I think you did a good job with the review. I don't feel like you trashed the product in any way. You just reported what you found. Two things are very important with a turntable at any price. Noise and speed consistency. If both of those factors are an issue, the turntable is an issue.
I fully understand your reticence to review this product. Many of us wonder why there are so few negative reviews published. You have given an excellent example of why this is so. I appreciate your honesty and that you did not wish to do a hatchet job just to raise your numbers. Thank you for what you do.
This was exactly what a review is supposed to be. Only reviewing things you like is more in my opinion a product demonstration than a review. Great work.
You're a good man, Chris. I love the transparency you used in the review of this product. Not all reviews can be glowing as I'm sure each manufacturer would like, but honesty is what is key. Solid lessons learned as I do think you should have trusted your gut more and reached out to the manufacturer first, but you stand behind your decision and THAT is great!!!
Chris, I appreciate the work you do with all your reviews. I hope you begin doing more reviews about accessories and/or albums, as I imagine a lot of us more well-established hi fi enthusiasts aren’t constantly searching for another turntable.
It's definitely something I have in mind, I just had a rush of audio equipment come in and there's a limited amount of time to review them before they go back.
Sounds like you reported what you found. You didn't push me one way or the other, but thoroughly informed me of what you found. Excellent review and I'll be counseling my order
Chris, I always enjoy your product reviews...also understand your reluctance on reviewing this turntable. All in all you definitely keep things honest. Looking forward to the next video...
I appreciate the honest opinion about this unit. When I was working with a tighter budget, this might have found its way into my search and I would have been very disappointed had I purchased this a replacement for an older B&O TX2. AS it turns out I was able to purchase a Fluance RT-85 which I was bought prior to your review. I was very happy to see your video, as I do value your opinion about products. Sometimes, the hatchet is earned.
Your honesty is greatly appreciated!!! Thank for putting in the time and effort on all your reviews. I will wait and save a little more to get more bang for my buck! 👍👍👍
And this . . . is why I love your channel. On a separate topic, the Hummingurus have started shipping the to the Kickstarters. I look forward to your equally transparent review of it.
The best thing about this pile , is the wonderful AUDIO-TECHNICA-AT-3600L cartridge its been with us since around 1980 featuring the 211 body and carbon cantilever, this little work horse punches well above its price point, i have many carts that share duties on my SL-1200G and the lowly AT 3600L never fails to make me smile, in fact all AUDIO-TECHNICA carts offer so much more than their selling price. 😀
Went to a record store and bought my first record. Excited to get a turntable, thanks for the suggestion to bypass this one! From one youTuber to another - hello!
I really appreciate that you script your stuff. Again, that added professionalism over others who just talk while their camera is tucked under their chin. You feel like you've -thought- about what you have to say and that's damned important. Being sincere will go far. It establishes trust and means we'll come and listen to your reviews, bad or good and will likely think more than we would have if we hadn't seen them. Well done.
Chris. I Look forward every week to your channel and it's content. Let me give you a quote I try to live by “Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men” ― George S. Patton Jr. I find this very accurate in this day and age. You have the courage to stick to your guns and tell it like it is. That's why I come back here. The honest reviews. All the best.
hello i have watched some of your video and found them very helpful but what is a good turntable with included speaker/built-in speakers or are isent there any if thats the case please tell me a good turntable with speakers and 200 for both. tysm :D
First, you presentation is clear. Your information is invaluable. Could you explain the steps from table set-up to listening to a record. In one of your videos, you seem to imply that you clean brand new vinyls before putting them on the deck?? I am new at this, and kind of in the process of chilling lots of $$$$$ to get re-acquainted with vinyls. It seems like things have changed since buying a record and put in on the "pick-up". If I am going to use a lot of doughnut money in this hobby, I would like to make sure I am doing things right. Thanks for your time.
Setting up a table can be an involved topic depending on the table, but it's on my list of things to try and cover. I do clean all of my records as soon as I get them home whether they're new or used. Calling records 'vinyls' will probably cause you more grief than you'd like with the majority of collectors online. Just a heads up.
I had the same issues with the anti skate mechanism as well. It sounded okay but not worth the risk of putting good vinyl on it (as you said) It’s now boxed up and on it’s way back to Amazon. Thank you for a honest review, much appreciated.
