For awhile, I thought the most coveted prizes would be the unlock.

If we just grow the number of entries, people interested in the contest, etc. we can reward the participants with really high ticket, desirable prizes.

Turns out…not really how it works, or all that interesting….

The real unlock of fun is leaning into the collective joy of owning our physical media – which means sharing stories and geeking out on the amazing range of listening spaces out there.

The prizes are just the side show.

So we are doubling down on that: highlighting entries, platforming great setups, and rewarding participation. This stays as a gathering for vinyl record inspo and listening room ideas with bonuses that get more bonusey as we grow.

Inki + Chris

The Race Recap

Alright, philosophy break over-here’s how the month actually played out…

To start, we spent a lot of time in the instagram DMs this month…

It was awesome meeting all of the entrants that came in through the online vinyl community. You all just get it and its evident in the super high quality entries this month.

And honestly, I loved showcasing all of your setups. Every time we posted something on socials or here, I asked myself: if this were my room, what would I want to highlight to my friends?” – A fun perspective shift for promoting the contest.

Final Standings:

This round was tight. Huge congrats to the setups that rose to the top—beautiful rooms, great stories, and a lot of hustle.

• 1st: @madmaxvinyl

• 2nd: @reen_vinylvibes

• 3rd: @keep.spinnin

• 4th: @lexfortherecord

• 5th: @natalivinyl

  
  

Madmax and keepspinnin set the pace early, and coasted to a 1st and 3rd place finishes respectively. And no surprise when you see those end-game listening rooms.

Shout out to Reen who came flying out of nowhere with a late, late surge in the last 4 days or so, climbing from outside the top five to second in the final stretch.  

and to round out our top 5, Lex and Natali with their cozy, inviting, setups also caught a ton of votes as some of the fan favorite entries. Saw so many comments/DMs loving the scene of these two listening nooks.

And for those just outside on the fringe…

Cruel world sometimes: you pour love into a room and the votes just don’t break your way.

Rollie might have had the best raw gear stack of the month – If you zoom in on his entry you are going to see the MOFI Studiodeck, Evo 100 Tubes, and maybe even catch that Pro-Ject Tube Box hiding in the back.

Amy (vinoyvinyl) – I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I logged in and gave their POV one of my votes. It’s the kind of shot that makes me daydream about my own endgame setup. Huge props.

Misty and Hector rolled in with full-on audiophile builds (clearly have been in this game for awhile), and Lacey remains a Recordbuilds family favorite – perfectly scaled, dialed and cozy.

Mini Matchups

We also ran head-to-head polls on our IG to spread the love.

More goodies into more hands.

Here were the winners of the polls:

• MM1: @jamieb1nine73

• MM2: @keep.spinnin

• MM3: @lexfortherecord

• MM4: @madmaxvinyl

• MM5: @hectorlistensto

• MM6: @spin_session_

• MM7: @natalivinyl

A bit silly tbd. A small prize, but was a fun little test of a bracket style contest 👀

Winners—be sure to check your email and reply to inki@recordbuilds.com to claim your prize.

Congrats again, and huge thanks to everyone who participated!

Recap and Outlook

A huge month, powered by a ton of new faces.

Whether you found us from one of our unsolicited DMs or you have been peeping recordbuilds for awhile-we appreciate you.

We have carved out so many hours and spun up new projects to keep cooking. So many, in fact, that I needed to free up time- so I just quit my 9-5 to focus on this silly mission: spotlighting and platforming the great listening spaces you all have built.

Practically, that just means more builds, better prizes, more contests, updates to our guides/tools…But the contest is just one lane and there are many more coming.

Thanks for letting me double down on this with you.

Leaving it at there for now, talk soon friends.

Inki

Prizes Awarded This Month: