12 cheap upgrades you can make to improve your vinyl setup
You might have a nice record player, and a fantastic collection of music to play on it, but there’s always room for improvement! From vinyl-cleaning kits to storage solutions, record weights to guidebooks, there are lots of accessories out there that’ll help you upgrade your vinyl set-up and improve your overall listening experience – and the great news is that many are available at a low price. Whatever your reasons for loving vinyl records, you’ll want to ensure that the experience is as fabulous as it can be.
If you’re totally new to the whole vinyl thing and are yet to buy any hardware, check out our guide to the best record players for beginners, where you’ll find a list of turntables – both manual and automatic – for newbies.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at how you can upgrade your vinyl set-up without getting your bank manager in a spin…
Cheap vinyl setup upgrades: Product guide
Best all-in-one cleaning kit
1. Spincare vinyl cleaning kit
+ Solution and drying rack included
+ Easy to use
+ No mess
Keeping your all your discs in tip-top condition is essential if you want them to stay sounding and looking great – and this all-in-one kit from the team at Spincare will do the job nicely. Comprising a record-cleaning machine, enough quick-dry cleaning solution to scrub around 500 singles or albums, plus a rack for drying out up to 10 discs once they’ve taken their dip, this one-stop washing system will let you enjoy those all-time classics without any of the nasty crackle and pop.
Best weight for vinyl
2. Nobsound record weight
+ Weight is ideal
+ Reduces vibrations
+ Soft base pad
+ Comes in three colours
If you can get past the dubious-sounding name, then you’ll be thankful to have this little gadget in your setup. Made from high-quality aluminium, this 280g record weight will dock onto your turntable’s spindle, keeping needle vibration to a minimum. That, in turn, will mean less distortion, ensuring that your favourite tunes sound as clean as a whistle. Oh, and the weight is available in black, silver or gold, meaning you can get one to match your rig.
Best no-frills dampening
3. Pro-Ject hi-fi platform
+ No-frills design
+ Reduces vinyl vibrations
+ High gloss finish
It may look drab, but this Pro-Ject Ground-IT E hi-fi support platform serves a very important purpose. Made of heavy-duty MDF – finished in a high-gloss lacquer – and featuring four conical spiked feet with special damping rings, it’ll provide robust isolation for your turntable, keeping those unwanted vibrations at bay. The fact it’s manufactured by Austrian audio experts Pro-Ject just makes it all the more appealing.
Get more from your stylus
4. DigitNow digital stylus force gauge
+ Brings more from the grooves
+ Handy size
+ Easy to read
The amount of force your stylus applies when placed on top of a vinyl record can determine the quality of your listening experience. But you don’t have to leave it to guesswork – attach this little DigitNow gauge to your cartridge and it’ll give you a clear digital readout of your stylus force to the nearest 0.01g, enabling you to make the necessary adjustments. Afterwards, you can just pop the gadget in its protective case, ready for the next time you need it.
Clean the grooves
5. Soft vinyl record cleaning brush
+ Does the job nicely
+ Washable
+ Protects vinyl & stylus
Taking vinyl in and out of its sleeve or - look away record fans - leaving your discs on the carpet, will lead to dust, fluff and other gunk gathering in the grooves. But help is at hand with this neat little cleaning brush from kwmobile. The soft bristles are made from nylon and will gently remove grunge from your treasured vinyl and it'll also help keep your stylus in tip-top condition too. It’s also washable - just make sure you leave it to dry before swiping your wax.
Best turntable owner's book
6. Haynes Vinyl Owner’s Workshop Manual
+ Jam-packed
+ Evergreen advice
+ Haynes is a reliable brand
Haynes started off making user manuals for cars and motorbikes, but its list of titles now incorporates a diverse range of subjects, from ‘Men’s Pies’ to the Millennium Falcon. This 192-page tome is a must for vinyl-lovers, whether they’re starting out on their record-playing journey or looking to resurrect an old hobby. It contains a history of vinyl, details on how to maintain your precious wax, recommended hardware and accessories, plus tips from the pros.
