Vinyl Listening Accessories and Tips

Photograph: Art Pro Audio

Before you plug into your system, the main accessory your turntable may need is a phono preamp if it’s not built-in. Phono preamps take the turntable’s naturally quiet signal and bring it up to line level—the level your stereo expects from CD players, tape decks, and digital devices. The phono signal is usually passed to the amp through the red and white RCA inputs on the back. There are plenty of good, cheap options for phono preamps. We like the Art DJPreII ($65). The Rolls VP29 ($59) is another good one, while U-Turn’s Pluto 2 ($109) is the same as what’s built in to some of its top turntables. I wouldn’t spend less than $50, but you don’t need to spend crazy money either. You can skip the ones that cost hundreds of dollars until you have a nicer turntable, but if you want to upgrade further, I like the Cambridge Audio Alva Solo preamp ($199).

If you want ultra-simple speakers that pair brilliantly with your luxe turntable (especially the Orbit Theory), U-Turn’s Ethos speakers ($449) are an intriguing option. Reviewer Ryan Waniata had admittedly low expectations at first. Their design is stout and stylish, but there’s no app or remote, and their dearth of inputs (just 3.5-mm, RCA, and Bluetooth 5.1) provides less versatility than most powered bookshelf speakers. The minor hum on powering up is a telltale sign of their potent toroidal transformer, while A/B amplification keeps vinyl in the analog realm. Their sweet sound signature provides depth, instrumental texture, and rushing dynamics. He adored them for records like my go-to tester, Brubeck’s Take 5, though he wished for some EQ to chill things out on brighter Japanese Beatles pressings. Therein lies the rub. You’ll get modest inputs and controls, but if you’re after daring analog simplicity at its purest, the Ethos deliver.

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

If you want more adaptable speakers, you’ll find great options in our Best Bookshelf Speakers and Best Audiophile Gear guides (also linked above), as well as amplifiers and other gear.

Other basics you’ll need are tied to maintenance and setup. You’ll want a record brush (often included with turntables), a way to clean your stylus, and a level to make sure your turntable is set up properly. Check out this video to see exactly what you need to do before you play your first record. Additionally, WIRED Contributing Editor Chris Haslam is currently testing a record unwarping device, so we’ll be sure and add that soon if it ends up working as planned.

Lastly, if you need a place to store all those LPs and 45s you’ve been buying, try a Flipbin. The company makes handsome table-top bins for safely displaying and protecting your records. Check out our Best Vinyl Accessories guide for more.