There's An IKEA Record Player Designed With Swedish House Mafia Coming

IKEA hasn't sold a record player since 1973. 

That's changing now, though, with the Swedish brand collaborating with the electronic group Swedish House Mafia on the record player as part of the minimalist OBEGRÄNSAD collection.

The record player will be released on 1 October, as vinyl sales have jumped by 61%, breaking through the $1 billion threshold for the first time in 35 years.

The soon-to-be-released player comes with all the functionality a modern listener of vinyl needs: "Bluetooth speaker support, built-in pre-amplifier, USB port, USB-C power connection, RCA ports for those who prefer analogue speakers, needle, and a replaceable AT3600L cartridge with conical diamond tip (play speeds: 33 & 45 RPM)," per Boss Hunting.

As for the price? Well, it's very reasonable - the American price is US$159.99, while the European price is £140. As there's no set release date for Australia yet, the domestic price is to be announced.

However, Australian vinyl lovers won't totally miss out - the items from the OBEGRÄNSAD collection sold in Australia include sleek record stands, armchairs, shelving units, desks, speaker stands, bags, and more. 

Earlier this year, Product Design Engineer Carmen Stoicescu at IKEA stated, "In the previous project, we tried giving a specific design to all parts," in reference to their 2018 failed attempt at a turntable as a part of a collection with Teenage Engineering. 

"But with OBEGRÄNSAD, we tried to limit the moulds. We wanted to make it simple, mechanical."

The main aim of the product is to "make something so simple, so accessible, and sort of plug-and-play that you could basically buy it as a gift for anyone who enjoys music", according to designer Friso Wiersma.

Find out more about the OBEGRÄNSAD collection here and buy products sold in Australia here.