Vinyl playback for beginners

I haven't been writing about audio gear as much lately, but I've been trying out a few things that I want to share over the next couple of months. Most of it is practical and reasonably priced, but I promise to get into a few high-end lunatic audio devices as well. Also, my friend Jane Wiedlin wrote a book. There's a lot of great stuff about complex band relationships in the Go-Go's (both business and personal), but she digs far deeper than the typical rock-star memoir. Stars After Stars After Stars is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Vinyl music playback can become a complicated, messy, and endless pursuit of a mythical perfect experience that no one's ever managed to have. Records can sound amazing, but vinyl is a destructive format. You're going to cause some damage every time you drop a needle on the spinning platter and it scrapes away micro bits of plastic as it drags across the surface. You want music that sounds the same way every time you play it forever? If you want that legendary analog 'warmth,' accept that vinyl (and cassette) playback will always sound different from every other time you play it. That's why, when someone asks me about setting up a way to play records, I do my best to shield them from the contradictions that eventually lead someone to believe they need to spend at least $1 million to buy the gear necessary enjoy their music. That doesn't mean throwing up your hands and buying whatever all-in-one suitcase record player that's on sale at Walmart or Target this week. There are ways to get into vinyl that allow a new listener to begin with a good audio experience and upgrade over time if they later have the time, space, or resources for something more elaborate. That brings us to theVictrola SoundstageBluetooth turntable soundbase, which I tested with theVictrola WaveBluetooth turntable ($499 list, often discounted with limited color option onAmazon). I've long been a fan of the soundbase idea, which is an all-in-on amplifier and speaker unit that sits underneath a turntable and gives great playback with a very small footprint. The speaker frame is carefully engineered to minimize vibration so that it doesn't interfere with playback. Back in 2023, I reviewed the Andover Audio SpinBase Max forTechHive. It's been replaced by the $499SpinBase 2 Max, which increases the amplification to 100W and doubles the woofers from 2 to 4. I'm still using the original model as my office record player, so I've been comparing the Soundstage to that experience. The small footprint makes it a great first choice for a dorm room or small apartment. You've also got the option to use any turntable you want with the speaker, giving a user the flexibility to upgrade the turntable or playback system at a later date. It's been a mystery to me that Andover hasn't really had any competition with this kind of speaker, so I was curious to see what was up with the Soundstage. Victrola owns one of the most storied brand names in audio history, and they've made a name selling entry-level record players that are superior to the ones made by Crosley. They've also made some outstanding mid-fi gear. The Wave turntable has been out for almost two years and comes in an excellent array of colors, including a fantastic green and a custom Third Man Records edition. The turntables launched with theTempo bookshelf speakers($249.99) that come in matching colors. The Soundstage just launched and only comes in black or walnut. I tested both the turntable and speaker in walnut. You've got three other ways to get music to the speakers. There's a USB-C input, which you could use to send audio from a computer. There's an optical input that could accept a digital signal from a CD player or TV. There's also Auracast, a specialized standard for streaming music to a compatible speaker. Victrola's wireless speakers support the standard, as do a variety of speakers from JBL. The attraction is that Auracast allows you to play the same audio source simultaneously to speakers in different rooms. What you don't get is the same Bluetooth streaming that available from the Wave turntable. You're also limited to turntables that have a built-in phono preamp or you'll have to use a separate preamplifier unit, which mostly defeats the small footprint promised by the Soundstage. The Wave turntable has a built-in preamp with the advantage of being able to bypass the built-in unit if you later upgrade to a system with better preamp options. To be clear, I'm evaluating this unit as option for new vinyl listeners. There's a whole thicket of issues and options that Victrola has designed the Soundstage and the Wave to bypass. Most people will never want to learn how to balance a tonearm or swap out preamps. Consider these as units designed to make entry into the world of records as simple as possible. The Andover Audio SpinBase 2 Max costs a lot more than the Victrola Soundstage, but you get a couple of features that might make it worth the price. The SpinBase units have a cloth grille, which allows Andover to add side-firing speakers that create a better stereo separation effect. The SpinBase 2 Max also has the ability to wirelessly stream to headphones via Bluetooth and a built-in phono preamp, giving you more choices for what turntable you use. It's also much heavier and will be a pain on moving day if you're still in your nomad era. Since the Soundstage speakers are front-firing only (and have passive bass ports on the back of the unit), you can wedge your system in between stacks of books or laundry without worrying about muffling your sound. Victrola sells the Wave and the Soundstage as a$730 bundle. If you're looking for something less expensive, you could start with theOrbit Basic turntable($329 with phono preamp) for $660 total or theAudio-Technica AT-LP60X($179) for $510 total. I don't love the AT-LP60X, but there are millions of satisfied customers out there who've been very happy with one as their first record player. If I managed a record store in a college town, I'd stock the Soundwave. It's simple to set up and easy to use. The Wave is also one of the easiest to use turntables I've tested. You won't have to learn how to balance the tonearm and I never touched the anti-skate control even when playing worn-out thrift store vinyl. The Soundwave comes in black or walnut. I'm sure the black will pair nicely if you want to go for one of the more interesting colors in the Wave turntable. Jane Wiedlin is publishing her memoirTMI: Memoirs of a Go-Goon November 10th and I've read an advance copy. You're going to want to read it, and I'm here to suggest some advance research to get you ready for the experience. I'm in the tank for Jane, as my former Geffen colleagues would be happy to tell you. I signed her band froSTed in the '90s and she made the brilliant albumCold, which the label totally choked on promoting. It's a scar that hasn't ever really healed for either of us. The Go-Go's came out of the LA punk scene, and Jane's one of the best chroniclers of the era. You should check out John Doe's booksUnder the Big Black SunandMore Fun in the New World, both of which collect first-person accounts from musicians who were a part of the scene. You probably want to get the audiobooks because each person reads their own story. Jane's performing theTMIaudiobook herself, and I'm sure that's going to be the best way to enjoy her story. You might also want to check out Alison Ellwood's documentaryThe Go-Go's, a film that helped push the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame toinduct the band in 2021. You can buy or rent the movie from all the usual digital platforms, but it'sstreaming for freevia the CW Network app and website. Men in the music business have always made it tough for women who want to be in control of their own careers. Things have definitely improved over the course of my lifetime, so it's hard for a lot of us to remember just how many body blows these women took as they pushed back on the expectations they faced in the early '80s. Jane is incredibly funny, but the book also goes deep into the struggles she faced in her music and Hollywood careers. There's also a new album calledI Protest!coming soon. She's been collaborating with the brilliant guitarist Joe Gore. I know Joe from a tangled project that's still subject to an NDA, but we had some interesting times together. I can't wait to hear what Jane and Joe have made together. I'm working to set up some live interviews with her, but I'm writing about this now to send up some flares to my friends in the music community. This woman deserves her flowers, both for her career and her fearlessness in writing a book filled with a lot more truth that some people are ready to hear. Jane should be doing book signings and in-stores everywhere. The real audience for this book is the kids who are coming up. It's a truth bomb, not the kind of hazy nostalgia usually crafted for young boomers and elder Gen Xers who believe that everything was better back then. Stars After Stars After Stars is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.