According to the audiophile staff at my local record store, you only need three types of equipment to get started in listening to records.
Did you know that his year there have been more vinyl records sold than CD music?
A Record Player
The first place to start is with a good quality record player. Think Audio Technica, Pioneer or Sony. Here are some videos that might help you with your buying decisions:
Two Speakers
You’ll need a decent pair of speakers to translate the audio material (aka signal) into a crisp and accurate audio sound wave. A speaker is a diaphragm that consists of a cone, magnet and voice coil.
There are 3 types of consumer audio speakers:
- near-field – small room and suitable for close and intimate listening
- mid-field – medium-sized rooms, often place further back from the listeners
- far-field – larger rooms, heavy metal and headbanging music
You may like to start with one speaker and then expand your setup as your budget allows. Well-known brands you might like to consider are Audio Technica, Bose, JBL, Pioneer, Sony, and Yamaha.
An Amplifier
Your speakers will need an amplifier (aka amp) to work. If your speakers don’t have a built-in amp, then you might require a dedicated and separate amp. If you aren’t sure whether you are buying active or passive speakers then have a chat to your sale person for specialist advice. You might want to buy the same brand as your speakers. (Don’t forget to make sure you have all of the right cords to connect everything together).
Collecting records
Once you are happy with record player set up, then you might like to consider purchasing some records to kick off your collection. If you want to start collecting records, the first pressed ones are the best.
Here’s a handy video about everything you need to know about Handling, Cleaning, Playing records or LPs.
If you are ready to start listening to records or want to dust off your collection you may like to check out the range at your independent record shop or JB Hi-Fi.
You might like purchase your records online via any of these well-known websites:
But you don’t need to splash out on new equipment, you might like to consider buying second-hand off Facebook or Gumtree (but just make sure you test it out before you take it home). Look for equipment that is heavy to lift up, as metal cases lead to better sound over light plastic cases.
You might even be tempted to delete your music apps, so you can listen to an album a couple of times and appreciate the way the music as it was intended to be heard.
Listening to records has stood the test of time and is here to stay.
Please leave a comment and tell us about your record system set up and what records you’re enjoying.
