy Susan . Do it .
Monolith by Monoprice 18- to 32-inch speaker stands
OK , so speaker stands are n’t directly assort to turntables , but they do contribute to the overall enjoyment and esthetical of your turntable and stereo setup , so we ’ll take into account it . able-bodied to hold back abookshelf speakerup to 75 pounds , a solidifying of speaker support is keen for getting your speakers off the ground , which lay them nearer to ear storey for ideal hearing and helps reduce resonance and vibrations speakers can channelize through the floor . These Monolith support feature article adjustable floor ear to further add to their anti - resonance attribute to serve with better sound ( see the isolation platform above ) . These pedestal are made of sturdy steel columns ( that can be filled with guts for extra anti - sonority ) and have a spacious level basis and rubber digs on the loudspeaker system platforms to keep your speakers unafraid and safe from sliding around or falling off . Available in 18- to 32 - column inch height .
OrigoDeco Vinyl Record Dividers
One of the bragging problems record collectors side is resolve what to spin . tack through your shelf or crates looking for intake is one manner to do it , but when that perfect album strikes you , finding it quickly can also be a pain if you have a sizeable collection . Cut right to the Salmon Portland Chase with these plywood , alphabetically - marked dividers that slew in between your vinyl radical vertically or horizontally . Now , all you have to do is make up one’s mind whether to put Bowie under D or B.
Spin-Clean record-washing kit
Unless your record collection consists of nothing but spanking newfangled or near - mint discs with nary a play under their channel , chances are you own a bunch that you turn over for at service department sales and used vinyl shop , or that you pulled out from under your uncle ’s stairs . Whatever the case , the groove in those older disc have likely piece up years of digit oil , weed smoke , dust , dirt , and world-wide grim that can make them cut , crackle , dad , and go loosely shitty . Not to refer that playing them can take a bell on your turntable ’s needle over time .
You might be surprised to read that you may wash your records , and one of most monetary value - effective and common tools for doing this is the trustworthy Spin - Clean kit . It kind of looks like a vainglorious xanthous wassailer for record , but basically , you fill up the base with water and the included alcoholic drink - loose cleaning solvent , insert the protective mat up scrubbers , insert your book and splay it several times in each direction for a deep clean . The composition record recording label is kept dry ( unremarkably ) and the Spin - sportsmanlike will accept 33 , 45 , and 78 record . It ’s a bit time - consuming , and youwillget loaded , but it can be a fun , soothing evening ’s worth of much - needed record maintenance that you’re able to do while take heed to records .
