Record Player Stands: The 4 Best Turntable Stands
If you’re going to be using your record player daily or even weekly, a high-quality turntable stand is definitely a worthwhile investment. Your stand acts as a safe surface for your record player to rest on, but there’s more to it than that. A well-made turntable stand can level up your home’s decor, offer extra storage for your favorite records, and even help you keep cables hidden from view.
In this post, we’ll be walking you through everything you need to know to pick the right stand for your record player. In addition, we’ll rank our four favorite turntable stands based on budget, build quality, design, and functionality.
Why You Need a Turntable Stand
There are several key reasons to invest in a stand for your record player. Let’s go over some of the biggest selling points.
A Stand Keeps Your Turntable Safe
Record players are fragile contraptions that need to be protected. Without a sturdy surface to rest on, your turntable is likely to get exposed to dust and dirt, as well as the fingers of your kids and the paws of your pets. Your stand can keep your turntable and its delicate components out of the reach of little ones, both for their safety and the record player’s safety!
A Stand Provides a Resting Place for Your Monitors and Preamp
Unless you’re using a turntable with built-in amplification and onboard speakers, you’re going to need a stand for more than just your record player. Your monitors, also known as your speakers, are the external sources of sound that link up to your record player and make your albums audible. Without external speakers, most record players can’t make sound at all.
In addition to speakers, you may need an external preamp set up between your record player and your speakers. This preamp boosts the input volume, or gain, of the sound of your records, allowing the signal to be carried through the speakers.
Some turntables have built-in preamps, meaning they only require passive, or unpowered, speakers to work. Other turntables, however, will either need to be hooked up to an external preamp and a pair of passive speakers or connected to active, or powered, speakers.
All of that extra gear ends up being just as important to your listening experience as your turntable, and it all needs a place to sit. The best place to put your monitors is at ear level, which makes a stand the perfect place for them. Ideally, you should have two monitors set up to the left and right of your turntable to get stereo sound.
Stands Serve as Decor
A record player stand isn’t just there for function – it’s for form, too. A record player stand should fit the overall aesthetic and decor of the room that it’s in, acting as both furniture and decor. All of the stands that we’ve ranked below look great, but they’re also designed well and built to be sturdy.
Some turntable stands are definitely built with form over function in mind, but we think the best options are the ones that have a mix of both.
Now, without further ado, let’s rank the best turntable stands on the market.
Best Stand for Minimalist Decorators – The Liam Console Cabinet
This all-white turntable stand measures 60 inches long, which means it has ample surface area for your record player, speakers, and more. The Liam Console Cabinet also comes with three partitioned cubbies that are perfectly proportioned to hold vinyl records. The cubbies are tall enough for records to be stored in rows, not stacks, which is the best way to keep your LPs from getting warped.
At just over $220, the Liam Console Cabinet is relatively cheap for such a large piece of furniture. We’ve added to this list based on its aesthetic appeal, minimalist design, and overall sturdiness of build. It’s also an excellent pick for anyone with a relatively flexible budget.
Best Stand for Design and Build – West Elm Mid-Century Buffet/Media Console
This is one gorgeous piece of furniture. However, at almost $800, it’s definitely not going to be getting any awards in the budget-friendly department. Made completely out of durable, ethically-sourced wood, this cabinet features several small drawers and a rear-cut wire hole, making it just as functional as it is stylish.
We recommend the West Elm Mid-Century Buffet for anyone with a highly flexible budget and a penchant for mid-century modern decor. In addition, the console is probably best for relatively small record players, as it doesn’t have the same surface area as the Liam Console Cabinet or the others on this list. However, with a 40-inch width, it’s still long enough for a decent-sized record player and some small speakers.
Best Stand for a Tight Budget – Manhattan Comfort Tribeca Mid-Century Modern Stand
This media stand has a distinctly modern look that pairs perfectly with just about any turntable. It’s also the most affordable entry on our list. Running between $100 and $150, the Manhattan Comfort Tribeca Mid-Century Modern Stand is an excellent choice for record collectors who need to save their pennies.
The stand comes equipped with multiple shelves and storage nooks, as well as cutouts for cables. These features make it easy to store a few of your favorite records inside for extra convenience and hide the cords that run from your turntable, speakers, and other gear.
However, while we’re big fans of this stand’s price tag and good looks, it’s not as functional as the others on our list. The shelves aren’t an ideal size for record storage, so we don’t recommend trying to cram too many albums into them.
Sturdiest Build – Pangea Audio Vulcan Four-Shelf Audio Rack
Pangea Audio is known for putting out high-quality gear, and this shelf is no exception. Each of its racks is capable of holding around 75 pounds, which means you’re able to load the Vulcan up with about 300 pounds of audio gear. That’s enough load-bearing capacity for dozens of turntables, so you shouldn’t have to worry about weighing down this sturdy stand!
In addition to holding plenty of weight, the Vulcan was designed with audiophiles in mind. The shelf has an open-air build, which, as many sound geeks will know, is ideal for ventilating electronics and keeping them from overheating. In addition, the Vulcan is modular, meaning you can add or subtract shelves from it at your leisure. The ability to configure this shelving unit any way you like makes it the most versatile turntable stand on this list.
Want More Advice on Record Collecting?
If you’re always looking for new ways to improve your vinyl listening experience, we highly recommend checking out our blog. There, you’ll find plenty of helpful tips relating to records, turntables, speakers, and everything in between. In addition, make sure to visit our store, which is packed with LPs from every genre imaginable – a record collector’s dream come true.
Sources:
How to Use a Record Player: Step-By-Step Guide [Upd. 2021] | Prime Sound
Session 6: Media Collections | NEDCC
How To Connect Your New Turntable to Any Audio System | NY Times