In this book, an overview of vinyl records and the principles that govern their playback systems is presented. The purpose is to help enthusiasts, collectors, and fans of the genre to discover and understand the involved technology more extensively, in order to better care for and adjust their systems, with the ultimate goal of fully utilizing and enjoying their music collection. Additionally, an attempt is made to explain how exactly vinyl manages to reproduce its characteristic and unique sound, while describing its over 120 years of technological evolution, from the first 78 rpm records that appeared in the late 19th century, to the latest, modern electro-mechanical systems of our time.