I would like to add to my previous comment. I appreciate a review that is informed and honest. Too often, when we spend, we do not get what is promised. I feel it is the manufacture’s responsibility to deliver a worthwhile product to the consumer. A product marketed simply to get money to change hands is usually disappointing - or worse. Also, the consumer should be aware of their own responsibilities. In audio, money spent does not necessarily equal better sound. There is, however, a minimum entry fee to realizing the potential of analog sound reproduction. One is advised to do One’s homework prior to purchasing equipment. An honest review that details limitations is helpful. You did this well. Keep it happening. ☮️
Chris thank you so much for your honesty I am looking for a turntable and powered speakers for a friend of mine she doesn’t have a lot of money to spend on it so your video was very Helpful
Hey Chris. Thanks for the honest review. Silvio and big Frankie will drop by to pick it up lol. BTW a box of lady locks might help smooth things over 😂. Greg
Another reviewer experienced a total motor blow out with the first play. Angel's Horn promptly replaced it but the technical issues still remain. I totally respect and consider your reviews as informative. Thank you sir. By the way....who is your beard stylist as I am way overdue for a trim.
Great, honest review. I don't feel like you should apologize or avoid items you don't necessarily care for, these companies are asking for an honest review and as long as that's what you provide you are doing a service to your viewers. Anyway, thanks for the informative review.
Hi Chris, I have an ancient system which still functions and sounds good. (Nakamichi SR-3A receiver/amp, Klipsch Cornwall II speakers--which I purchased in 1978 for $ 479 each, and Bang & Olufsen, Beogram 1700. The turntable is belt driven with an MMC 20EN cartridge (moving magnet). My tone arm tracks a 1.0 gram. Last year I upgraded to a Willsenton R8 tube amp and got a Schiit Mani pre amp. The turntable is at least 40 years old. Soundsmith still sells replacement cartridges but their replacement MMC 20EN runs just under $ 800 the last time I checked. The belt drive could go at any time, or not. The turntable is not going to last forever and I can't find anyone who still works on them. My question to you, is, what turntable/cartridge combo would you recommend as a replacement? I listen to Jazz and classical music, if that makes any difference. I am looking for something that produces a sound quality that is at least what I get now, and I am not made of money, so cost has to be within reason. I watched a couple of your videos and consider you knowledgeable on he subject. A lot of this stuff changes, but some does not. You have probably figured out by now that I am not a spring chicken. (My first turntable was a Dual.) Thanks, Mike
@@thevinylattack That is a good question. It would be easier to answer if I had some idea of what a turntable equivalent to the B&O 1700 would cost today. The tonearm is almost weightless and tracks well at 1.0 gram. The belt drive seems to be consistently accurate and, as a B & O product, it is a beautiful piece of equipment. I rechecked the Soundsmith website and found that my memory was not correct. Their replacement cartridge is $ 399.95 and their upgrade is $ 799.95, but that still leaves a belt drive that is 40 years old. I would put a limit of $ 1000 to $ 1200 for a replacement, cartridge included. Soundsmith has one cartridge for which they are asking $ 2699.95! I doubt they sell many at that price, but there are those of us with our audiophile addiction who have deep pockets.
@@Oldgoat912 The tracking force will come down to the cartridge specs, not the tonearm, so I'd look at that to start. There are many options for carts out there, but Nagaoka, Ortofon, and Hana offer some strong performers around a thousand. Five hundred will get you a fine performance as well. From there I'd look at what features you want in a table. That should help narrow it down. I can say for certain that Soundsmith sell many carts at the $2700 mark and beyond. They're that good.
@@thevinylattack Continuing my research for a replacement, I am looking at the Audio Technica LP 140XP with either an Ortofon Black or an Audio Technica AT-OC9XSH. Am I opening up a can of worms with a moving coil cartridge? What are your thoughts on the turntable and cartridges? Thanks
@@Oldgoat912 I think the carts are a solid choice, but the table might be a little under-constructed for them. It'll certainly work mind you, but carts like that can take advantage of a better-built tables tighter tolerances, and stability.
I like your approach and honesty , i guess with this particular turntable and others of similar performance it's built to a price , it looks good for the money but when you look closer it doesn't take long to spot corner cutting, it's a shame . i'm a Rega guy had a planar 3 since 85 (now my daughters) and now i am a happy owner of a P6 with Ania cartridge . I have subscribed i can see future reviews will be entertaining thanks !
Sometimes an unfavorable review is what's needed. I would love to see the manufacturer take the problems you noted into consideration and improve the product. I'm not very optimistic that it will happen, but I can hope anyways. I am looking to upgrade, and I am in the budget category. My old Garrard SL-65 table has a loud motor and that's the main reason I am looking to upgrade it (I should take it to my local shop first to see if that can be fixed). But for me, the killer missing feature on the Angel's Horn table is 78 rpm.
