Welcome to Vinyl Week on What Hi-Fi?, in association with Technics. You can find out more about how Technics has been defining turntable culture for half a century and the company's SL-1200M7L Limited Edition turntable.
With Record Store Day spinning into our consciousness as it returns to its traditional April spot this weekend, we at What Hi-Fi? have been celebrating the occasion with a week of special vinyl and turntable news, reviews and features.
Live right now, What Hi-Fi?'s Vinyl Week, in association with Technics, hasn't only been designed to fully prepare you for the Record Store Day grab but also get you in the mood to lower that stylus, recline your favourite armchair and spend some quality time with your record collection.
We have everything from how-to guides and definitive best-of lists for those in a position to shop, set up or tweak their system in order to get it to its very best. There are four hot-off-the-press reviews of record players and cartridges coming, too, including the first deck from veteran Dual to have passed through our test room doors in years.
We're also sharing with you our pick of the best 2022 RSD releases – exclusive to the event and limited in number – including where you'll be able to find them on the day. You can even look forward to an interview with a former Premier League referee who opened up his own record shop. There'll be a quiz too, of course, and much more besides!
- Technics: defining turntable culture for half a century
- Technics celebrates 50 years of the SL-1200 with Limited Edition turntable
This year's Record Store Day will be the first in two years to follow the traditional format whereby record stores around the world stock themselves with a number of special 'RSD releases', available exclusively that April weekend and in-store. Because of You Know What, Record Store Day in 2020 and 2021 were forced to go online and be split into multiple dates, somewhat diluting the annual brick and mortar event experience, so it feels extra crucial that we show as much support as we all can for the stores this year.
The good news is that records themselves are in a good place. Vinyl sales in the UK are at their highest level in over 30 years (Entertainment Retailers Association), while in the US records revenue has grown to $1bn for the first time since 1986 (Recording Industry Association of America) following a 15th consecutive year of growth.
So, let's make it 16 years, shall we?
Vinyl Week reviews
Lenco LS-410 all-in-one turntable review
Sumiko Rainier cartridge review
La Boite Concept Square turntable review
Vinyl Week features
How to digitise your vinyl collection - rip your records to hi-res
28 record stores to visit before you die
Me, my stack, my record shop: Premier League referee Jon Moss
15 of the best turntable accessories for better vinyl sound
The very best record players of the 21st century
The trouble with all-in-one turntables (and what to buy instead)
3 of the best turntable systems for playing vinyl
A brief history of the turntable and vinyl records
9 tips for buying second-hand vinyl
16 best turntables of What Hi-Fi?'s lifetime
How to clean your records at home
12 of the best-sounding vinyl records
How to add a turntable to your existing music system
Record Store Day: how to find your local participating record shop
11 of the best Record Store Day 2022 releases
Rediscover your vinyl collection with this brilliant turntable-based hi-fi system
How to get the best sound from your turntable
What Hi-Fi? Vinyl Week news
Audio-Technica AT-LPW30BK is a sleek all-black budget turntable
Cambridge Audio releases Alva TT V2 Bluetooth aptX HD turntable with upgrades aplenty
Rega unveils limited edition turntable to celebrate Record Store Day 2022
Pro-Ject X8 is a minimalist turntable with maximum potential
What Hi-Fi? Vinyl Week deals
Vinyl Week turntable deal: £100 off the Award-winning Technics SL-1500C
Save £80 on this fantastic vinyl turntable system with Bluetooth
