“The whole system is only as good as the weakest link,” Hartog says. For vinyl listening as part of a full-fledged home theater setup, he suggests the Marantz SR5013 7.2 Channel AV Receiver or its successor model, praising Marantz’s audio performance and ease of use.

The showroom’s Hartog says the $600 Marantz SR4023 Stereo Receiver, which also features Bluetooth connectivity as well as connectivity to apps like Spotify, is another good pick for vinyl setups. The amp that makes Pearl Jam’s “Even Flow” seem unusually striking at Des Moines’ Audio Labs is the Parasound Halo Integrated Amplifier, which costs $3,000. Like everything else, amps and receivers are an area with a wide variety of options and price ranges. Because older receivers are more likely to include a phono input, buying used can be a particularly good bet. Better turntables don’t include what’s known as a phono preamp, which boosts sound to the level of other audio components, so vinyl newcomers should look for amplifiers and receivers with a dedicated “phono” input if you buy a receiver that doesn’t have a phono preamp, you’ll need to buy some kind of standalone preamp. While the most basic turntables can be connected directly to computer speakers via the headphone jack, once you’re dipping more fully into the vinyl world, you’re going to need some other equipment, like an amplifier or a receiver-the latter of which is essentially an amplifier that also has a radio tuner and may be part of a home theater setup. “Getting too far down that rabbit hole detracts from the whole purpose, which is to enjoy the music,” he says. At less than half the price, Grado’s more mid-range cartridges also draw a positive mention from Third Man’s Blackwell, who cautions against worrying too much about needles. The Platinum3 cartridges aren’t Grado’s most expensive model- far from it-but they showcase the company’s woodworking and how the material can have a unique resonance. The high-end headphones and cartridges from family-run Brooklyn company Grado stand out for their use of natural wood.

Stereo hi fi equipment