The Best Vinyl Accessories to Enhance Your Listening Experience
It’s fun to listen to records. Most readers of this website would likely agree, and there’s undeniably something satisfying about the ritual of taking a record out of its sleeve, carefully placing it on the platter and then slowly dropping the needle into the groove. Part of that satisfaction comes from being something tangible—as music consumption has become a primarily digital concern over the past couple decades, it’s hard not to feel a little warm and fuzzy about building up a collection of physical media.
It also requires a little bit more dialing in than pressing play on a screen. But that’s OK! That’s all part of the fun. Analog audio takes a little bit of homework to get the sound just right, including making sure the turntable is level, making sure your tonearm is at the right angle, and, naturally, keeping your records clean. And any serious vinyl aficionado will tell you that there’s a few items that are a must, including implements for cleaning, storing and preserving your records.
As you build your own vinyl collection, we’ve put together a collection of the best vinyl accessories to buy to make your record-listening experience the best it can be.
For more audio guides, check out our lists of the Best Record Players, the Best CD Players, the Best Headphones, and the Best Speakers.
Note: When you buy something through our affiliate links, Treble receives a commission. All items included are independently chosen and evaluated by our editors.
Anti-Static Brush
One of the first things any vinyl listener needs is a good brush. Since records typically need regular brushing to keep dust from settling into the grooves, it’s a good investment to pick up a carbon fiber brush that balances electrostatic charge through conductive materials. (If you’ve opened a record fresh from the plastic wrap, you know that static electricity is no joke.) There are a lot of good options out there, including brushes from Mobile Fidelity and Turntable Lab.
Mobile Fidelity Anti-Static Brush
Turntable Lab Carbon Fiber Brush
Spin-Clean
The thing about listening to records is that a medium defined by its grooves is going to get a little grimy, so sometimes a deeper clean is necessary beyond even a good brush. Dust and dirt can build up over time, and that only distracts from the overall listening experience. As cleaning systems go, the Spin Clean Record Washer has been a go-to system for years, and it works wonders in clearing out dust from grooves. Watch how fast the vinyl lover in your life (maybe you) becomes obsessed with cleaning the whole catalog.
Stylus Cleaner
Yet another thing to clean: Your stylus! If it gets in the grooves, then it stands to reason that dust also gets picked up by the stylus that travels through those musical pathways. Regular cleaning helps prevent stylus wear, but on a day-to-day basis, it also keeps dust from building up and getting in the way of a good listening experience. It only takes a few seconds, but the rewards are well worth it. A clean stylus makes for a better listening experience and a longer life for your hardware. MoFi offers a fluid solution with a small, soft brush—which I’ve used for a while and which works great—but for a different option, Audio Technica also offers a gel-based cleaner that gently removes particles.
Mobile Fidelity LP-9 Stylus Cleaner and Brush
Audio Technica Stylus Cleaner
Sleeves
OK, so your records are clean. Now, to keep them in the condition in which you bought them—or as close to it as you can (once you’ve played/opened a record, it’s no longer mint—I don’t make the rules!). Inner and outer sleeves serve two different purposes. Inner sleeves protect the actual record from the elements, i.e. dirt and dust and other abrasives. Most records come with a sleeve of some sort, but if you prefer a higher level of protection, Mobile Fidelity‘s inner sleeves are anti-static and made of high-density polythylene (HDPE), which is soft on vinyl. As for outer sleeves, they protect the outside jacket of a record, which can wear down over time, particularly if not protected. Some people prefer to simply leave their records inside the cellophane they were wrapped in, and you can do that I suppose, but I’ve bought enough secondhand records with dirty, disintegrating ’70s and ’80s-era plastic wrap to say with certainty that this is inadvisable. I tend to be a fan of Big Fudge‘s outer sleeves, myself.
