The 11 Best Vinyl & Record Player Accessories for Every Turntable Setup
Like any kind of collector, record enthusiasts tend to be obsessive about the object of their desire. That’s good news for gift-givers hunting for the best vinyl accessories for their friends and family. While buying records for anyone you don’t know intimately can be a dicey proposition—unless, of course, you have a link to their Discogs wantlist—the list of add-ons, novelties, and vinyl-adjacent doodads is long, with a bounty of possibilities at every price point, from humble anti-static brushes to absurdly pricey record-cleaning systems. So we’ve perused our own crowded shelves to come up with a selection of gifts guaranteed to delight any record aficionado. For still more ideas—or maybe just because you deserve a treat, too—check out our guide to buying the best record player and stereo system for any budget.
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Turntable
Numark PT01 USB
Nothing like a year of turmoil to leave people yearning for familiar comforts. And while vacation travel is off limits for most these days, some folks have found themselves stuck far from home—or, alternately, fleeing cities for more sparsely populated climes. This small, light turntable from Numark is the perfect thing for vinyl lovers temporarily separated from their stereos. It’s ultra-portable, powered by battery or AC adapter, and features both a built-in speaker and an aux jack for connecting headphones or external speakers. USB connectivity means that it can digitize vinyl records; perhaps coolest of all, it spins at 33, 45, and even 78 RPM—a boon for flea-market hunters in search of vintage blues sides.
Numark PT01 USB
$119.00, Amazon
Turntable Accessories
Wax Rax 45A 7" Adapter
Few industrial designs are more basic than the humble 45 RPM record adapter—the device that allows you to play a typical 7" record, with its wide center hole, on the narrow spindle of a standard turntable. But these objects, also known as spindle adapters or spiders, have come a long way from the days of the yellow plastic Recoton, a design so iconic it has become a metonym for the entire culture of vinyl, popping up on t-shirts, tattoos, keychains, patches, hats, earrings, clocks, and more. There are scores of contemporary alternatives, from the plastic or aluminum “puck” adapter long standard with Technics 1200s to this slick Japanese design. Thrasher subscribers and mid-century modernists might be tempted by these handmade epoxy resin adapters made with reclaimed skateboards. But for simplicity and functionality, you can’t go wrong with Wax Rax’s anodized aluminum 45A. Its curved edges make it easy to slide 45s on, and its ergonomic grips make it easy to put on and take off. Manufactured in New York, it comes in eight semi-matte colors (or, for night owls, a glow-in-the-dark version).
That said, if you’re budget-minded or prone to misplacing things, you can pick up a 12-pack of spiders for $10.
Wax Rax 45A 7" Adapter
$20.00, Turntable Lab
DEVO Energy Dome 45 RPM Adapter
For less practically minded music obsessives, you might opt for one of Lazerlifegoods’ statement adapters. Their collection currently includes logo adapters for industrial pioneers Throbbing Gristle, D.C. hardcore legends Void, anarcho-punks Crass, Jonathan Richman’s Modern Lovers, David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane lightning bolt, and Los Angeles punks X. But it’s hard to do better than this miniature replica of DEVO’s Energy Dome hats. Add a handwritten tag that reads, “The Day My Baby Gave Me a Surprize,” and let someone special finally get some satisfaction.
DEVO Energy Dome 45 RPM Adapter
$15.00, Etsy
Deflex Audio Polipods
Hi-fi enthusiasts can go to extreme lengths in pursuit of maximum fidelity. Isolation stands or turntable feet, which absorb unwanted vibrations—from traffic outside, say, or footsteps on hardwood floors—can go for hundreds of dollars. But Deflex Audio’s Polipods make an affordable stocking-stuffer for budget-minded audiophiles. Placed beneath the feet or corners of turntables, CD players, or other sensitive equipment, these rounded pads dampen external vibrations, yielding cleaner, more consistent playback.
Deflex Audio Polipods
$30.00, Turntable Lab
MasterSounds Turntable Weight Record Stabilizer – Turntable Lab Edition
Records are notoriously finicky media. Even seemingly unblemished wax may cause playback problems—especially older records pressed on thin vinyl that weren’t stored properly, which can bend into a dish or bowl shape. While record weights and stabilizers can’t correct for badly warped records, they help flatten the LP surface and dampen unwanted resonance of the needle in the groove, potentially improving sound quality. MasterSounds’ Turntable Weight is a favorite of many record collectors and DJs, with a no-slip base beneficial for club play; the manufacturer claims that it can reduce the turntable’s noise floor and deliver cleaner playback. This matte-black Turntable Labs Edition comes in a velvet drawstring pouch and looks sharp as hell.