I think you missed the point of this turntable. It's a mobile turntable meant for camping and the platter doubles as a frying pan for blueberry pancakes. Yum!
Should start calling your channel 'honest John' great job Chris! Also saw Recordologys reviews, that guy will review anything? I'd love your take on budget soundbars and active speakers? 👍
I did just review some Fluance active speakers, but I'm always on the look out for more products. It tends to rely on what the manufacturer has in stock, and/or would like reviewed at the time. Hopefully as the channel grows I can gain a little pull with them.
Context is everything. You did not give the impression of gleeful malice. Rest easy. Someone will be thankful that you made this video such that they were able to avoid a costly mistake.
Owned this for almost a year now. I do wish i saw this review beforehand, lol. To be fair, i dont think this is a horrible product. It's a cheap manual table that plays my vinyls.. fine. Not super great, but fine. I dont expect utter greatness with like $160 which was about the budget i had been willing to put to a new hobby. Knew i wanted a manual table, didnt want an ATLP60 with no adjustable counterweight, and married to the at3600 stylus. That said speed issues are real. Was running 34+rpm out of the box, made the speed adjustment, but this goes between 33.3 and 33.7 within each rotation (yes im on level surface). But what else at that budget is going to be worlds better? Not sure.. Dont see how the fears about 3.5 g, though, for the at3600, thats exactly where that stylus should be, and it's a well-known and well-regarded quality budget cart that doesn't wreck records. I did switch to the ATN91 stylus, which sits at 2g instead that was a decent upgrade, along with using an acrylic platter mat instead of the stock felt mat. I will probably trade up to the Fluance 85N or a Project Carbon Evo this Christmas, and then i'll holefully be set for a long time.. (torn between these, any thoughts 😂)
Never be hesitant or reluctant to be honest. People respect someone that tells the truth, and they will give you their trust. Don't worry about it. You did a great job.
I'm not hesitant to be honest, but I also don't want to start a trend of needless negativity. I'm glad that people are seeing what I'd hoped with this review though. Thanks Danny.
I cant understand the angst that some reviewer (including you) have to review a bad product and TELLING about that to us! I find this non-recommendations as important to us as showing the good products! We as customer dont benefit of only reading/watching positive reviews. Please keep that in mind and tell us WHAT REALLY IS WRONG with certain things. I have no problem with negative reviews! The opposite is the case. Its refreshing and gives a honest feeling when someone tells me the naked truth! Good to know that this is a bad product! So keep it up!
I always point out any negatives I see in a product but when you do nothing but negative reviews, companies will be reluctant to send their products. That leaves me in a lurch. Ergo, I have a feeling that if I get a "bad" product again, I'll just pass on the review.
The Recordology guy can usually find a way to like the cheapest hunks of junk and remain positive, but even he couldn’t hide the fact that he had problems with two samples of this. Seems like the obvious choice in the sub $200 class is the U-Turn Orbit.
He has his moments, but his production is so bush league it’s sometimes hard to pay attention. He shoots most of his videos in his kitchen, which is bizarre for videos about records and turntables, and the acoustics are dreadful.
My friend Richard is a bit like Kramer in Seinfeld - always has crazy schemes for making money. One idea he had was to do a website that would be a restaurant guide for the city of Sydney, where we live. The website would contain detailed reviews of these restaurants. I asked him how he was going to make income from that. He said he would rely on advertising from restaurants. I asked him how he would handle giving bad reviews to advertisers. He squirmed a moment, then said: "If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all...?" I informed him that if I ever found an online reviewer, the first thing I do is make sure they DO do bad reviews, as logically must occur from time to time. Otherwise I would smell a rat. All I am saying is, keep it up. (The other problem I had with my friend's website idea was that it would have maps showing where all these restaurants were. I asked him how on earth he proposed to create such a large number of maps. He said he would copy them off Google Maps. I informed him that street directories are covered by copyright law in Australia. That was the last I heard of that website. My friend has a lot of crazy ideas.)
