Top Vinyl Record Collecting Tips & Life Hacks

Marc HenshallCulture & Industry, Record Care4 Comments

Every vinyl record collector has a few tricks up their sleeve, a few hacks to make life easier and help them get back spinning records. In the following article, we share our top vinyl record collecting tips and some of the hacks we’ve learned along the way that help you preserve your collection, save money, and even avoid potential disasters … Read More

Parts of a Record Player – Turntable Anatomy Explained

Marc HenshallNew to Vinyl, Vinyl 1012 Comments

Record players and turntables are outstanding feats of engineering. I hear all the time from new vinyl collectors about how amazing they find the playback process of a vinyl record.  It’s little wonder folks find the mechanics of how a record player works so fascinating. After all, it’s a miracle the process even works at all! In the following guide, … Read More

Is it safe to clean vinyl records with alcohol?

Marc HenshallCleaning Vinyl, Record Care18 Comments

There is much debate among the vinyl community around the use of alcohol to clean vinyl records. Isopropyl alcohol, in particular, is popular with many collectors as a key ingredient in homemade record cleaning solutions. But is it safe? Some collectors swear by it, others warn of potential hazards. To help shed some light on the topic, we’ve done a … Read More

Fall Giveaway: Win a Sound Matters Designed Hoodie and T-Shirt of Your Choice

Marc HenshallNews1 Comment

As we start heading into the cooler months, we’re giving Sound Matters subscribers the chance to win one of our popular hoodie and t-shirt designs. The lucky winner can choose one hoodie and one t-shirt from the Sound Matters store. Our designs celebrate the continued resurgence in vinyl records despite the relentless progress of our digital age. Show your support … Read More

Guard Your Records Against Moisture with Desiccant Cards

Marc HenshallRecord Care1 Comment

When considering how to store our vinyl records for the long term, it’s essential to consider the humidity of your environment and the subsequent exposure to moisture. If the humidity of our storage location starts to exceed around 55% or higher, we run the risk of mold growing on the record sleeve (or worse, on the vinyl itself).  If practical, … Read More

How to Fix Split Seams on Record Jackets

Marc HenshallRecord Care1 Comment

If you buy a lot of used records, you’ll surely have encountered a record jacket or cover with a ripped or split seam. Aside from looking unsightly, split seams pose a real headache for collectors as the record can easily fall out of the sleeve, causing damage. Split seams are extremely common, and there are several ways to approach fixing … Read More

Speaker Placement Best Practice for Optimal Sound Quality

Marc HenshallNew to Vinyl, Tech Talk2 Comments

For the best possible sound quality, the location of your audio equipment matters. Even the most affordable set of speakers will benefit from proper speaker placement. You’d be surprised just how much you can improve the performance of the most humble setup by getting your speakers positioned just right.  So before you reach for your wallet and consider upgrading your … Read More

How to Position Your Turntable

Marc HenshallNew to Vinyl, Vinyl 1011 Comment

When setting up a HiFi system, every detail counts. Where you place your turntable in relation to the rest of your audio system is particularly important, as we’re dealing with a physical playback mechanism. Everything that comes into contact with your turntable or causes resonance will affect how the record tracks, and in turn, how your records sound. Today, we’ll … Read More

Classic Albums: Fleetwood Mac – Rumours

Marc HenshallClassic Albums3 Comments

Fleetwood Mac’s ubiquitous Rumours is the classic album that almost never happened. The story behind one of the biggest selling albums of all time is filled with tales of love, despair, anger, drugs, and revenge. The troubled relationships playing out during the album recording are well-known and arguably play a big part in making this such a timeless album.  What’s … Read More