The best record players for every listening style: Most music fans can agree on one thing: Some music just sounds better on vinyl. In fact, this is a large part of why record players have not disappeared, even as music has gone more digital. If anything, sales of turntables have gone up since 2010, with over 75 thousand sold in the US in 2020. Of course, record players aren’t just popular with audiophiles willing to spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on a luxury record player. They’re popular with college students, homeowners looking for a classy accessory for their living room, and mixmasters. As a result, there are a variety of different record players available on the market — and a whole range of prices, with some costing thousands of dollars. But, unless you’re a pro DJ or true audiophile, you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg to find one that delivers quality sound.
Technics announces new turntable, SL-1210G: Audiophile capabilities with DJ-inspired aesthetics – in a new sleek black finish. Technics is releasing a new version of its SL-1210G turntable, this October. A twin sister to its SL-1210GAE limited edition turntable, the SL-1210G incorporates audiophile level technology in a range that sits below its Reference class. …“We learned from the huge success of the limited edition SL-1210GAE, which was launched in June 2020 and almost immediately sold out,” says European Technics Product Manager Frank Balzuweit. “We realised there was high demand for a ‘regular’ black version of this flagship 1200 Series model. In its striking black finish, the new SL-1210G possesses genuine elegance.” Retailing for £3499, the SL-1210-G will be available in Europe from October 2021.
Looking to modernize your vinyl collection? Here are some digital options for your records: “…The revival of vinyl records has been growing in popularity for over a decade, which has prompted many companies to create new turntables that can connect to a computer. Making sure it has a USB interface isn’t the only thing to consider because the cost of new vinyl records can be two to three times that of the comparable CD or digital download. Vinyl records suffer from an affliction that doesn’t apply to its digital counterparts – they slowly deteriorate with each play and buying a cheap turntable can accelerate the degradation. The “needle” of a turntable rides in the grooves of the record and the mechanics that control this physical contact will have a huge impact on the health of your vinyl over the years.
Are vinyl records and custom t-shirts a good bundle idea for indie bands? …Aside from the fact that it has tons of fans from both old and new generations of music lovers, there are other more technical reasons why you should release your very own custom vinyl records. The format is known for the great sound quality it offers to its listeners. It also helps musicians deliver their songs in the nearest possible sound they want. However, these vinyl records should really be well taken care of. It’s a very impressionable physical format which means that external factors like dust and heat can damage the record and the sound it produces. Between digital and physical albums, physical albums are much more superior in terms of visual creativity since it does not only give a cover album space. But among the different physical album formats, the winner for this category would be the vinyl record.
Best Outer Record Sleeves for Maximum Protection: A crisp, brand new record straight off the production line is a beauty to behold. Untouched by the outside world, your new record arrives spotless and ready to provide years, decades, possibly generations of joy. Vinyl really is the best format for experiencing the album as an art form. But there’s a problem… As soon as we begin enjoying our new record, the signs of wear start to appear. Constant use, pulling the record in and out of storage, perusing the liner notes, and eventually sliding the record back afterward can quickly take its toll. Scuffed edges, ring wear, and scratches are all signs of outer record jacket wear we want to avoid if our investment is to stand the test of time. Nobody likes a dog-eared record. Inner sleeves protect the vinyl record, but if we want to preserve the artwork, we also want to invest in the best outer record sleeves. For recommendations on the best inner sleeves, check out our previous article. Today, we’ll list our personal recommendations of the best outer record sleeves to help preserve your album for many years to come.
Collingwood, ON | Keeping it vinyl: Mad Dog’s in Collingwood known for diverse selection of records: Shop sells everything from ABBA to Frank Zappa. More than three decades in the music business and Bob Madigan can still be shocked by the world of rock. The day after Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts died at the age of 80, Madigan was amazed by the longevity of two of the group’s other members, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, both of whom have a history of drug abuse. “How he’s dead and those other two survived, friggin’ kills me,” he said while sitting in Mad Dog’s Coffee and Vinyl Café on Hurontario Street. Madigan opened Mad Dog’s in 1991 during the CD revolution, but slid into vinyl after a trip to the U.K. in 1996. He said he sells everything ABBA to Frank Zappa. The big record companies are still producing vinyl albums, and now he’s known for his diverse selection and ability to track down albums for his customers, who are mostly 
Durango, CO | Vinyl revival: After three-year void, Durango now has a new record shop. It seems to me, that as of late, I’ve been complaining an inordinate amount. If you’ve been on the receiving end, I’m truly, mostly, sorry. It isn’t on purpose, and it certainly is not confined to a single topic. That said, it does tend to circle back toward the drastically shifting dynamics in the (no longer) sleepy southwestern town I’ve somewhat surprisingly called home for nearly 20 years. One of the many tendrils of frustration (along with the complete and utter absurdity surrounding the real estate market, local wage inequity and the incommensurate cost of living, the current maddening state of the pandemic, traveler vs. tourist, and on and on and on) was the absence of a real, proper 
I always suspected them of progressive transgressions, but hey—I was wrong, at least on 1969’s Spooky Two. No neo-classical rigmarole for these guys; some gussied up vocal hoohah, yes, but you never get the idea listening to them that they think they’re slumming by playing rock’n’roll and not Modest Mussorgsky. True, they were keyboard heavy, a frequent indicator of prog proclivities, but both Wright and Mike Harrison utilized their keyboards to rock, not to roll up into a little ball in embarrassment they weren’t Wagner.
Warsaw, PL | Elektra – reading room at the Mazowieckie Institute of Culture. Vinyl records, comics, albums: Hundreds of vinyl records, comic books and art albums on the shelves. Next to it there are comfortable armchairs, turntables with headphones, desks on the mezzanine, and stylish posters on the walls. In the renovated building of the Mazowiecki Institute of Culture at Elektoralna Street, a reading room for Elektra words and sounds was created. As the originators themselves say, Elektra is a 
12 Soundtracks You Need to Hear on Vinyl: Despite the convenience of digital technology, an increasing number of music fans are turning to – or returning to, as the case may be – vinyl as their preferred method of listening to and purchasing albums. As Variety recently reported, vinyl sales soared nearly 30% in the U.S. last year, outpacing CDs for the first time since the mid-80s, and the movie soundtrack genre has benefitted greatly from that unlikely resurgence. Adding fuel to this comeback story are a number of specialty labels, like Waxwork Records and Mondo’s Death Waltz Recording Company, that cater specifically to film buffs and soundtrack collectors. And that’s understandable when you consider the many practical and aesthetic similarities between vinyl and traditional 35mm film. After all, both are analog formats, beloved for the warmth and richness of their sound and image, and both inspire nostalgic feelings based on our formative listening and viewing histories. So if you’re looking to build or expand your own soundtrack collection, here are 12 titles that deserve 
