Classic Albums: Bob Dylan – Blonde on Blonde

Brandon StonerClassic Albums1 Comment

The last installment in Bob Dylan’s so-called “rock trilogy” is an ambitious and accomplished creative crossroads that came to be the perfect pivot point to intersect his hippie minstrel poet past with the electric swagger of his trio of albums in the mid-1960s… The version of this album featured is the VMP Essentials release cut by Ryan Smith at Sterling … Read More

Phono vs Line: What’s the Difference? – Vinyl 101

Marc HenshallNew to Vinyl, Vinyl 1018 Comments

The terms “phono” and “line” are often misunderstood, particularly by new record collectors. Understandably, phono inputs can confuse music enthusiasts as they use the same RCA connectors as the inputs and outputs labels as “line” or “aux” on turntables and amplifiers. So what’s the difference between phono and line signals?  Fortunately, it’s easy to boil this question down to a … Read More

Win a GrooveWasher Record Cleaning Bundle

Marc HenshallNews11 Comments

We’ve teamed up with GrooveWasher to give one lucky grand prize winner a chance to win a complete record cleaning kit! The lucky winner will receive the GrooveWasher Mondo Record & Stylus Care System + 100 GrooveGuard Inner & Outer Record Sleeves. The grand prize is worth $174 in total! About the Prize: The Mondo bundle is their top-of-the-line care … Read More

Moving Magnet Vs Moving Coil Phono Cartridges – What’s The Difference?

Marc HenshallTech Talk, Vinyl 10129 Comments

When it comes to choosing the right components for your turntable, your phono cartridge is, well, pretty important. After all, this is the device that makes direct contact with your records. In most audio systems, inputs are almost certainly more important than outputs; to put it frankly—shit in, shit out.  There are two main types of phono cartridge available: moving … Read More

How NOT to clean vinyl records

Marc HenshallCleaning Vinyl, Record Care28 Comments

Great vinyl records are clean vinyl records, that much is well understood. But with so much advice available on the internet, how can you determine which cleaning methods lead to vinyl nirvana, and which ones lead to frustration and regret? We’ve covered plenty of tried and tested cleaning methods at Sound Matters, but this article is different. This time, we’ll be … Read More

The Best Turntables & Record Players to Suit Any Budget in 2023

Marc HenshallBuyer's Guides5 Comments

Enthusiasm for music on vinyl shows no sign of stalling. Sales of vinyl records continue to climb year-on-year, with revenues now out-performing CDs in what can only be described as the comeback of the century. Despite the convenience and abundance of digital streaming, it can never replace the joy of owning a physical piece of music and the full experience … Read More

Vinyl Moon Review: Art & Music Unite

Marc HenshallReviews5 Comments

Record subscription services offer vinyl lovers and music fans the opportunity to discover new music and enjoy premium and exclusive record releases.  I’ve trialed many record subscription services in my time running Sound Matters and seen numerous services come and go.  During this time, I’ve learned one crucial thing: for a subscription service to endure, it must be unique; in … Read More

Best Budget Phono Preamps for Amazing Sound

Marc HenshallNew to Vinyl, Reviews6 Comments

If you’re buying your first vinyl setup, you’ll need to make sure you have a phono preamp somewhere in the signal chain. In straightforward terms, a phono preamp amplifies the signal up to a level suitable for the AUX input on your Hi-Fi receiver. Also, it will apply an equalization curve to inverse the standard frequency adjustment made during the … Read More