Dear Chris, This will be wordy, my apologies in advance. Product reviews are like Two-Face’s infamous coin…you hope that shiny side lands in the up. Sometimes it lands on the scarred side. It ain’t fun but it’s necessary to let people know what that means so that scarred side remains superficial instead of a serious wound to someone’s money & time. Such is the burden of having your own UA-cam channel. This was an outstanding video that could have only been made by a person with integrity and it appears you possess this quality in spades. We live in a culture that either feels the need to project negativity very aggressively, to convince, attack and/or entertain. On the other side of the fence is the common reluctancy to be even remotely critical of something or someone, even when its completely warranted and fair…and much needed. Both of these extremes destroy trust. When it comes to informing, which is what your channel does. (And, in a way, you sir are teaching as well). It’s easy to tackle and celebrate, and even recommend products that perform greatly. Am I right? However, we need to know what to avoid out there. Do I personally need to know? Not so much regarding certain products, like a new piece of kit; I’m an experienced music lover/audiophile that’s been at this for 40 years, and I’m certainly not alone in that spectrum. However I don’t know everything which is why I’m here for every new video. It’s my Zen place. But especially for the newer, new, very budget conscious, or on-the-fence enthusiast, they need to know what to avoid out there and that’s where you and this video expands in value…and trust. I suggest you consider making a video, at some point, that informs people on how to best research a product holistically, so that they make a very informed decision with their time & money, while mitigating the risk of disappointment as much as possible. For example, I can tell you, from personal experience (and as a person with a background in English Studies) that a lot of consumers do not know how to write a product review accurately. It’s a thing. It causes problems for both the consumer and the manufacturer. In closing, this was a great video. It was an honest video, and it was a fair video. You did an outstanding job. Respectfully, Moony the Loony.
I purchased the Angels Horn HP 002 two years ago and it now is consistently 6~7% faster than it should be. Belt change does not fix it. There is no adjustment that I have found or been told. So....I have a $200 turntable that is going to the trash. Bummer.
I'd definitely like to hear any recommendations for a player under 200 dollars. I'm into budget hifi but every inexpensive turntable I've heard sounded awful compared to cds . I believe a expensive turntable can sound good but I'm not able to spend a ton of money on a hobby.
Given monetary constraints, perhaps digital is your best choice. It certainly is more convenient. Not all vinyl is equal, and it needs to be done well to get that ‘superior sound’ it is rumored to possess.
Just stumbled over this again. Good review, but just some observations? There are unforgivable shortcomings and flaws and defects, and others are nit-picks. May I point out the nit-picks first? Then we nail the coffin shut and bury the machine with the real problems: A - In the 70s and even early 80s (I drooled over many catalogues and pestered a many dealers until I bought my first setup), there were MANY cartridges tracking at 3 to 5 ponds (i.e. the weight force of 3 to 5 grams, but gram is a mass unit), so with a good diamond, that is not a problem, but yes, it scares us :) This is surely a nit-pick, as DJs track at 5 pond and more, to keep the stylus from bouncing in the hopping disco! B - Vintage turntables all had terrible platter ring from aluminium and steel platters, but they also came with rubber mats that damped it. Once the platter sits on the sub-platter though, just that provides enough damping for practical purposes. This is surely a nit-pick, and in normal use, it is not a real problem. C - 1% off on speed happens to the very best machines. I had a Thorens TD-146 once, which was always 1% or so slow, when checking with a strobe disc, but it was spinning just fine and steady. Most people do not notice speed deviations, until they reach at least 2%. This is surely a nit-pick. D - NOW we have PROBLEMS, the first big one being with the wow and flutter! At 0.5% and more, this must have sounded like a rendition of the Duet for 2 cats by Rossini, played on a Klaxon horn operated by a pack of dogs in heat!! That is indeed unforgivable! E - The failure of the antiskate is also a real problem, because it can and will damage the groove, and that just "ain't groovy man!" So, just between D and E, we have a total "failure to musicate" ... pardon the pun reference to ... never mind ... R.I.P. Angels Horn! You ain't no Cool Hand Luke! BTW: The phone apps, run on a good phone, work just dandy and are far better than their reputation, and confirm factory specs on my vintage gear, or being close to it, which is remarkable for 45 year old machines. OK, I lubed them, and put new belts on my Dual 1242/1246/510/1237/502, etc, and I even put a new hamster in the direct drive Akai AP-207, but I am surprised they are still close! The apps also confirm specs for my newer Music Hall MMF-2.2LE, which is not super high end, but good enough for my limited living conditions with neighbours I cannot inundate with loud music. What I noticed is, that wow/flutter actually changes between day and late night (0.07%), when all is quiet, and there a bit less demand on the power grid. The synchronous belt drives behave better at 3 in the morning, but even at "busy" grid-times during the day, they stay within 0.12% maximum wow/flutter, so those 0.5% of the Angels Horn are a total fail! Angels Horn must have bought a bad batch of motors, or mismatched the belts, because there is now just ONE model of DC-motor, that powers them all: the EG530SD-3F, an internally self-controlled motor for 33/45/78. This motor is practically in EVERY Asian turntable nowadays, and it performs marvelously in my Crosley C3 I bought just for giggles for 59 bucks with shipping direct from crosleyradio dot com! BTW: That C3 is worth a try for you, with its its 0.09% average wow/flutter, the worst being 0.15%, which is still under the generally agreed upon maximum permissible 0.2%. I did fiddle the speed close to specs, because it was 2% high, but when records runs a bit fast, it is not annoying, just makes for more foot-tapping with the faster rhythm :)
Thanks for the review. As consumers, we need to know not only what is worth purchasing, but also what to stay away from. Or at least the downsides to products to base or decisions on. If manufacturers don’t get negative reviews and keep making sales, they have no reason to improve the product.
