GLOW Amp One

I'm in love with tube amplifiers and nothing beats the sound of vinyl coming through a tube amp.

Most tube amps carry a heavy price tag and will take up a good amount of real estate.

With the GLOW Amp One, we get a beautifully designed tube amp that will fit nicely on a bookshelf or as a sidekick to your turntable. It's still expensive but with the ability to connect to devices via USB, the Amp One can be used for a variety of sources.

Available in different colors, the GLOW Amp One is sure to be a conversation piece.

Here's what they say:

About the size of a shoe box, the versatile and simple to use GLOW Amp One is a classic stereo tube amplifier - with a twist - every GLOW amplifier comes equipped with a USB input so you can use your computer, iPod, cd player or even television as a HI FI music source. Just add speakers, the results are amazing.

Not only does it provide the smooth, silky and detailed sound that tube amps are famous for, it looks stunning.The GLOW Amp One is one stereo that is artful enough in design to display as part of your living environment.

Available as a pre-order for $650 here.

via BLTD

Amazon delivers vinyl

Generally a fan of supporting the local record store, I'm glad to see a familiar name online has entered the vinyl music space. Amazon.com now has a section of their music department dedicated solely to vinyl records.

In it, you'll find lots of new records as well as the ability to pre-order upcoming releases. Check it out here.

In additinon, they started up a monthly mailing list for us vinyl lovers. Sign up for it here.

Along with records, Amazon has a good selection of turntables and accessories in their turntable store.

Orofon 2M

Looking for a great audiophile cartridge with a beautiful design? Look no further than the new Ortofon 2M series.

2M is developed together with the Danish designer "MøllerJensen Design" from Copenhagen, Denmark - the same designer who designed the award winning cartridge MC Jubilee and the Kontrapunktseries.

The inspiration for designing the 2M was related to the facets of the diamond - elegantly concentrating its contours against the grooves on the record surface.

The Red model sells for $99 and other models are more expensive. Available here from Music Direct.

DUAL record shelving

San Francisco based DUAL has a great line of record storage solutions that are both stable and stylish.

Here, their Portland model shows off its solid construction and 8 storage compartments to store up to 600 records.  It's also available in a variety of finishes and starts at $625.

DUAL also offers several other models in different sizes. Stop by their site to see if they have something that might work for you and your growing collection.

Turntable Basics

Anyone new to turntables and vinyl records will want to check out this great beginner's guide by Mike Knapp.  It covers everything from basic operation to some great pointers to keep in mind:

REMEMBER

• Buy good looking records, and listen to them prior to purchase when possible.
• Always clean the records before playing them.
• Make sure the cartridge is tracking at the proper force.
• Make sure the platter is spinning at the proper (accurate) speed.
• Always use the cueing device.
• Always handle the records on the edge; never place your fingers on the grooves.
• Take care of your records and they will take care of you.