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In Support of National Record Store Day We’re Giving Away a Fluance Vinyl Turntable

Thanks to hipster culture and an overall renaissance in music appreciation, buying vinyl records is back in a big way. According to The Guardiansales of vinyl records have reached a 25-year high–something once thought impossible in the age of multiple music streaming platforms and the ability to illegally download an album in a snap.

Maybe it has something to do with the permanence of a physical record–the fact that, even if the cloud fails and all its back-ups lose power, you’ll still have access to music you love. Or maybe it has more to do with vinyl being such a tangible representation of music, that men collect records for the optics of the situation. A, “come up to my apartment and check out my record collection” scenario, if you will.

But, it could all boil down to the soothing ritual act of selecting a record, pulling it out of its sleeve, and placing it on a beautiful piece of modern machinery–the turntable. Admit it, it’s a helluva lot more satisfying than scrolling through Spotify and selecting the Underground Indie playlist.

So, in honor of National Record Store day (April 22), we’ve teamed up with audio company Fluance to giveaway its RT81 High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable Record Player. The turntable, aside from being supremely handsome with its rich walnut finish, features a Dual Magnet Cartridge that provides clear, crisp audio, an elliptical stylus to track record grooves with precision (no skipping), and a rubber turntable mat and isolation feet for further analog listening isolation.

Typically retailing for $250, here’s your chance to snag this stylish conversation- (and party) starter for free, simply follow the giveaway rules below:

Chase McPeak
Former Former Digital Trends Contributor, The Manual
Chase McPeak is the former Lifestyle Editor. Chase regularly appeared on Beards, Booze, and Bacon: The Manual Podcast where… Read Full Bio
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