30 Nov Our Record Player
After mentioning last week that we had a record player, I got a few emails about it and thought I would write a quick post to answer them. (although all of you that emailed me should have gotten a response already!)
My husband and I have records from our childhood that bring back memories, and well, it is neat to listen to music on vinyl. Therefore, a record player is what my husband requested for his birthday/Christmas last year. In typical Grace fashion, I researched it to death looking for a record player with great sound for the best money. I was surprised to find how many record player options were out there, and I was even more surprised to discover you could easily spend thousands of dollars on this sort of thing. (which was not going to happen)
After reading lots of reviews and yes, even emailing writers of audio blogs, I finally arrived at my decision. The reviews on this record player were great, several of the audio bloggers recommended it as the number one value for the money, and best of all, it is pretty. It has a beautiful white lacquered finish, and one year later, it is still perfect. (and no, the kids are absolutely not allowed to touch it – only Mommy & Daddy change records 😉 )
There are several colors you can choose from which is fun if you want something a little punchier.
Black / White / Red / Blue / Green / Silver / Yellow
I really love how simple it is. Some record players can be pretty bulky looking. This one is so unobtrusive.
You can see its glimmer a little better here.
Speakers were another thing we needed. We did not have any, and yikes, did I have a hard time finding some pretty ones. I mean, speakers can be super obnoxious looking. But again, I read and read and emailed people, and these were recommended to me multiple times. I ended up choosing these pretty white lacquered speakers. Not too big, not too small, great sound.
They have the speakers in this wood tone too which I thought was really sleek looking.
Here’s a couple of real life photos so you can get a feel of their size a little better. I think their scale is great.
Look at that shine!
One of the great things about having a record player is you can get records for soooo cheap online, at thrift stores, and at estate sales. I have purchased almost all of our records at garage & estate sales, but I have bought a few online, too.
I would say the records I play the most are “High Society” (Bing Crosby + Frank Sinatra + Gene Kelly is just perfection) and probably my most favorite record from my childhood, “Annie”.
The two records my kids request the most are the “Frozen” record (it is never going to die, is it?) and this Vince Guaraldi one. (good choice, classic music on this vinyl) I’m always on the lookout for poetry records and story records, and we have a few of those the kids really like, too.
And this time of year, this classic Christmas record gets played quite a bit. #bingforever
In the winter, it is wonderful to spread a blanket on the floor, serve up some homemade hot chocolate, light a fire, and put a record on. Here’s an Instagram of us doing just that. (you can follow me on Instagram here!)
I hope this is helpful for any of you in the market for this sort of thing. My husband LOVED this gift and was so surprised, and it has really been fun for our entire family. Lots of good memories are still being made through vinyl records in this generation. : )
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me in the comments. And it looks like since today is Cyber Monday, the record player and speakers are even more on sale!
Other Cyber Monday deals – some of which I took advantage of today:
Anthropologie – FREE shipping & 25% off with code XTRAGOOD
JCrew – 30-40% off, no code required
Pottery Barn – FREE shipping with code FREESHIP
West Elm – % off depending on how much you spend, free shipping with code SURPRISE
Nordstrom – tons of extra savings on everything!
Wisteria – 20 % off EVERYTHING with code EVERYTHING20
Jen Y
Posted at 13:53h, 01 DecemberI still have many records from my childhood & I have my grandmother’s record player. I actually pulled out my Christmas record this past weekend to listen to it. You can hear it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cMq7Xmhu5g
The first song always gets me excited…I used to play this over & over when I was a little girl & had every song memorized.
Grace
Posted at 09:13h, 04 DecemberJen! Oh my goodness, I TOTALLY HAVE THAT RECORD!!!! I bought it at an estate sale. I will put this one on extra play this year. I hope my children have sweet memories like yours! And how cool that you have your grandmother’s record player! Thank you so much for reading and Merry Christmas! xoxo
Lou
Posted at 18:51h, 01 DecemberThis is such a timely post! My teenage son asked for a record player this year, and I had no idea where to start! Thank you for the tip. I’m sure he will love this one.
Grace
Posted at 09:12h, 04 DecemberOh awesome, Lou! He will love this one! So many of the cheaper ones don’t sound so great, and this one is so clear and sleek! Good luck! xo
Emily
Posted at 08:44h, 05 DecemberGrace,
We have a huge vinyl collection–one of my husband’s many passions!
We have an old turn table, but I love the sleek look of this one so much.
I’m forwarding this post to him right now!
Awesome goodness, thanks Grace!