Vinyl coverage tends to split into two camps. One treats records as a lifestyle accessory, all mood lighting and suitcase players. The other treats them as an engineering problem, all tracking force and tonearm resonance. Most people who actually buy records live somewhere in between. They want a setup that sounds good without a second mortgage, records that stay clean, and a straight answer about what is worth owning.
This hub is for them. Start with the turntable guide if you are building a first system, because the most common mistakes happen before the first record goes on: a deck without a built-in phono preamp plugged into speakers that expect one, or a good turntable let down by the speakers it feeds. After that, the order matters less. The care guide will save more records than any upgrade, and the design pieces explain why the record player has always been half machine and half furniture.
We also cover the culture around the format, from Soviet records cut onto x-ray film to the listening bars that grew out of Japan's jazz kissa, and the reissues that justify the shelf space. Every link below goes to something we have published, with one line on why it is worth your time.
Start here
- Best Turntables for Beginners: six decks from the plug-and-play Audio-Technica AT-LP60X to the upgradeable Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2, with the phono preamp question explained.
- Record Care Essentials: why a clean record on a modest deck beats a dirty one on an expensive deck, and six ways to keep yours clean.
Buying guides
- AT-LP120XUSB vs Fluance RT82: the most common step-up decision, settled by the amplifier you already own.
- Best Powered Speakers for Turntables: five speaker systems worth building a record setup around, and what to know about phono preamps first.
- Marshall Acton IV: the one-box option, now with a proper turntable input and multi-room support.
- Gifts for Vinyl Collectors: ten ideas that beat guessing at a wants list, from the Ortofon 2M Red cartridge to a Zerodust stylus cleaner.
Deep dives: the turntable as design object
- Dieter Rams: Braun SK4: the record player under clear acrylic, nicknamed Snow White's Coffin, and its legacy of honest design.
- Bang & Olufsen Beosystem 3000c: 100 original 1985 Beogram 3000 turntables rebuilt by hand in Denmark.
- Ruka Studio TD-1: a machined aluminum vertical turntable from former Apple engineers, with auto-calibrated tracking force.
- Focal Diva Alta Utopia: Focal and Naim replace the hi-fi rack with two very tall speakers that carry their own amplification.
- APC-2: a 308-pound lathe of aluminum and granite that cuts playable vinyl in real time.
Record culture
- Bone Music: banned jazz and rock and roll cut onto used Soviet x-ray film, and how Stephen Coates uncovered the history.
- Listening Bars: from the jazz kissa of postwar Japan to American nightlife, and how to tell a real one from a copy.
- Tiny Vinyl: four-inch records that count toward RIAA Gold and Platinum, which matters more than the novelty.
- Atonemo NTS Radio Player: a screen-free box that plugs into your speakers and hands the music to NTS's DJs.
Latest reissues and news
- Mojave 3, Ask Me Tomorrow: 4AD's first pressing of the album since 1995, mastered at Abbey Road with a new sleeve.
- Aphex Twin, Drukqs: Warp's 25th anniversary vinyl reissue, due November 13, 2026, with a limited four-LP box set.
- Otto A Totland, Pinô: the 2014 piano album recorded so close you hear the felt and hammers, back on vinyl from Sonic Pieces.
- The Orb, Auntie Aubrey's Excursions pt.3: on vinyl for the first time as a limited opaque white 4xLP.
- Pixies, Complete B-Sides: remastered from the original analog tapes and pressed to vinyl for the first time, with a side of live tracks.
What to put on the platter
Our label and genre starter guides now live together in the Electronic Music Labels hub. If you want one place to begin, the Warp, Kranky and Factory guides each pick ten records that explain the label.
Where to go next
- Home Studio Hub: starter gear, studio headphones, synths and samplers.
- Electronic Music Labels Hub: starter guides to Warp, Kranky, Mute, Factory and the scenes around them, plus new ambient and electronic records.
- Sneakers & Style Hub: heritage boots, raw denim, workwear and the stories behind the sneakers.
- Desk & Everyday Carry Hub: everyday carry, mechanical keyboards, minimalist and repairable tech, bags and watches.
- Design & Art Hub: Dieter Rams, the design books worth owning, patient makers and the artists worth knowing.
- Film & Games Hub: A24 horror, restored cult films, new releases and games that do more with less.
- The Unknowndivide Buying Guides: every guide on the site in one list.
- Incoming: the records, gear and films still on their way.
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