If you collect a lot of records, you’ll occasionally come across a record with a spindle hole that’s too small. When the spindle hole is too small, it can make getting the recording on and off the turntable quite precarious. In severe cases, it can hug the spindle of your turntable so tightly that you’ll need to apply significant pressure ... Read More The post Fixing Annoying Undersized Record Spindle Holes appeared first on Sound Matters ..read more

Can Rega’s new Nd3 moving magnet phono cartridge elevate a much-loved classic to new heights? The Planar 2 is a stepping-stone option between Rega’s affordable Planar 1 and its multi-award-winning Planar 3. Pros Cons Open, natural sound Molded phono cable output Superbly built & engineered A little reserved in the mid-range Impressive soundstage at this price Pricey if you’re in ... Read More The post Rega Planar 2/Nd3 Review – Sweet Spot Affordable Turntable? appeared first on Sound Matters ..read more

Largely taking place before the widespread use of the internet, the 90s was arguably the last great decade when you can easily associate the time with distinct musical movements on a national and international scale. From the sound of grunge that helped mark the a distinct move away from the hair metal of the 1980s to to hip-hop’s golden age ... Read More The post Top 20 Albums of the 90s – Essential Listening from a Defining Decade appeared first on Sound Matters ..read more

I recently watched a video by Rick Beato, where he talks about how music became worthless. In essence, he holds up a Led Zeppelin record and expresses how, back in the day, if he wanted to buy it, he’d have to get off his backside, do some work and save up the money. His point being, (among other things) that ... Read More The post Music Doesn’t Define Generations Anymore: Why the 90s was the Last Great Decade appeared first on Sound Matters ..read more

Following the recent launches of the Nd3 and Nd5, Rega introduce the range topping Nd7 as the new flagship and final model of this new range of handmade moving magnet cartridges. First previewed at the Bristol HiFi show in February, the Nd7 will also be offered factory fitted to the Planar 6 and Planar 8 turntables at a discounted rate compared to those purchased separately. The Nd7 aluminium cantilever is fitted with a precision ‘Fine Line nude diamond’ stylus. According to Rega, this complex profile provides unrivale ..read more

All things considered, you could be forgiven for thinking that collecting records in the 21st century was a foolish pursuit; after all, aren’t they inferior to modern digital formats such as high-fidelity digital streaming or even old-fashioned CDs? The vinyl medium certainly has its short-comings, including potential scratches, pops & clicks, distortion from mistracking, inner groove distortion, the need to control vibrations, audible rumble, potential wow and flutter, groove wear over time, and much more. However, despite the downsides and the lack of convenience, record sales continue ..read more

The popular Hi-Fi manufacturer, Musical Fidelity has announced a new series of balanced power conditioners. The new models (BPC3, BPC5, BPC10, and BPC16) aim to cater to a wide range of digital and analogue source devices, from low-powered amplifiers to small and large Hi-Fi systems, home theatre, and much larger stereo amps/receivers. Musical Fidelity is quick to emphasize the importance of clean power for an optimal audio experience. Consequently, almost all of their products are equipped with what they call “superior, massive power supplies”. This makes many of the Musical Fidelity product ..read more

Earlier this week, British turntable and Hi-Fi manufacturer, Rega introduced the Nd5 moving magnet cartridge. This is the second model in the company’s innovative new Nd range of handmade moving magnet cartridges. Named after the rare earth element Nd (Neodymium), the all new Nd5 cartridge is the first moving magnet to utilise a Neodymium N55 magnet. According to Rega, this is the world’s most powerful commercially available magnet, which they claim is a crucial component that makes this design possible by providing more power than standard bar magnet design ..read more

In this tutorial, you will learn how to convert your vinyl records to digital files using a software package called Vinyl Studio. Vinyl Studio is an all-in-one package that allows you to record your vinyl records, import individual track information, split your recording into individual tracks, and then save them as individual files as a complete album. Vinyl Studio also allows recording vinyl to CD using its “burn CDs” function, which enables you to take your files and create audio CDs without the need for a third-party program. Unlike the popular free software Audacity (also popular for dig ..read more

Best known for their award-winning headphones and microphones, Austrian Audio is breaking into the headphone amplifier market with the new Full Score One. Announced alongside The Composer headphones model later last year, The Full Score one is now available across the UK and EU markets.  Said to be the perfect companion to Austrian Audio’s The Composer reference headphones, the Full Score One hopes to redefine the standards of audio excellence at its price point. A key pillar of the design is what the company calls its “True Transient Technology”, which is said to deliver “breathtak ..read more