Mobile Fidelity Original Master Inner Sleeves
Big Fudge Outer Sleeves
Record Mat
A lot of record players today come with either rubber or felt slipmats, but it never hurts to have a backup, or if you happen to obtain a turntable without one. They reduce friction between the record and the platter, which is a useful quality especially when DJing, and they also protect the record itself from the vibrations of the equipment. Softer felt mats also provide a soft bed for your vinyl and won’t scratch it, though rubber mats might be preferable for more active turntablists. Either way, Turntable Lab has a selection of mats worth checking out.
Weight/Stabilizer
We’ve all bought a record or two in our time that weren’t entirely flat. Severely warped records can’t generally be helped (there’s a method for putting them in the oven between two plates of glass, but I’m not even going to begin to suggest you do that—one wrong move and you’ve got a ruined record!). But slight imperfections can be temporarily solved via a good weight, which will keep your record in place and prevent the needle from jumping out of the groove. A good weight can also dampen vibrations, but bear in mind that it’s not a permanent solution to warping. Turntable Lab offers a few different variation of a hefty chrome weight, while there are other weights from the likes of Femeli that are a bit more inexpensive and get the job done.
Turntable Lab Record Weight Stabilizer
Femeli Record Weight Stabilizer
Preamp
OK, admittedly this is less an “accessory” than a necessity. A record player’s signal on its own isn’t very strong, and as such most players will play very quietly without an additional component, like a preamp or a stereo receiver with a built-in amplifier. Some record players have a built-in amplifier as well, but many don’t, and in any case, it’s advisable to have one for the sake of strengthening the signal. There are a number of excellent ones available at a reasonable price tag, including Pro-Ject’s Phono Box or Fluance‘s PA10. However, a stereo receiver with amplifier like Cambridge Audio’s AXR85 offers more features along with that sonic boost, including Bluetooth connectivity, more outputs, and FM/AM radio.
Pro-Ject Phono Box
Fluance PA10
Cambridge Audio AXR85 Stereo Receiver Amplifier
Cartridge/Stylii
Much like a preamp, you need a stylus—there’s no way to hear the music without the needle going into the groove. We all know this. But there are also countless stylii on the market, some of which come with a pretty hefty price tag. Pretty much every turntable comes standard with its own stylus, but there will come a time when you need to replace it, or perhaps are just seeking an upgrade in fidelity, so choosing the right one can be tricky. There’s essentially no limit to what you can spend on a stylus if you’re a serious audiophile, but for the sake of sticking to more affordable options, we have a couple suggestions. Audio Technica‘s AT-VM95E is standard with most of their turntables, but the value is hard to beat considering how it performs (and you can upgrade the needle without switching cartridges). For a slight upgrade, Ortofon‘s 2M Red is one of the best sounding cartridges you’ll find for under $100.
Audio Technica AT-VM95E
Ortofon 2M Red
Vinyl Storage
Everyone who’s ever had an obsession with records knows that storage for your vinyl is both a necessity and a consistent problem to be solved. When your collection keeps expanding, you’re always in need of more shelves to contain it. (Fred Schneider of the B-52’s, an avid collector, has floor-to-ceiling shelves in his home that fill an entire room.) For a relatively small collection, consider a combination of form and function, like Victrola‘s handsome wooden record crates. Or, for a somewhat more modern option, try Modern Vinyl‘s metal frame holders, which support 80-100 records and display them at an angle. Of course, once you reach the point of no return, it’s off to Ikea!
Victrola Wooden Record Crate
Modern Vinyl Record Storage
Vinyl Carrier
Finally, you’ll also want a method to carry vinyl from place to place, whether it’s for a listening party with friends, at a vacation rental that comes with a turntable (in which case, maybe also bring your own stylus), or spinning records in public. Victrola‘s collector’s storage case has a durable outer case that fastens to protect your precious vinyl, or for a more heavy duty method of carrying records from place to place, Magma‘s Riot LP DJ bag carries up to 50 records plus accessories and is entirely waterproof.
Victrola Collector Storage Case
Magma Riot LP DJ Bag
Of course, let’s not forget the most important item of all: Records! Check out the selection at Rough Trade, Turntable Lab or Amazon, or support your favorite local brick and mortar shop!
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