Crosley Record Player Review
Crosley Record Player Reviews are plentiful on the “intaweb” some of them are not terribly flattering for this very old and well established brand. Now I’m going to bang on about my favourite subject the best portable turntable. You may not agree with my points but if you continue to read on i will give them to you anyway.
Crosley produced some of the best turntables in the United States for decades.Back when they started production record players were called Phonographs or Gramophones. These machines played Gramophone Records. They ran into trouble sometime after the 60’s. This was mainly due to the introduction of Tapes and then CD’s which inevitably lead to the digital media and for the majority of view points the death of vinyl records.
I would like to point out that vinyl record sales never disappeared for the enthusiast. It did make purchase more difficult but if you knew where to look vinyl powered on through this period. We are currently in the midst of a full blown Vinyl Revival.
Crosley suffered as they had invested heavily in this niche and floundered for some time after the uneducated fled this fantastic medium for music delivery. Crosley record players have reinvented themselves. They are currently chasing down the revival of Vinyl Records by the new generation of music lovers.
Crosley Low Cost Record Players
Crosley are producing some very low cost record players and there is a reason for this. The current revival is driven by users who are not sophisticated enough yet to appreciate the high levels of engineering required to produce superior sound from records.
They will learn, as we older ones did that cheap record players are OK to use and have they’re place in the market. But there will always be some who strive for something better “to go beyond the ordinary”.
Crosley have built quite a number of players that fit the market. People are looking for low cost turntables. This is part of the process of discovery and appreciation of this very tactile medium. Buyers are discovering and experimenting but don’t want to put out hundreds of dollars to try out what may be for them a fad or a passing phase.
Frankly I don’t blame them I have no problem shelling out a thousand dollars for a turntable that will produce the kind of sound that I’m looking for now. But I wouldn’t have done that on my first turntable. Heck that was a year’s wages way back then!
Crosley Record Player Review Examples
Crosley are catering to market needs. Look at Crosley CR8005A BK Cruiser Portable 3 Speed Turntable. This like many of the Crosley models is a low priced portable vinyl player that ticks all the boxes for it’s market niche. It has a beautifully simple belt drive mechanism that caters for 3 speeds 33, 45, and 78 RPM. It can play – 7 inch 45 RPM, 12 inch 45RPM , 12 inch 33 RPM and 10 inch 78 RPM
Easily replaced needles, a simple tone arm full range speakers that are adequate for the needs and it is fully portable. It also has input and outputs that make it very adaptable to digital aged users.
- Belt-driven portable turntable.
- Easily replaced NP6 stylus (needle).
- Manual return tone arm.
- RCA and headphone jack outputs.
- Plays 3 speeds: 33 1/3, 45, and 78 RPM records.
- Dynamic full range stereo speakers.
- Fully portable.
This is more than adequately covering the needs of this new market that want to experiment with this medium and at a very low entry price. This particular model is one of the most popular selling portable models on Amazon.
Crosley CR6019 Portable Turntable
Take a look at another model Crosley CR6019A-BK Portable Turntable. Again 3 speed portable with a fully automatic return tone arm. It has a 3.5mm auxiliary input for media players and the like to use as a music centre. It has an RCA out to allow it to be plugged into a bigger PA amp or mixer. It has USB that can be used to convert vinyl records to digital formats via your computer for example MP3. This Crosley Portable turntable includes built in speakers and in a very attractive looking vintage suitcase.
- Belt Driven Turntable Mechanism Plays 3 Speeds: 33 1/3, 45, And 78 RPM Records
- Fully Automatic Return Tone Arm
- Auxiliary Input, RCA Audio Out, And USB Enabled To Connect To Windows PC Or Mac
- Vinyl-Wrapped Suitcase Enclosure With Brass Plated Hardware
- Dynamic Full Range Stereo Speakers
- 12 Month Warranty
- Compact Size For Easy Storage When Not In Use.
- Vinyl Conversion To MP3
- Ceramic Cartridge
Crosley Dansette Portable Turntable
If you are still not convinced take a look at the Crosley Dansette Bermuda Portable Turntable. This one can be fully portable or double as a portable vinyl player. Again this one has the music centre option can be used with your favourite headphones. I t looks like the original vintage unit that was sold in the 1940’s.
Do These Budget Record Players Damage Vinyl Records
Do they . . . . Most damage that I’ve seen done to records is by taking them to a party. Where an inebriated party goer would regale fond memories in vague drunkenese promted by the record. Said speaker of drunkenese would stagger to the record player splashing beer and cigarette ash on your favourite album announcing that such additions to the play surface would make the LP record sound better. . . . I think not.
There is merit in what is being said about these budget priced portable turntables. They are not well engineered and despite opinion to the contrary I don’t believe that they will ruin your vinyl LP’s. Most records that I have seen ruined are generally through poor handling of the records and misuse of the equipment.
The amount of plays that you get from a vinyl record will depend on
- how often you change you stylus or needle and the amount of stylus wear.
- How much weight or verticle force is applied to the vinyl surface through the needle
- The alignment of the tonearm and and how well the tonearm performs logistically
- Mostly how much care you take when handling your records and record wear.
The number of plays from a vinyl LP can depend on of all things the quality of the original pressing as well as a number of other effects that can occur during the delivery from the manufacturer. The way that you store them once at home and of the equipment you play them on. The amount of time you leave record out in the air . If there is a smoker in the house cigarette smoke in the air for example will deposit on the surface.
Vinyl can be played from hundreds to thousands of times before any noticeable degrading of the sound quality. The amount of degradation will be relative to the quality of your record player and your ability to hear. A cheap record player is probably going to get many more plays than an expensive one due to the quality of the sound or maybe the quality of the listener. Anyway for the audiophiles that want to bicker over engineering points and alignment issues I believe that these may be first world problems. The rest of us are over here listening to some great music . . . when your finished come on over.
To Conclude
In my humble opinion in this Crosley record player review the low budget vinyl players produced by Crosley Radio and other manufacturers are the best portable turntable to produce in this market. It gives the new wave of users the opportunity to sample this great medium for music pleasure.
They can play records at a price that will give them a taste of what Vinyl LP’s are and how much more they can be. To the critics of Crosley and other manufactures of these tiny priced Crosley record players I say if you don’t like them
don’t buy them.
When record players were popular last time we didn’t have a throwaway society. We also didn’t have any choices in the way we listened to music unless you wanted to listen to the radio. Please take a look at some of the Best Portable Turntable Video Reviews that I have been able to find on you tube and various place. I have a page here of the Best Portable Turntable Manufacturer Links. You’ll be able to find your way to manufacturer sites.
To conclude my Crosley Record Player Review. If you want to have a great selection of vinyl music to choose from then let people get the taste for this medium in their own way. The producers of vinyl music will cater to the market and we will all win in the end.