Have you heard? Physical media is making a comeback. Vinyl sales increased for the 19th consecutive year in the US in 2025, but other discs are also seeing a rise in popularity.
As young adults start embracing the “chronically offline” trend, there seems to be a growing interest in creating a home music-listening space. Whether it’s vinyl, CDs, streaming, or all of the above, this can be a relaxing way to immerse yourself in music.
If you’re just getting started, this process can feel unfamiliar, but it should be treated as a progressive process. It’s fun to watch your music collection grow, but you’ll need the right tools to listen to your albums and show them off.
Need more ideas? Check out the extended Amazon list.
Note: All items were organically recommended for this list. Purchasing them using my links may earn me an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.
Turntables
If you want to listen to your vinyl records, you’ll need to have a turntable ready for the job. If you’re new to vinyl, or you just want a simple listening experience, Audio-Technica’s fully automatic, Hi-Fi turntable will make it easy to enjoy the music. This record player takes the guesswork out of the listening experience, but it has the sound quality and customization that audiophiles look for.
Other turntable options
Turntable + speaker combo: Udreamer Vinyl Record
Compatible with Sonos: Victrola Stream Onyx Turntable
All-in-one player: XJ-HOME H01 Record Player
CD player
It seems like vinyl gets most of the attention, but CDs are also seeing an uptick in popularity. They’re praised for their simplicity, portability, and relatively low cost, and a simple CD player will get the job done. This ROADOM player is a small, sleek way to listen to discs. There are built-in speakers, but it can easily connect to external speakers and Bluetooth devices.
Other CD player options
Multi-disc player: Onkyo DXC390 6 Disc CD Changer
Portable player (with rechargeable battery): Arafuna CD Player Portable
1990s-style boombox: MEGATEK Portable CD Player Boombox
Hi-res speakers
Once you have a music player, you’ll want your tunes to sound as good as possible. The Edifier M60 Multimedia Speakers pack a serious punch. The brand has been making high-fidelity speakers for nearly three decades, and you can connect to this model via auxiliary or Bluetooth, making it the perfect companion for your turntable, CD player, laptop, or smartphone.
Other speaker options
Something more compact: Electrohome Huntley Powered Bookshelf Speakers
No need for Bluetooth? Edifier P12 Passive Bookshelf Speaker
A full surround sound system: True 5.1.4 Hi-Fi Surround Sound System
Comfortable, high-quality headphones
There’s no experience more immersive than a cozy headphone listening session. The Sennheiser HD 560S headphones offer a comfortable, over-the-ear design with technology that will let you experience every layer of the track. These are wired headphones, which many audiophiles prefer for their clarity, connectivity, and ease of use — but if that’s not your preference, you may want to look into a different pair.
Other headphone options
Wireless comfort with high-quality audio: Bose QuietComfort Ultra
Noise canceling with long battery life: Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise Canceling Wireless Headphones
Great quality, but make it affordable: Superlux HD681 Semi-Open Studio
Wireless speaker
Sometimes, you need to move around, and you can’t take your turntable with you. That’s where a portable speaker steps up, assuming you have a Bluetooth-enabled turntable. The JBL Charge 6 packs serious sound quality, but is durable enough to be taken outside or in the bathroom while you take a shower. Bonus: it doubles as a power bank.
Other portable speaker options
Something smaller, but just as durable: JBL Go 4
Sounds great and looks like a piece of art: Bose SoundLink Home Speaker
Top-notch sound (and Alexa compatibility): Sonos Era 300
All-in-one systems
Multimedia consoles often get a bad rap. While they might not have the same quality as dedicated units, they can be lifesavers when you have limited space. Victrola’s The Quincy 6-in-1 Multimedia Center can play vinyl records, CDs, and cassettes. It also has Bluetooth connectivity with a built-in AM/FM tuner.
Other multimedia console options
Vinyl, CDs, cassettes, Bluetooth, and studio speakers: DIGITNOW’s player
A vintage wood look, but no cassette accessibility: DANFI Audio 10-in-1 Retro Bluetooth Record Player
Vinyls, CDs, cassettes, Bluetooth, speakers, and access for USB and SD cards: MUSITREND 10 in 1 Record Player
Your dedicated setup
Once you have equipment, you want it to be as accessible as possible. This five-level shelf by Homsorout offers enough space for multiple players, speakers, and your vinyl collection. It even has dedicated spaces to show off your current album or your favorite artwork.
Other setup options
More space for more records: Bikoney Record Player Stand
Fully embrace the mid-century modern look: Crosley Furniture Asheville Media Console
Store all your media (and more): Limaoaia 6-Tier Arched Record Player Table
Show off your music
Music is art, and no format makes that clearer than vinyl. These upsimples vinyl record frames are a lightweight way to store album art and show it off. Bonus: These blank cardboard jackets will let you safely protect your vinyls if you want to frame the artwork.
More ways to show off
Show off and access: Emfogo front-opening frames
Art and the album: MCS Vinyl Record & Jacket Display
Don’t want to use the wall? This expandable vinyl record storage rack has space for your collection and a “now playing” section.
Burn your mix
Mix tapes (and mix CDs) used to be a great way to share custom albums, but they seem to have disappeared with optical drives. Luckily, external drives aren’t too expensive. So if you have a laptop that only has USB (or USB-C) ports, you can easily burn a mix with drives like this one from Amicool.
Other mix options
Add a carrying case: 5-in-1 external drive
A drive with an Ethernet adapter: ROOFULL New USB 3.0 External CD DVD Drive
Don’t forget the blank discs: 100 CD-R pack
Listen to your favorite album
Building your setup will be worth it once you drop the needle and play your favorite album. I can’t tell you what to listen to, but I definitely recommend heading to a local record store, seeing what’s in stock, and browsing the secondhand selection.
Albums pictured here:
- Taylor Swift: The Life of a Showgirl
- Lana Del Rey: Born to Die
- Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon
- Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
- Arctic Monkeys: AM
- Lauryn Hill: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
- Amy Winehouse: Back to Black