Accessories

You can spend hundreds of pounds on accessories for your turntable, HiFi, and record collection. Here are some of my takes on the main accessories that come up again and again…

Brushes - You can't avoid dust on your records, but keeping them as dust-free as possible will improve the lifespan of your records and your stylus/needle. One of the first things you should buy is a soft brush for removing dust from your records before playing them. I've had a few over the years velvet, stiff fibres, and have settled on this soft brush...  LINK

Outer sleeves - essential for keeping your outer sleeve / covers in good condition. Sliding in and out and moving around on shelves for years will rub them down eventually. If you think of a classic record you almost always picture creases on the spine, a visible outline of the vinyl disc and some of the artwork being rubbed down. Something like this will slow that down… LINK

Inner sleeves - essential for keeping your vinyl record in good condition. You'll want plastic-lined paper, or rice paper. Anything that doesn't release paper fibres over time… LINK

Cleaning Kit - medium/long-term purchase for physically washing your records… LINK

Record Weight (aka disc stabilisers, pucks, center weight) - pros, some of these look cool. Cons, most people can't hear the difference, and they're another thing to remove and add every time you put on, or flip, a record.

Replacement mats - cork, felt, rubber, acrylic, leather... Better tone, deeper bass, vibration dampening... The jury is out for me but some people swear by them.

'Now Playing' stand - aesthetically pleasing seeing the artwork displayed while you're listening to a record.

Speaker isolation - pads, stands, foam... Anything to reduce the speaker vibrations from hitting your turntable. Usually required if your turntable is in close proximity to your speakers, and it skips when being played at higher volumes. Lightweight - any foam pad or mat cut to size. Chunky but effective - LINK

Turntable isolation - similar to the speaker ones, will prevent the needle from jumping when things make your stand rumble, or when the floor bounces as someone walks past it.

HiFi Stand - Whether it's the top of an Ikea Kallax, or a bespoke custom-made unit, having somewhere to prominently display your turntable and records is pretty cool.