Modern style meets retro sound with the Project Debut Carbon turntable

By Caleb Denison Published June 20, 2014

With all the attention high-resolution digital audio is getting these days, it might be easy to forget that vinyl – yes, vinyl record albums – are coming back in a big way.

Lest you think spinning wax is a hobby enjoyed exclusively by hipsters and audiophile recluses, consider these recent events: Jack White’s newest album just broke a record for most vinyl albums sold in a week, racking up over 40,000 unit sales following its debut; North America’s biggest vinyl record presser is undergoing a massive expansion to double its record production; Disc Makers just bought back all the vinyl presses it sold so that it can resume vinyl production, due to strong demand.

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See? There’s no shame in going retro and enjoying all the benefits – and embracing the quirks – of putting needle to groove for some sweet sounding tunes; lots of folks are doing it. And thankfully, just because you want to arm your entertainment with analog discs doesn’t mean your playback device has to sport the style of the 1970’s. Check out the Project Debut Carbon turntable with USB output.

Featuring a solid, glossy plinth available in seven colors, a Carbon Tube tonearm, heavy, felt-laden platter and your choice of one of two outstanding Ortofon cartridges, the Debut Carbon is prepped to deliver outstanding sound from your favorite LPs. Add in a USB output for playback or recording through a PC, and you’ve got yourself a classic music-maker with modern-day convenience and a style worthy of your living area. Hey, if it’s good enough for Daft Punk, it could be good enough for you.

The Project Debut Carbon turntables are available for $400 at many retailers. Scoop one up, then hit your local record shop to start digging up your favorites.

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Learn how to smoke a pipe the proper way with our guide for beginners

Let us show you the classy way to smoke a pipe

Packing a pipe

Pipe smoking is the most aesthetically distinguished way to enjoy tobacco, but you lose the classy effect if you don’t know how to smoke a pipe properly. Smoking a pipe has become a lost art, and these days, most people who engage in pipe smoking do so to achieve a sense of nostalgia. Perhaps your grandfather enjoyed a puff now and again paired with a good stiff whiskey, or maybe your goal is to emulate a pipe-smoking artist.

I know that I enjoy a good puff on a pipe now and then, and knowing the right way to enjoy a pipe has made the experience much more pleasurable for for me. Whatever the case, if you intend to take up the time-honored tradition of unwinding with a pipe like me, you should learn how to smoke a pipe the right way. And smoking a pipe is very different than smoking a cigar (except you shouldn't be inhaling either).

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Don’t ruin your cigars: here’s how to properly season a new humidor

Seasoning secrets every cigar lover could use

faceless man presenting a cigar humidor with cigars inside with gloved hands

If you're a newcomer to the world of cigars or just bought a brand-new humidor, you'll need to season it. And no, I'm not saying to add salt and pepper to it. If you've never heard of it, you might ask, "What is seasoning for a humidor?"

Don't think you need to flavor the box or anything — seasoning is really about getting the wood inside your humidor so as not to rob your cigars of precious moisture. Easy to understand, and getting it done is relatively straightforward as well. The trick is figuring out the "why," and we'll get into that in a bit. But let's first discuss seasoning a humidor.

Culture

The NBA’s ultimate celebration tool: The victory cigar

A look at the players and coaches who smoke to celebrate

Jordan smoking a cigar image on a bag

Sports are synonymous with celebration. After winning the biggest trophy of their lives, athletes want to indulge in the payoff that comes with seeing their dreams realized. Teams go into the locker room, where a waterfall of champagne hits them in the eyes, and swimming goggles seem to be a requirement, lest you walk around on the best night of your life half blind. While drinking is often the activity of choice after winning a championship, the NBA has an alternative symbol of greatness that other sports don't use nearly enough: the victory cigar.

Basketball is a team game, but it's also an individual canvas for solo superstardom. After winning an NBA championship, the coaches and players who sit atop the throne have long smoked a cigar in the locker room, during the parade, or even on the bench before the clock has hit zero. There's nothing quite like a good stogie to signify the ultimate win over the rest of the league, but how did the victory cigar get so ingrained in NBA championship celebrations? We want to take a walk down memory lane and look at some of the historical moments and people who made the cigar what it is within the NBA today.
Red Auerbach's victory cigar on the bench