Vinyl, Hi-Fi and the Return of Deep Listening

We have never had more music and never listened less. Songs play in the background of cooking, commuting and work, chosen by an algorithm and half-heard. Vinyl reverses the deal. You choose a record. You lower the needle. Twenty minutes later you have to stand up and turn it over. That small friction is the point: it turns music back into an event.

The basic system

• Turntable: look for a solid, well-isolated plinth and a properly set-up cartridge. Simplicity usually beats features.
• Phono stage: records need extra amplification and equalisation. Some turntables and amplifiers have one built in; otherwise add a separate unit.
• Amplifier: a modest integrated amplifier is plenty for most rooms.
• Speakers: a pair of good passive bookshelf speakers on stands will outperform bigger speakers placed badly.
• Care: a carbon-fibre brush, inner sleeves and upright storage keep records quiet for decades.

A great record deserves the same respect as a great meal: sit down, slow down, finish it.

Set up the room, then choose the records

Put the speakers at roughly ear height, a little away from the back wall, and angled slightly toward your chair. Sit so you and the two speakers form a rough triangle. Keep the turntable on a stable surface away from the speakers, so vibration does not feed back into the needle. Then do the hardest part: listen to one whole side without touching your phone.

Begin with albums made to be heard as a whole. Classic examples include Miles Davis's Kind of Blue, Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon and Fleetwood Mac's Rumours. Visit independent record shops; the staff are the best recommendation engine you will ever find. Buy fewer records and play them more; a small, loved shelf beats a wall of unplayed sleeves.

Start this week

• Pick one album you love and listen to it start to finish, no skipping.
• Visit an independent record shop and ask for one recommendation.
• Move your speakers into a proper triangle with your favourite chair.
• Add your dream turntable to the Man Target wish list.