I bought this and had to send it back. I had to put the belt back on when I received it, then three more times that afternoon. Then everyone started to sound like the chipmunks, no matter what the speed. I couldn't find the speed screw, so I gave up. The sound was so light and tinny at that. Glad you got a better one. Thanks for the video! And Merry Christmas!
The only reason it plays somewhat well with that terrible tonearm geometry is because the conical stylus is round. All they had to do was design a bend into the plastic head shell like EVERY OTHER cheap turntable does. I mean geez even the cheap Fisher Price record players of the 70s and 80s had a curved tonearm.
I agree with you. But by the Cruiser Premier. That's the best one Crosley makes. Also the Victrola Journey+ signature model is good, but more $ than Crosley.
When I was a little kid I had a toy record player and I had a lot of fun with it. This would be a nice present for an 8 year old to play records from”Frozen” and the like.
My first player was made by fisher price. Got it around 1980 for Christmas. Sounded horrible but I thought it was awesome. If something like this can bring any happiness to someone, godspeed!
I got this today for christmas and a southern rock album and nirvana. I want a audio technica but it will do for now. I plan on getting records at goodwill so im not superconxerned about quality. But in the 70s, they had simple players and didnt care about all that
It’s really not too bad - Looks good and I like the way they used same grain on bottom and screws in feet is better than having to remove rubber to find screws. One thing they did not do was include a USB cable which is odd considering it’s a MP3 USB converter.
I got my niece a retro life turntable for Christmas. It was $110 on sale and a decent little player. It has Bluetooth output actually. I paired it with a pair of Edifier speakers. It’s really a decent sounding system for less than $200!
Seriously? My 50s kiddie player had an angle mounted cart. Maybe with a shorter tonearm they saved half penny of material and eliminated the need for anti-skate. To their credit, alignment improves toward the critical center grooves.
There is a serious flaw in the design of the shell of this record player, it is 100% straight, and that cannot happen, I have victrola here that was much cheaper than the model shown in your video, and the shell that holds the capsule is tilted to the left, making the capsule perfectly aligned with the alignment template ruler
I think for the price its ok....I would get one,if i didn`t have much money..i don`t have much money !!! In Fact i spent my last on a jar of honey,that cost little money..I suppose you could snap the Head shell off and glue it on at an angle more suitable with some super glue ?? That may resolve any issues..Just a thought ??
Pity about the straight tone arm. But it does look quite elegant for a 'cheapie'. Basically the same as one of the suit case players, and those would be more portable than this.
It's an entry level entry level. I don't know how bad the tracking angle on this would affect groove wear. I know even the magnetic cartridge ones sound bad to me with the totally straight arm. If they would shorten the arm even more and put a track in the rear of the arm, then they can have tangential tracking. Seriously though, that one would probably be a last resort. Merry Christmas. As always, thank you for your review.
The only type of turntable/record player I've seen that incorporates a completely straight arm is one where parallel-tracking is involved. That unit would therefore definitely be a no-no for me. I don't like ceramic cartridges either, but I realise, of course, that it's very much an entry-level player. Still, there are surely limits of acceptance!
When I was a kid, I've always had portable record players. Even Close 'n' Play which was really horrible. Acoustic amplifier, steel stylus, would tear up grooves in 45 RPM records. I only liked it because it used batteries and could be played anywhere. This record player featured on here, I would have been delighted to get it. I have a Crosley, too. It's for kicks. But my Audio Technica turntable is my favorite right now.
I believe both are manufactured by Hanpin. So, they're mechanically similar. I'd go with the cheaper of the two and change the cartridge to suit your tastes. You may even be satisfied with what it already comes with.
It's not that bad, I would prefer at least a little J hook on the arm though. My first record player that took me off in which I still have in my collection is my Victrola VTA-72 which to me sounds really good.
Oh that tonearm (if it can be called that! ) is just tragic. Julian Hirsch is turning over in his grave over this record player. Any record player at Walmart or a thrift store would be better than what you just reviewed. 😅 Definitely package it up and send it back for a full refund. Oy!
