Getting into collecting vinyl records can be one of the most fun and rewarding musical experiences you can have. Not only does the music sound great, but there's the tactile ritual of lowering the needle and studying the sleeve and liner notes that makes a deeper connection with the music and the artists.
One of the trade-offs, however, is that part of that vinyl ritual is also the gear (like turntables, speakers, and amplifiers) and maintenance of it that can make the experience better and more fun (if you're into tinkering) or a bit of a chore.
Low and behold, my vinyl-loving friends, there are turntable accessories and tools to help. From better cartridges and phono preamps for coaxing the best sound from your turntable to precision setup tools to make sure everything's properly balanced, we've put it all together in this roundup of the best accessories for turntables to level up your spinning life.
A stylus tracking force gauge's sole purpose is to make sure the weight that your turntable's needle is pressing down on your records is accurate so you get the best sound and don't ruin your records or stylus. Every cartridge manufacturer precisely sets the ideal tracking force for their styluses (a quick Google search and you can find the weight for most cartridges out there), and while many modern turntables come with this already calibrated at the factory, there are a few reasons you might want to grab a force gauge. First, there's no guarantee that it's kept its correct weight out of the box, and it's always good to be sure. Second, a gauge is the easiest and most accurate way to set and check force weight on a new turntable that you have to set up yourself. Lastly, if you ever upgrade your stylus or cartridge down the road, this tool is invaluable.
Adding a record weight to your vinyl kit can do several things to help improve the sound of your records, and this stabilizer weight from Femeli is an inexpensive, middle-of-the-road option that's suitable for most. At a medium 304 grams (weights can range up to three pounds), this weight will help dampen vibrations that can transfer from the record to the stylus while increasing the record's contact with the platter to prevent slippage. Additionally, if you have records in your collection that are a bit warped, a record weight will help flatten them to improve how the stylus tracks in the grooves. Record weights come in all shapes and sizes, but we chose this one because of its low profile and ability to fit under a closed dust cover. One note, though: there may be specific weight recommendations for your turntable. Too heavy can stress the motor, so check with your player's manufacturer.
An anti-static brush is probably the tool you will use the most when it comes to keeping your records dust-free. You’ll run this carbon-fiber-bristled godsend over all your vinyl before and after you play them. Electrically conductive, an anti-static brush will pick up everything from dust to pet hair to other debris and lift it from your records to better maintain them and your stylus. To be clear, you don't have to buy this one, you can get them anywhere — your local record shop likely sells them with its logo on it. It’s a must-have turntable accessory.
Your turntable may or may not come with a platter mat in either the more common rubber or felt varieties, and while the debate over which is the best rages on, many maintain that the best material for anti-slippage, resonance isolation, and static reduction is cork. Pro-Ject Audio is one of the best makers of turntables and audio gear in the business and this mat is well made, reasonably priced (you can find them cheaper on Amazon), and also comes in a more expensive that offers additional anti-resonance properties.
Maybe you've sensed a running theme in some of these accessory suggestions: anti-resonance. With record players, unwanted vibrations are the enemy as turntable styluses and cartridges are super-sensitive mechanisms that are not only adept at picking up all that warm sound inside a record's grooves, but can be affected by vibrations in their surroundings, such as footsteps, rumbling from a nearby loudspeaker, and more.
One of the best ways to combat this resonance and vibration is by placing your turntable (or speakers or other components) on top of an anti-resonance base like the Fluance IB40 Isolation Base. Competitively priced at just over $100, the 10.5-pound, high-mass MDF Base is a substantial 2.4-inch thick, stable platform with adjustable, sound-isolating feet. And I can confirm that the Fluance Sound Isolation Base does a good job at reducing vibrations to the turntable, including safeguarding it from heavy footfalls that would otherwise cause the needle to skip.
At roughly 17- by 15-inches in size, it's perfectly sized for most turntables to fit on and can handle up to 25 pounds. It comes in three finishes to suit your wanted aesthetic: piano white, piano black, and walnut.
This one's a bit of a no-brainer. Plastic outer record sleeves are a great way to protect your vinyl from dust and other crud while they're waiting to be played or stored, and they're cheap enough to keep on hand as your record collection grows. They're big enough to comfortably fit 12-inch LPs, either single or double-disc varieties, and the plastic has the durability to last years (it's also clear enough to see the album artwork beneath).
The paper sleeves that come with most records suck. They're abrasive and, over time, the sharp plastic edge of your records can puncture through, leaving them vulnerable to accidents. These light, three-ply plastic inner sleeves are trusted in the industry for keeping records protected and static-free inside their outer cardboard sleeves. Combined with the above-mentioned outer sleeves, and you're well on your way to preserving your collection.
Another way to greatly improve the sound of your turntable (in addition to upgrading your cartridge) is by adding an external phono stage, aka a phono preamp, the mechanism that takes the weak electrical signal from the turntable and makes it so it can be amplified.
Back in the day, most receivers had phono preamps built in; hence the "phono" input selector on them, and you could plug a turntable directly in. With vinyl's resurgence, we're seeing more modern stereo receivers and integrated amplifiers (and powered speakers) include phono inputs again, but many still require a turntable to be connected through an AUX input. For this connection, a phono stage must be used first. While many modern turntables come with them built-in for easy connection, most of them aren't, especially on budget turntables. It's pretty safe to say that unless it's a higher-end deck, you're going to get a better, cleaner, and less noisy signal if you pass your turntable through one of the best phono preamps first.