Best slip mat for punks
7. Sex Pistols slip mat
+ Pro DJ quality
+ Protects your records
+ Looks awesome
Most turntables come with a slip mat – a thin layer of material that sits atop the platter. If, for any reason, yours doesn’t have one, you need to get on that right away as a slip mat will protect your records from scratches, reduce static and dampen vibrations. Why not go for something themed, like this officially licensed Sex Pistols felt mat. You can also get mats featuring The Who, Queen, AC/DC and more.
Sustainable storage
8. Bamboo display rack
+ Made from sustainable bamboo
+ Holds 50 albums
+ Simple design
When you’re planning on having a long music-listening session or have friends over on a Saturday night, the last thing you want to be doing is spending ages hunting for a particular record from your stash. Containing enough slats to hold more than 50 albums, this stylish display rack will enable you to browse through a chunk of your collection quickly and easily. And, since it’s made from sustainable bamboo, it’s also eco-friendly, meaning you can file your favourite music with a clear conscience.
Best mino phono preamp
9. Behringer PP400 compact phono preamp
+ Great size
+ No hiss
+ Top price
If your turntable doesn’t come with a phono preamp built in, then you’re going to need to buy one in order to play your music through external speakers. Made by Swiss audio experts Behringer, this miniature interface features stereo RCA inputs and outputs along with a ¼” TRS output jack. It's about as silent as phono preamps get, and - more importantly - it’ll let you enjoy your wide range of music without any nasty hiss or hum - and all for a great price.
Protect your sleeves
10. Spincare anti-static inner record sleeves
+ Keeps dust away
+ Triple-layered
+ Anti-static
We’d totally understand if you wanted to keep your records in their original inner sleeves – after all, it adds to the authenticity of the experience. However, replacing your inners with anti-static sheaths will help your discs to sound better. Spincare’s archival-quality 12" sleeves are triple-layered, with a piece of rice paper sandwiched between two layers of anti-static, anti-dust and anti-scratch plastic. Your music will have never felt more mollycoddled.
Best for speaker boost
11. Tonar No Rumble Isolation Pads
+ Easy to fit
+ Robust rubber
+ Eight in a pack
Isolation pads sound like something a troublesome prisoner might be given, but these little accessories serve a somewhat more wholesome purpose. With rubber on one side and peel-off adhesive on the other, they can be attached to the bottom of your speakers to minimise vibration and improve the sound being transmitted from your turntable. With eight pads in a pack, you can either stick four under each speaker.
Best for playing singles
12. Vinyl Guru 45rpm record adapter
+ Perfect for 7" singles
+ Robust design
+ Simple to use
The majority of 7” singles can be played simply by dropping the record on the spindle. However, some – especially ex-jukebox discs – feature a bigger hole in the centre that’ll require you to have an adapter. If your turntable doesn’t come with one – or you’ve lost it – don’t worry as you can pick them up for next to nothing. Vinyl Guru 45rpm record adapter is our pick, since it’s fashioned from a single piece of aluminium, making it both stylish and durable.
Cheap vinyl setup upgrades: Buying advice
Buying vinyl records is not a cheap hobby, especially when you add in deluxe box sets, limited-edition coloured vinyl and rare and valuable wax. The costs soon mount up – and that's why we've put together this list of cheap products that will enhance your vinyl set-up without eating into your vinyl budget.
We all want to keep our record collections in tip-top shape, and get the most out of our music, so items such as phono pre-amps, vinyl storage solutions, cleaning products, slip mats, isolation pads and widgets that will help you to play 7-inch singles are pretty much essential. We’ve included all of those in this guide, choosing options that’ll do the job brilliantly without leaving you on the breadline for the rest of the month.
We’ve also recommended a rather handy book, from the bods at Haynes, that contains all the information you could possibly need to make your vinyl-playing journey go as smoothly as possible.
Don't forget that the Louder team have put together a bunch of sweet-sounding guides to help you with your purchasing decisions, so whether you're after a new Bluetooth turntable, a portable record player, or a sweet pair of headphones for vinyl, then we have you covered.
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