Ottimo per i principianti, l'ho appena dato a mia cugina con un vinile della Pantera Rosa di Henry Mancini e le è piaciuto moltissimo, grazie per il video, congratulazioni Record-ology😀👋
I'm getting my own unit tomorrow and I'm really excited 😊. Thanks for your review. One question, how many dollars does it cost in the US? Here in Mexico it cost me the equivalent of $134.00 US. Gracias!
They made the tonearm aluminum so you can bend it to the desired angle. Pretty neat future you don't even see on high end turntables .. great engineering.
Watching that cartridge alignment at the beginning of the record... yikes! I can't understand why we weren't hearing distortion. While I was impressed at the quality considering the price, I would strongly encourage someone to save a little longer and get something that at least tracks close to the groove... I don't know it for sure, but it feels like that would wear on your records over time. Speakers were un-engaging, but that's to be expected. At least you could hook it up to a bigger system. Pleasantly surprised the speed wasn't more off and didn't have audible wow and flutter. USB at this price point is also surprising. Not a terrible looking system, again for the price. I kind of like the "ripple effect" on the dust cover. That probably gives the cover a little more strength, too. I'd prefer to have the bluetooth and USB left off of a system this cheap so they could put a little more money into the actual sound of the system. That's just me; maybe at this price point, you're not concerned about sound quality that much.
I really disagree with this perspective… I know Jarret also thinks this. There are quite a few very good players with a smaller platter and built in speakers.
@ I have to disagree speakers built in add vibration and that plus needle plus vinyl is bad platter you can get away with sure. If you have to go all in one gut the speakers out and add wire to extend them outside the machine should only cost about $7 for the stuff to do this
It hurts to see it playing at this angle! It looks so wrong. Esepcially it would not cost them anything to do it right. But well said, good conclusion! Marry Christmas.
Poor Jim...Tears from heaven. 😢. That straight arm is distressing to look at. It looks slight better when playing the inner track, though. Always nice to see your good natured videos, though.
I don’t think so because I do feel that people could get use out of it. It actually did not have any major problems in terms of playing a record. Obviously it did it at a much slower quality of than most of us, but it did what it said it would do.
I bought this and had to send it back. I had to put the belt back on when I received it, then three more times that afternoon. Then everyone started to sound like the chipmunks, no matter what the speed. I couldn't find the speed screw, so I gave up. The sound was so light and tinny at that. Glad you got a better one. Thanks for the video! And Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas 🎁🎄
The only reason it plays somewhat well with that terrible tonearm geometry is because the conical stylus is round. All they had to do was design a bend into the plastic head shell like EVERY OTHER cheap turntable does.
I mean geez even the cheap Fisher Price record players of the 70s and 80s had a curved tonearm.
At this point just buy a Crosley cruiser if you are ordering one of these
I agree with you. But by the Cruiser Premier. That's the best one Crosley makes. Also the Victrola Journey+ signature model is good, but more $ than Crosley.
When I was a little kid I had a toy record player and I had a lot of fun with it. This would be a nice present for an 8 year old to play records from”Frozen” and the like.
My first player was made by fisher price. Got it around 1980 for Christmas. Sounded horrible but I thought it was awesome. If something like this can bring any happiness to someone, godspeed!
That’s awesome!
Jim Nabors. One of the biggest supporters of the United States Marines ever! The Marines also made him an honorary Marine also.
Interesting!
I got this today for christmas and a southern rock album and nirvana. I want a audio technica but it will do for now. I plan on getting records at goodwill so im not superconxerned about quality. But in the 70s, they had simple players and didnt care about all that
It’s really not too bad - Looks good and I like the way they used same grain on bottom and screws in feet is better than having to remove rubber to find screws. One thing they did not do was include a USB cable which is odd considering it’s a MP3 USB converter.
That's because it's actually for playing music from a USB stick
I'm surprised to see a cueing lever. I might consider it for a kid's very first machine if they are 10 or 12 y.o.
Yeah that's a pretty good idea!
I got my niece a retro life turntable for Christmas. It was $110 on sale and a decent little player. It has Bluetooth output actually. I paired it with a pair of Edifier speakers. It’s really a decent sounding system for less than $200!
