Bought From a Trusted Seller (Again)
The Letter To Myself LP is my fourth vinyl record purchase, and once again, I bought it from @bananamilku.kstore on Instagram. They’ve been my go-to for K-pop vinyls, and I’ve previously bought the To. X LP, Aespa Armageddon, and Whiplash LP from them without any issues. If you’re starting or growing your collection, they’re worth checking out.
The Music: Emotional, Intimate, and Pure Taeyeon
Taeyeon’s sixth mini-album, Letter To Myself, features six tracks, and honestly, it’s hard to choose a favorite. But if I had to pick, Letter To Myself, Blur, Disaster, and Blue Eyes are the ones I keep spinning the most. Her vocals are always powerful, but on vinyl, they feel even more raw and personal.
The Letter To Myself LP really showcases her ability to connect with listeners emotionally, and the sequencing of the tracks flows so well—it’s one of those albums you want to play from start to finish.
Minor Shipping Woes with the Letter To Myself LP
Unfortunately, my excitement was slightly dampened by a couple of shipping issues. Side B of the vinyl arrived warped, so I’ll need to bring it to a hi-fi shop to get it flattened.
The cover sleeve also had cropped edges, which is a bit of a letdown for a limited edition collector’s piece. Still, those are fixable or at least forgivable considering how stunning the rest of the package is.
Sound Test: The Letter To Myself LP Delivers Sonically
When it came to sound testing the Letter To Myself LP, I was impressed. I played it through my Fosi Audio MC331 stereo amp paired with an old set of Jamo S626 floorstanding speakers, and the result was beautiful.
The bass on the title track Letter To Myself was warm and full, the vocals were crisp, and the overall mix had a nice balance across highs, mids, and lows. Taeyeon’s voice truly shines on vinyl—there’s so much clarity and emotion that you can almost feel her presence in the room.
Gear Troubles: Time to Retire the Douk Audio T4 Pro?
One thing that didn’t go as smoothly with my Letter To Myself LP setup was my Douk Audio T4 Pro phono preamp. Lately, I’ve noticed that the vocals tend to shift slightly to the right, and they’re not properly centered like they should be.
The left channel sounds noticeably lower than the right, which really throws off the balance when listening—especially on a vocal-forward album like this one.
It’s been with me for a while, and honestly, it’s done a decent job up until now. But clearly, it’s starting to show its age and quirks. I’ve already picked out a new phono preamp and added it to my wishlist, so stay tuned—there’s definitely an audio gear upgrade coming soon.
Final Thoughts on the Letter To Myself LP
Even with a couple of minor issues, the Letter To Myself LP is a beautiful addition to any vinyl collection—especially for Taeyeon fans. The aesthetics are on point, the sound quality is excellent, and the music itself is heartfelt and timeless.
Whether you’re just getting into vinyl or you’ve been collecting for a while, this one’s a standout release in both the K-pop world and the vinyl community.
If you’ve picked up the LP too, I’d love to hear your thoughts—did your copy arrive in good shape? Did you frame the art prints? Hit me up; always down to chat vinyl and Taeyeon.
