Awesome Gifts for Vinyl Lovers
Getting a gift for a record collector is easy, and there are virtually endless options to choose from.
Whether it’s a holiday, a birthday, or another special occasion, there’s always a no-brainer, go-to gift for vinyl fanatics: records. But what do you get for a vinyl fan who already has a massive collection?
In this post, we’ll go over the best gifts to get the audiophile in your life this year. From turntables to accessories to decorations to storage, we’ve gone through everything a record collector will love and compiled it here.
1. A Big, Beautiful Record Storage Shelf
If you’re looking for a gift for someone with a growing record collection, there’s no better choice than some aesthetically pleasing storage.
Record collectors are all about the look and feel of their music. And, in many cases, the same people who obsess over their favorite LPs have a knack for all things visual – design, decoration, organization, and giving a space a tangible vibe. A high-quality record shelf gives an audiophile the chance to embrace their blossoming interior design skills, all the while providing space to store hundreds of albums.
Choose massive shelves that are capable of holding several dozen records at once. Plus, they look great and serve as excellent decorative and functional pieces. High-quality shelves are designed with records and other physical media in mind, and they make fantastic gifts.
If you’re feeling creative, you can even build your own record storage unit for a friend or family member who loves vinyl. All you need is some good wood, tools, and a workspace, and you’re set!
2. A Vinyl Weight
Vinyl weights are handy little tools that are used to hold records in place while they spin. The purpose of a weight is to increase the stability and steadiness of a spinning record, producing a more consistent sound. If you’re looking for a gift for someone who’s always trying to improve their turntable setup, a weight is a great choice!
Weights for turntables average between 30 and 50 dollars, but they’re small enough to be a perfect stocking stuffer.
3. A New Cartridge
Audiophiles and vinyl enthusiasts love to level up their equipment. The promise of better sound and a more elusive listening experience is enough to make record collecting a never-ending journey – there’s always a new way to make records sound even more incredible!
Because of the modular nature of a turntable, vinyl fans have the unique opportunity to customize their audio setups to their liking. One of the best and most popular ways to make improvements to a turntable is by upgrading the cartridge.
The cartridge is the part of the turntable that houses the stylus, also known as the needle. As the stylus rides in the grooves of a record, it vibrates at specific frequencies, mimicking the recording etched onto the record. These frequencies are then picked up by the cartridge, which sends them to the tonearm, then to the preamp. Once the signal reaches the preamp, it’s ready to hit your speakers and then be heard.
As you can imagine, the entire process of getting sound from a record rides on a good cartridge. A low-quality cartridge can ruin your listening experience, making records sound noisy, distorted, and inconsistent. Likewise, a great cartridge can transform the way a record sounds, getting you that warm, analog audio that records are so famous for.
A new cartridge for a record player can cost thousands of dollars, but it’s not necessary to shell out that much on a gift – unless it’s for a vinyl collector who is really, really special to you. Instead, you can invest in a high-quality cartridge that costs a few hundred dollars. This might not be the greatest cartridge in the world, but it can still level up the sound quality that a record produces.
3 Cartridges to Check Out
If you want to give a vinyl collector a cartridge, we’ve got some recommendations to look at:
4. A Great Preamp
Like the cartridge, the preamp plays an essential role in getting great sound from your turntable. Without a preamp, the signal that your cartridge picks up will be barely audible, even when attached to a pair of passive speakers. Thanks to your preamp, you’ll get that analog sound that you’re looking for!
Some turntables are made with built-in preamps, while others are not. If your turntable doesn’t have a preamp included in its build, you’ll need a standalone phono box or a pair of active speakers. We’re fans of pairing a phono box with passive speakers – this configuration gives you the chance to modify your audio setup as much as you want by keeping the speakers and preamp separate.
In addition to making your records audible, preamps can add warmth, color, and saturation to your sound. While some of them can be incredibly expensive, others are much more accessible – and still high-quality!
5. Record-Cleaning Gear
Keeping LPs in good condition is one of the essentials for a long-lasting record collection. At The Sound of Vinyl, we’re big fans of Vinyl Styl’s LP Deep Cleaning System, which comprises a specialized brush, cleaning pad, and a bottle of cleaning fluid. Using Vinyl Styl’s system, any record collector can easily maintain their LPs, keeping them free of dust, dirt, and debris.
Level Up Your Gift With Some Extra Goodies
If you’re not crazy about wrapping gifts, we’ve got a great alternative for you – give your favorite audiophile their present in a signature Sound of Vinyl Tote Bag! These totes are perfect for taking to a local record store and shopping without using disposable plastic bags. Plus, they’re stylish, simple, and made from 100% organic cotton.
In addition, if you want to throw in a cute little extra item to your gift bag, grab one of SOV’s premium throw pillows. Emblazoned with “home is where the record collection is,” this pillow is the perfect little piece of decor for any audiophile’s home.
Want More Info About Records, Turntables. and More?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all this record-related information, we’ve got all the resources you need on our Vinyl 101 blog. There, you’ll find all the info you need to pick out the perfect gift for a vinyl lover in your life!
Sources:
Definition of audiophile | PCMag
Vinyl: Is it better than streaming or should we stay digital? | Sound Guys
How record players and gramophones work | Explain that Stuff