For that, one of the best and reasonably priced phono preamps we've used is the Pro-Ject Phono Box S2. A sub-$300 compact component that can be used for both MM and MC cartridges, the Phono Box S2 delivers audiophile-grade sound at entry-level pricing. We've tested this preamp ourselves and can confirm that its sound is super clean and noise free, due to its aluminium/metal sandwich construction that keeps interference at bay.
It's built like a llittle tank, easy to connect with RCA cables, and offers a switchable subsonic filter. There's not much else to say about it other than it will maintain the warmth of your records, not alter the sound or color, and will improve clarity.
One of the things we harp on a lot in our turntable reviews, especially for those purchasing their first turntables, is making sure that the deck you're buying has the ability to upgrade one of the most important parts: the cartridge.
A better cartridge can be one of the best and most cost-effective ways of improving the sound and performance of any turntable, from entry-level to audiophile. Combined with the stylus, the cartridge is responsible for reading and translating the modulations in the record's groove and turning it into an electrical signal that can then be amplified by your sound system or speakers. But they are not all created equal, and it's likely that if your first turntable was bought on a budget, one of the reasons it was cheaper than the rest is it cartridge. So let's remedy that right now.
Ortofon is one of the world's biggest and best makers of high-end phono cartridges and components, and their 2M moving magnet (MM)range can be found on the best turntables in the world. Buy at Amazon sits in the middle of that range, and its $100 price makes it one of the best bang-for-buck cartridge upgrades you're likely to find. With the 2M Red you'll notice much more balance and detail in your music, a wider and higher soundstage, and better dynamics that make it more forgiving of a wide range of music.
Its plug-and-play connectivity makes it easy to mount on most headshells, and if and when you play the thing to the end of its life (roughly 1,000 hours), you can replace the stylus for roughly $90. However, if you want to go even further with the upgrade, the cartridge is compatible with the next-level for and styluses, if you've got the extra cash. Either way, it's an excellent upgrade that will improve the hell out of your turntable. Do it.
OK, so speaker stands aren’t directly associated to turntables, but they do contribute to the overall enjoyment and aesthetic of your turntable and stereo setup, so we'll allow it. Able to hold a bookshelf speaker up to 75 pounds, a set of speaker stands is great for getting your speakers off the ground, which positions them closer to ear level for ideal listening and helps reduce resonance and vibrations speakers can channel through the floor. These Monolith stands feature adjustable floor spikes to further add to their anti-resonance properties to help with better sound (see the isolation platform above). These stands are made of sturdy steel columns (that can be filled with sand for additional anti-resonance) and have a wide floor base and rubber pads on the speaker platforms to keep your speakers secure and safe from sliding around or falling off. Available in 18- to 32-inch heights.
One of the biggest problems record collectors face is deciding what to spin. Flipping through your shelves or crates looking for inspiration is one way to do it, but when that perfect album strikes you, finding it quickly can also be a pain if you have a sizeable collection. Cut right to the chase with these plywood, alphabetically-marked dividers that slide in between your vinyl vertically or horizontally. Now, all you have to do is decide whether to put Bowie under D or B.
Unless your record collection consists of nothing but spanking new or near-mint discs with nary a play under their grooves, chances are you own a bunch that you dug for at garage sales and used vinyl shops, or that you pulled out from under your uncle's stairs. Whatever the case, the grooves in those old records have likely picked up years of finger oils, weed smoke, dust, dirt, and general grim that can make them skip, crackle, pop, and sound generally crappy. Not to mention that playing them can take a toll on your turntable's needle over time.
You might be surprised to learn that you can wash your records, and one of most cost-effective and common tools for doing this is the trusty Spin-Clean kit. It kind of looks like a big yellow toaster for records, but essentially, you fill up the base with water and the included alcohol-free cleaning solution, insert the protective felt scrubbers, insert your record and rotate it several times in each direction for a deep clean. The paper record label is kept dry (usually) and the Spin-Clean will accept 33, 45, and 78 records. It's a bit time-consuming, and you will get wet, but it can be a fun, soothing evening's worth of much-needed record maintenance that you can do while listening to records.
Derek Malcolm is a contributing editor and evergreen lead for the A/V and Home Theater section of Digital Trends. Derek joined the DT team in 2020, spending his days wrangling the movie and TV streaming guides before getting the chance to nurture his obsession with the latest audio/video gear. A former musician and practicing vinyl nerd, his passion for sound can be found in his writing, whether it’s a guide to the best speakers and turntables, or a review of a party speaker that’ll blow your roof off.
Derek studied journalism at Toronto’s Humber College, graduating in 1999. He started his career writing about music, movies, and TV, back when people still read things on paper, working at such magazines as TV Guide and celebrity mag Hello! Canada. Derek counts Matt Damon, Britney Spears, and Coldplay among his favorite interviews.
From 2006 to 2018 Derek was the editor-in-chief of Canadian tech and entertainment magazine Connected, where he steered the publication through the invention of the iPhone and the rise of streaming to the demise of BlackBerry and the print industry.
One of two Canucks on the Digital Trends A/V team, Derek is based in Toronto where he lives with his wife, daughter, two cats, and his prized vintage Marantz stereo receivers.
When Derek isn’t cussing at the labyrinthine setup menus of the latest projectors, he can be found at home listening to records or counting the days to ski season.
You can find Derek on Threads and sharing his vinyl exploits on Instagram.
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