Victrola 6 in 1 is also a good budget player. I have one and it’s never let me down.
I've considered picking that one up, should I get it or is there anything better that costs similar to it? iI am happy to pay about 200usd
I feel like if you're really careful, you could apply a tolerable angle to that tone arm.
I just saw one of these at one of my local goodwills
I think it would be a budget back up or a gift for someone who may not know much about vinyl.
Wow I love the clear lid on this record player
I don't think I've ever seen a tonearm without an angle to it for the cartridge. Now I can't un-see it.
Seriously? My 50s kiddie player had an angle mounted cart. Maybe with a shorter tonearm they saved half penny of material and eliminated the need for anti-skate. To their credit, alignment improves toward the critical center grooves.
Do you connect this to the phono input on your receiver or to the AUX?
You can…
There is a serious flaw in the design of the shell of this record player, it is 100% straight, and that cannot happen, I have victrola here that was much cheaper than the model shown in your video, and the shell that holds the capsule is tilted to the left, making the capsule perfectly aligned with the alignment template ruler
Man, it is only 35 bucks !!! At that price, I would say, it sounds great !!!
I wonder if you could just bend the "head shell"' portion of the tonearm into alignment.
People have almost always purchased the cheapest, until trained salespeople gave demonstrations and lots of coaxing.
with the tonearm being so short the straight tonearm may be needed
I think for the price its ok....I would get one,if i didn`t have much money..i don`t have much money !!! In Fact i spent my last on a jar of honey,that cost little money..I suppose you could snap the Head shell off and glue it on at an angle more suitable with some super glue ?? That may resolve any issues..Just a thought ??
I'd like to see how you would open this unit in order to possibly adjust the speed. I think the bottom is glued on and one would need to cut into it
I’ve opened similar ones to this… The four screws holding the feet on also hold the bottom panel on it is most likely not glued in place
Pity about the straight tone arm. But it does look quite elegant for a 'cheapie'. Basically the same as one of the suit case players, and those would be more portable than this.
It's an entry level entry level. I don't know how bad the tracking angle on this would affect groove wear. I know even the magnetic cartridge ones sound bad to me with the totally straight arm. If they would shorten the arm even more and put a track in the rear of the arm, then they can have tangential tracking. Seriously though, that one would probably be a last resort. Merry Christmas. As always, thank you for your review.
I'm thinking with the right stylus and a pair or speakers running from the headphone jack that this would make a decent 78 player! Merry Christmas...
The only type of turntable/record player I've seen that incorporates a completely straight arm is one where parallel-tracking is involved. That unit would therefore definitely be a no-no for me. I don't like ceramic cartridges either, but I realise, of course, that it's very much an entry-level player. Still, there are surely limits of acceptance!
Takes me back to the kitchen counter videos! Unfortunately, that’s the only nice thing that I can say about the record player.
When I was a kid, I've always had portable record players. Even Close 'n' Play which was really horrible. Acoustic amplifier, steel stylus, would tear up grooves in 45 RPM records. I only liked it because it used batteries and could be played anywhere. This record player featured on here, I would have been delighted to get it. I have a Crosley, too. It's for kicks. But my Audio Technica turntable is my favorite right now.
Sir please help me which is better between audio technica lp 140xp and pioneer plx500
I believe both are manufactured by Hanpin. So, they're mechanically similar. I'd go with the cheaper of the two and change the cartridge to suit your tastes. You may even be satisfied with what it already comes with.
It's not that bad, I would prefer at least a little J hook on the arm though. My first record player that took me off in which I still have in my collection is my Victrola VTA-72 which to me sounds really good.
Oh that tonearm (if it can be called that! ) is just tragic. Julian Hirsch is turning over in his grave over this record player. Any record player at Walmart or a thrift store would be better than what you just reviewed. 😅 Definitely package it up and send it back for a full refund. Oy!
Ottimo per i principianti, l'ho appena dato a mia cugina con un vinile della Pantera Rosa di Henry Mancini e le è piaciuto moltissimo, grazie per il video, congratulazioni Record-ology😀👋
The BOX it came in was nice!
