Pangea Audio’s Accessories Aim at Old & New LP Fans

Pangea's Vulcan three-shelf turntable/component stand

Catering to what Director of Global Sales Steve Niemi characterized as a “broad spectrum demographic” of music-lovers who are either rediscovering (read: Baby Boomers) or just discovering (read: Millennials) the charms of vinyl recordings, Pangea Audio’s line of audiophile accessories is riding a nearly decade-long curve of revitalized consumer interest in LPs with a series of unique products that are designed to tap into it while not gouging customers with excessively high price tags for the improved experience.

Steve Niemi

That mandate - providing well-priced, well-made audiophile accessories – was what was in mind when the company was started nine years ago, Niemi said. “Power cables at that time were typically $1,000. Our first product was $30. Most people can try it, for that price” without too much risk – as an affordable performance enhancement for an entry-level component.

Since early spring, Pangea has introduced under its Record Doctor brand the Record Clamp ($29.95), comparable in function to products that run $100 to $150 – “which is a lot of money for someone new to the hobby,” and designed to hold vinyl records tightly but gently to the turntable platter to prevent slippage and any resonances that might arise from an LP that may be slightly warped.

It has also come out with a line of Vulcan ready-to-assemble turntable stands with LP album storage space that is modular and expandable (the line starts at $99.95 and the four-shelf basic black model is $169.90). The line has been well received by consumers for its looks, robust build for the price, and attention to detail – including specially tapered spiked feet that decouple the stand from the floor, thereby reducing turntable vibration - and reminiscent of audiophile spikes long sold to stabilize floor-standing loudspeakers at many times the cost.

A vibration-reducing spiked foot on a Pangea furniture stand

And now, its newly introduced Premier SE phono cable, at $79.95 is the next product from Pangea that the company says demonstrates audiophile-grade manufacturing at accessible pricing. The cables are designed with left and right channels and an integrated ground cable and outfitted with Cardas Grade One copper conductors.

The company is in brick-and-mortar channel distribution in the U.S.; its new website offers a dealer locator, said Niemi, and there is distribution through some online dealers and through Amazon. The company also sells through distributors in Germany and elsewhere overseas.

There is the possibility, Niemi said, that Pangea could plumb the personal audio peripherals market with more cable introductions in future. The company does offers a headphone hanger bracket for shelf attachment in that personal audio accessory space. But for now, he said, “we’re filling those holes in the market for affordable audiophile furniture and speaker stands.”

The Record Doctor Record Clamp