Needle N Groove

The vinyl format has always been popular between hi-fi enthusiast and music passionates. For these people the vinyl record was always considered to be the true release and the general opinion was that the format has a richer and more interesting sound. Despite of this the vinyl was loved by the few. However, over the last couple of years the vinyl record has increased its popularity enormously, which has manifested itself in a tremendous sales growth.  This has partly given the struggling independent record stores a new chance and even huge retailers have started to sell vinyl records. The question is how could a format that was virtually dead suddenly become so enormously popular again, especially with young crowd, who was not even born at the prime of the format. This article (more…)

There is glitter and glamor, music and dancing. Maybe even your name up in lights on the marque. But at the end of your DJ party, it’s time to do the real work. Which is a lead in to this article on why Disc Jockey’s deserve and earn every cent they make. It’s what’s behind the scene that counts and a four hour (more…)

If you are like me – you will love ‘old’ stereo equipment, especially valve amplifiers. Some might say landmark manufacturers such as Leak, Quad, Thorens, Garrard, Shure, SME, etc, who made an impact on the development of ‘Hi Fi’ (does anyone call it that these days?). My memories of record systems and valve amplifiers go back to pre-33rpm; when our dad had a large collection of 78s. I remember he had an electric record player (very posh!) and by its side resided a small box. In this (more…)

That’s the word I get from Internet audio expert Joseph Manez. He says, “Vinyl records are part of America’s cultural consciousness, holding a romantic place in the heart of music enthusiasts.” He quotes Bob Irwin, a record producer, who says. “The world wasn’t ready to give up on vinyl. The record companies were.” This comeback of vinyl records is boosted by more and more young music fans recognizing that those LPs their grand parents (or great grandparents) have stashed away have (more…)

Know the grading system of vinyl records.

The best place to find vinyl records these days are on the internet. Various web sites gives you easy access to the stock of thousand of record stores and collectors at once. Sites like this makes the search easier, but of course online it’s difficult to see or feel the exact condition of a record. First step in the quest for rare collector’s items is to know the grading. The most official grading system for (more…)