If you see reviews as a contribution to the community, warning about bad products is a moral obligation. The problem with some reviewers is when they are so into hi-end that bash some decent products. You must be objective and give the audience perspective. Good review man! Just to add my contribution: I have a Pro-ject Debut III and some components looks exactly the same. Same resonant platter, very similar subplatter, same tonearm tube, also the plinth has the same uncovered routed hole and the electronics are covered by a cheap plastic housing, the cue lever looks the same. I think it's a cheap Chinese Pro-ject Debut II copy.
Angels horn from other UA-cam reviews happen to be their own enemy but does the public a good service. If they sent out these bad review samples to reviewers what are they pushing to the public. Just stay away. Thank you for staying Absolutely staying 100 for this So called angels horn - it’s a horror show. Peace ✌️!
Glad to see you were able to get around to doing this review. I see you experienced the same issues I had with this TT. I only wished that this review came out before my girlfriend bought me this last year for Christmas. I barely used it, and only because I felt I had to, then boxed it up and bought myself a Debut Carbon Evo. Needless to say, she was most disappointed, but understanding enough that I wouldn't want to put my valuable records at risk.
I can assure you that I didn't delete anything. There have been problems with comments not posting from time to time here. It's even happened to me when replying for no rhyme or reason.
in my humble opinion, bad reviews should be released too. otherwise how would one know if something is bad (prior to buying it), if reviewers would just skip the product?
Honesty is a good policy too. Perhaps it could be considered paramount. A manufacturer making a platter that rings? Two basic things a turntable must do is spin at the correct speed, and track accurately. Thank you for helping people that might otherwise purchase this ‘table.
@@thevinylattack Right - it *looks* like a good turntable; and seems like someone designed it to look good at a price point - and never listened to it. A cast metal platter that rings like a bell ...
It is a difficult one, from a HiFi perspective this turntable is a non starter but it is a bit better than a Crosley. I am not sure what you can expect at all for $170,- Perhaps this is what you get for that money. And yes, I also would not run it with 3,5 Grams of stylus force. But I probably would have tried it without anti skating at 2,5 gram. My Dual 1009 also has no anti skating but it sounds very nice none the less.
I ve owned many a table in my 72 years of audio life and I'm telling you this is my all-time favorite! It's unfortunate you made a big deal out of ringing the platter which I feel is absolutely solid and transmits zero noise to the wonderful 3600 L phono cartridge. The motor is absolutely quiet on my model. The Walnut finish is absolutely beautiful! I also own a green U-turn orbit a Technics SLT 202 a Pioneer PL 500 NSL 2500 and as I said many others in the past that I either trashed or passed on to other people. This one is the quietest of the bunch and I just got done listening to Joan Baez any day now and Jim pepper Pepper's pow wow Plus Virgil Fox digital Fox and I have to tell you the Angels horn 002 was absolutely silent and imparted no sense of coloration during the performance. I think the 132 dollars plus tax that I spent on this table at half the price of my u-turn and considerably less than the 1997 planer two with glass platter it was a steal especially during these modern times. Yes granted the parts came from China but that is true of many modern turntables. All I know is with the 10 steps I had to put the kid together and tweak it I feel it was built in the USA by myself LOL and yes I did have to loosen up the tone arm screws a bit and adjust the screw on the counterweight and it just the speed of the 33 SWAT on the motor because it did run and 2% fast at first but and this is a big but but.. in the end I felt I wound up with a first-rate turntable. Yes I know there is just a tad bit of tonearm friction but it seems to me the tone arm and Audio Technica cartridge that was mounted to Perfection as far as alignment was concerned along with the built-in preamp is a match made in heaven! The Glorious sound I'm hearing from this turntable and the Beautiful looks make this my old time favorite and it has not failed me once the tweaking. I am listening to high quality headphones and a tube headphone amplifier PHA 3. Thanks for your honesty anyway but I feel you were a bit too tough let's say and too many reviewers make a big deal out of ringing in the platter. And I love the slightly undersized platter and the felt mat is so stiff and stable and I don't hear any unwanted noise transmitted to the carbon fiber stylus on the Audio Technica to the platter or the mat or the belt or even the motor for that matter. It is simply a first-rate bargain among turntables of any era! God bless and enjoy vinyl!
