When it comes to buying records, I’m sure we can all agree, it’s not always a walk in the park. The continuous hunt for vinyl-nirvana is a never-ending pilgrimage that lasts a lifetime. When I first started, buying records was somewhat of a minefield, and a learning curve, but over the years, I’ve developed several red-lines that a) help keep … Read More
MM PRO: The Sub $1000 Phono Preamp You Need to Hear
Having quietly lived with the MM Pro phono preamp for just under a year, has this become my new reference phono stage of choice for moving magnet cartridges? Michael Fidler’s Classic Audio brand of boutique all-through-hole-circuitry phono preamps has gained a strong reputation across the vinyl community over the last few years. His engineer-led, attention-to-detail approach and refreshing honesty when … Read More
Fosi Audio V3 Mono Triumphs After Blow Up? Full Review
Fosi Audio continues to make a name for itself, delivering audiophile-grade equipment at surprisingly wallet-friendly prices. The Fosi Audio V3 Mono amplifier aims to offer monoblock performance (usually reserved for high-end systems) in a compact, accessible package. Having been suitably impressed with their Audio Box X5 phono preamp, can they impress me again with the V3 Mono? Listening to Customer … Read More
Top Five Turntables Under $500 – Can You Still Get a Good One?
Over the years, getting a great turntable in this price range has become a challenge. There are so many options out there, and not all of them are worth your hard-earned cash. In addition, the cost of everything these days, just keeps going up – pushing turntables that were once available for well under the $500 price mark out of … Read More
Competition: Win a Twelve Inch Original – Invisible Vinyl Wall Display
To celebrate the launch of their new and improved record display adaptor, we’ve teamed up with Twelve Inch for your chance to win FOUR adaptors. These adaptors are perfect for displaying picture discs on a wall to deck out your listening space. The new version of Twelve Inch’s popular record display adaptor now features a beautiful cork front disc, which … Read More
Best Budget Phono Preamps for Amazing Sound
If you’re buying your first vinyl setup, you’ll need to make sure you have a phono preamp somewhere in the signal chain. In straightforward terms, a phono preamp amplifies the signal up to a level suitable for the AUX input on your Hi-Fi receiver. Also, it will apply an equalization curve to inverse the standard frequency adjustment made during the … Read More
Fosi Audio Box X5: Is it Worth the Hype? New Standard in Phono Preamps?
My first experience of Fosi Audio products was while reviewing the Box X2 tube phono preamp, and I was suitably impressed. For a phono stage costing as little as $70 (£65), it delivered a lively, energetic sound that I would happily recommend to anyone on a budget seeking their first upgrade from a built-in phono stage. Since then, Fosi Audio … Read More
Is The Album Dead? Are We Facing a World of Endless Singles & EPs?
When was the last time you listened to a full album from start to finish with no other distractions? If you’re a regular subscriber to this channel, there’s a good chance you actually do this quite often, but for most music fans, the process of active rather than passive listening is becoming increasingly rare. Just before Christmas, I put out … Read More
Ortofon 2M Red vs 2M Blue – Is it worth the upgrade?
The 2M series from Ortofon has, for many, become the de facto cartridge and styli range for the vinyl revival. The ubiquitous 2M Red, in particular, has rightly earnt a reputation as one of the best-sounding affordable cartridges on the market at just $99 or £95. Sound-wise, the performance is undoubtedly impressive across the 2M range, which is semi-modular to … Read More
Best Christmas Vinyl Records for Festive Cheer in 2025
The temperatures are dropping and the decorations are rising; it’s the most wonderful time of year once again and you’re starting to feel the festive cheer. Perfect… All you need now are some Christmas tunes to set the atmosphere. And what could be better than the warm and comforting sound of vinyl as you deck the halls and celebrate with … Read More