“Never before in our industry has a format come back from the dead quite like vinyl” – turntable engineers discuss all things record-related, including one major flaw that needs addressing

Transparent vinyl record half in its sleeve.

In case you hadn’t realised, vinyl is making a bit of a comeback. Who would have guessed that a plastic disc which first arrived on the scene in 1931 would still be bringing so much joy 95 years later?

Although a lot has changed in the world over that time, the format itself and the techniques used to create it haven’t evolved massively. So, is vinyl currently as good as it gets, or could it be improved upon?

We reached out to some of the best turntable engineers in the business to see what they think about the state of the format in 2026.

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

(Image credit: Origin Live)

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)