Master Sounds Turntable Weight Record Stabilizer – Turntable Lab Edition
$80.00, Turntable Lab
Taz Studios Cork Slipmats
Slipmats are essential for DJs, allowing them to “slip cue” a record—that is, hold the vinyl in place while the platter spins beneath, then release the wax at the desired moment. Even at home, turntable platter mats can dampen unwanted vibrations; they’re also a simple way to add a subtle design accent to a turntable setup. Cork mats help reduce the buildup of static electricity as your record spins, which means fewer clicks and pops. TazStudio’s plain cork mat opens up a virtual woodland view atop your home stereo, while the eye-catching geometric lines of their other models look sleek and modern—and generate trippy optical illusions once set into motion.
Taz Studios Cork Slipmats
$30.00, Amazon
Storage
LP Dividers
Anyone who has a decent-sized record collection can tell you that keeping it organized can be difficult. But LP divider cards can unleash the inner librarian in even the most scatterbrained collector. Bags Unlimited stocks multiple options for divider cards, ranging from plain white budget options on corrugated cardboard ($12.45 for 10) to plastic of varying thickness (between $35.13 and $51.32 for 25); for the handwriting-deficient, deluxe versions are available printed either with letters of the alphabet or names of different genres. Any of these will impart a genuine record-store air to your record shelves; for something a little more homey, consider these wooden dividers, which come in sets of seven, with personalized engravings—for genres, band names, decades, or whatever categories you prefer—included in the price.
LP Dividers
$56.00, Etsy
The Bookcase Shop Cube Vinyl Bookshelf
One tricky thing about vinyl records, especially for anyone living in cramped quarters: Where to store them? Collectors around the world will be familiar with IKEA’s Kallax units, which replaced the discontinued Expedit in 2014. They’re relatively inexpensive, functional, and perfectly fine (though they may not survive more than a house move or two). In fact, finding a snazzier storage solution that doesn’t break the bank is remarkably hard, which might account for the worldwide ubiquity of IKEA’s semi-modular solutions. But Etsy’s The Bookcase Shop manufactures an all-wood line of cube-shaped record shelving that’s both affordable and good looking. Prices start at $50 for a single cube of unfinished pine, plus shipping; rounded edges—a nice touch—are included in the price. (That’ll hold somewhere between 70 and 100 records, depending on how tight you like to file them.) A five-cube shelf runs $230 for pine and $320 for oak. Or splurge on a three-, four-, five-, or six-cube entertainment console—perfect for storing a grip of records and setting up the turntable on top. A perfect gift for messy partners whose collections have taken over the living room.
The Bookcase Shop Cube Vinyl Bookshelf
$50.00, Etsy
Line Phono Turntable Station Turntable Stand
For an all-in-one storage solution, Line Phono’s Turntable Station is as sleek as it is useful. Two top shelves house one turntable, assorted hardware (stereo amplifier, phono preamp), and all the accessories it’s nice to have handy, like record brushes and cleaning fluid; two large, cubic shelves can hold up to 200 records. Little details—a headphone hook; cable-management ports in back; built-in bumpers to keep records from getting pushed too far back—are a testament to the thought that went into the unit’s design. There’s even a little groove in the front of each of the larger shelves, to showcase the record now spinning. Designed by collectors for collectors, it’s an elegant solution for tying any room together.
Line Phono Turntable Station Turntable Stand
$229.00, Etsy
The Copper Works Copper Pipe Record Rack
For vinyl lovers with smaller collections—or anyone who likes to keep a choice selection of current favorites within easy reach—these handmade copper-pipe racks are both functional and stylish, with an aesthetic that could lean toward steampunk or contemporary minimalism, depending on the context. Shipping from the UK to the U.S. isn’t cheap—essentially, it’ll double the price of the item—but the racks are unusual enough it might just be worth it.
The Copper Works Copper Pipe Record Rack
$67.00, Etsy
The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Vinyl Post Record Club Subscription
If there’s anything record collectors want, it’s more records; bonus points if they’re unusual records. And records don’t come much more unusual than these vinyl postcards. Similar to the flexi discs that used to come in boxes of cereal and issues of National Geographic, the vinyl postcard format dates back to Communist-era Poland, when records from the West were scarce, and gray-market pop and rock circulated on postcards embossed with flimsy plastic grooves. Vinyl Post’s subscription series ($5/mo., or $48 annually) has revived the format; every month features a song from a current band engraved in the grooves of a striking postcard. Recent releases have come from Dehd, Husbands, and Somni. Each postcard comes with a spindle hole punched in the center and is ready to play—or drop in the mailbox. (Outgoing postage not included.)
Vinyl Post Record Club Subscription
$0.00, Vinyl Post
Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
