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Gearbox Automatic Produced by mastering engineers, the Gearbox Automatic turntable connects via Bluetooth and has Spotify integration so that it can identify what it is playing and then save it to a Spotify playlist, if that’s your thing. See for yourself in this video. Make the grade When buying and selling secondhand vinyl its condition can be vital, but the complex world of grading is also deeply confusing. How do you spot your near mint cuts from those that are merely excellent or very good? This guide explains all.

Turntable orchestra What happens when Technics gathers 30 of the world’s best turntablists and gets them to scratch and cut Mendelssohn’s Concerto in E minor (the first LP issued, back in 1948)? The Philharmonic Turntable Orchestra, that’s what. Check out the madness for yourself here. Procrastinate with RHA Glasgow-based RHA produces some of the most distinctive in-ear headphones in the business and its blog features everything from advice and news on its products to interviews with photographers from around the world and show reports. Find out more here.

Time for two-channel Having mastered multi-channel with its receivers and processors, AV specialist Anthem Electronics is finally making the move into two-channel, launching stereo amps, preamps and integrateds featuring its room calibration tool. See for yourself in this short video. Spot the difference Just how big an audiophile do you thinkyou are? Can you differentiate between uncompressed audio and a plain old MP3 file? This test plays three audio samples of six different tracks to tell if your ears have the skills to spot the difference. Click here to give it a go.

What better way to pay tribute to the deceased vinyl lover in your life than by having their ashes pressed into a piece of vinyl featuring audio of them talking and a personalised sleeve? Poor-taste gimmick or tender way to remember a loved one? Decide for yourself. . . .

Opened in 1958 Top Ten Records has become Dallas’ oldest record store. In an effort to keep the store running, the owners came up with the brilliant idea of inviting fans to subscribe and become members of what’s now a non-profit archive. Let’s hope other stores follow its lead. .

One of the most recognisable facesin the hi-fi industry, few people are better placed to talk about the merits of Master Quality Audio (MQA) than its creator Bob Stuart. The Bob Talks site sees the man behind the music format answer questions on every aspect of MQA, click here to find out more. . .

Introducing the new Elysian 2 standmount and Elysian 4 floorstander