A couple pliers can correct the tracking angle
That would make a funny video 😂
I'm getting my own unit tomorrow and I'm really excited 😊. Thanks for your review. One question, how many dollars does it cost in the US? Here in Mexico it cost me the equivalent of $134.00 US.
Gracias!
Something like this would cost around $40US
It’s about $33 here in the US.
@@Recordology Oops, thank you... It's unimaginable how expensive could be here in Amazon!!!!
@Recordology nothing could be further from the truth with those 33 or 40 USD... I just saw it in the Victrola US online store and it's at $125 USD
I would want to use it to hook up to my computer
They made the tonearm aluminum so you can bend it to the desired angle.
Pretty neat future you don't even see on high end turntables .. great engineering.
At least it didn't damage the record, and it didn't sound too bad, but the straight Tonearm doesn't look right.
Agreed.
Good way to mess up your expensive records.
The platter and tonearm assembly can be bought from China for £5 and why all the cheap players use the same thing..
Watching that cartridge alignment at the beginning of the record... yikes! I can't understand why we weren't hearing distortion.
While I was impressed at the quality considering the price, I would strongly encourage someone to save a little longer and get something that at least tracks close to the groove... I don't know it for sure, but it feels like that would wear on your records over time.
Speakers were un-engaging, but that's to be expected. At least you could hook it up to a bigger system. Pleasantly surprised the speed wasn't more off and didn't have audible wow and flutter. USB at this price point is also surprising. Not a terrible looking system, again for the price. I kind of like the "ripple effect" on the dust cover. That probably gives the cover a little more strength, too.
I'd prefer to have the bluetooth and USB left off of a system this cheap so they could put a little more money into the actual sound of the system. That's just me; maybe at this price point, you're not concerned about sound quality that much.
Valid! The conical stylus is probably why it could play at an angle.
Never was a fan of Nabors. I can take the occasional Christmas song, but a whole lp of him? Nahhhh.
Even my kiddie idler-drive player from the 1970s wasn’t this bad! Peace.
five below has a 25$ player
Anything with small platter or speakers built in no matter what a UA-camr says is garbage please at least buy a lp60 at minimum I beg
I really disagree with this perspective… I know Jarret also thinks this. There are quite a few very good players with a smaller platter and built in speakers.
@ I have to disagree speakers built in add vibration and that plus needle plus vinyl is bad platter you can get away with sure. If you have to go all in one gut the speakers out and add wire to extend them outside the machine should only cost about $7 for the stuff to do this
This is a record player, not a turntable. With an LP 60 you would have to buy a set of powered speakers.
Victrola Revolution Go is all of those things and it’s pretty not-bad!
Shazam! That's a poor quality player. It's a shame, but was expected.
Goober says hey.
I never got why cheap has to equal stupid, like the best arm length and angle. It's basic stuff for a basic record player.
Wow… bottom of the barrel headshell on this one
Rather go for a Eastwood model
I wouldn't trust the tracking force on these cheap players
I'll never understand why these things are being produced with a straight tonearm. It just doesn't make ANY sense.
It hurts to see it playing at this angle! It looks so wrong. Esepcially it would not cost them anything to do it right. But well said, good conclusion! Marry Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
In my book, anything with a ceramic cartridge is a piece of s**t.
It does what it claims to do, which is get sound out of phonograph records. *shrugs*
Exactly
Poor Jim...Tears from heaven. 😢. That straight arm is distressing to look at. It looks slight better when playing the inner track, though.
Always nice to see your good natured videos, though.
Classic Record-ology !! Rock on Record-ology, rock on !! 😎👍🎸
Not bad at all
I have to say, I got a $30. turntable back in 2016. And it still works. It didn't ruin any of my records.
🎄🎄🧑🎄🧑🎄👏👏
Dreadful tonearm design
first
Congratulations 👏👏👏
First to reply.
ahh geez, another electronic waste :)
I don’t think so because I do feel that people could get use out of it. It actually did not have any major problems in terms of playing a record. Obviously it did it at a much slower quality of than most of us, but it did what it said it would do.