Oh by the way.. although the supply RCA phone no patches we're okay and better than many tables.. I replaced them with a $9 pair KabelDirekt quality ones from Germany. Yes I know...I'm speech texting right now LOL please forgive me
If you received a table from Angel's Horn that you like, I'd say it's a fluke. They're built very poorly and aren't worth the meager amount that they charge.
I don't see the problem in reviewing items and reaching negative conclusions. As long as they are genuine opinions with evidence to back them up, that's the point of a review. I purchased a Lenco L-3808 based on reviews a couple of years ago and have been very pleased with it. I think it is a public service to report negative as well as positive results.
Not all reviews are positive. A well intended negative review gives the manufacturer informed feedback on how, and where, they can improve the product.
I am new to collecting vinyl, I ordered this player and wish I would have watched this video beforehand. Right out of the box the player plays records noticeably too fast. The pitch and tempo is speed up on 33. I am going to have to return the player. I am disappointed because I saw many positive reviews before purchasing.
@@thevinylattack I'm trying to do a rough conversion from pounds to dollars in the UK it's £179 the primary e, so roughly $200 to $210 should be about right, why would it be more than that?
Looks like a simulated walnut vinyl. LOL nice bell/platter. With vinyl records being as big as it is now I'm not surprised there are shitty snake oil scammers trying to cash in on vinyls resurgence. Always remember " The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of the supposed deal is forgotten". Good review as I see it. Listed on my local CL today is a just serviced Technics SL-20 and judging by the 11 photos I would say it's minty for 200 Canadian. I would rather have it.
Larger than 0.5% wow and flutter? WOW! Anti-skate messed up? OUCH! Platter ring? Well, a heavy mat can tame that, and vintage really good 1970s and 80s machines had heavy metal platters that rang like a bell without mat, so that is indeed getting picky. Maybe you should leave that part out next time. However, just the lousy speed control and the arm pulling the stylus all over the place are indeed complete disqualifiers. Even the Pro-Ject designed el-cheapo Crosley C6/8/10/20 series does much better at a lower price, and many seem to like them. For my part, I am all set with my vintage Dual machines :)
Now Mr. isabella , the cow falling off the alien record and those 2 lights bulbs make sense., yet this video producer's ways and the 36L not so much...By the way, where is it made though?...Shema!!!
you are human. my condolences on that. at least you try to make the best of it. perhaps going on you tube and searching for the political philosophy of Calvin and Hobbes will make you smile again. all the best, Roynoy only human but olden uglie too
Record-ology did a review of the Angels Horn turntable too and had problems with the original unit sent to him as well as the replacement unit. Manufacturers have a straightforward job to do when it comes to turntables; build them properly, ensure that the record speeds are accurate, avoid any sound distortion (wow and flutter), provide a quality stylus, and don't fake any features to con consumers. Angels Horn failed most of this basic test (other than providing an Audio-Technica cartridge) and it's absurd. It's also committing fiscal suicide if the company continues to destroy its reputation, especially since there is a lot of choice out there when it comes to vintage or new turntables.
No person who reviews products professionally should choose to only review the good stuff, or the stuff they’ve already decided they have a positive opinion of. Reviewers should review everything - the good, the bad and the ugly - so that the consumer can be informed.
Unfortunately, it's not always that simple. While I always point out any flaws that I personally perceive in a product, if you tend to put out negative reviews regularly the chance of getting products to review will most likely cease.
I get the impression that the manufacturer just makes turntables out parts sourced from Alibaba or the like. The cheapest, lowest grade of quality or they just have them built at the lowest possible cost spending the bulk of cost on packaging and advertising.
Why am I not surprised by your honest review? You get what you pay for! I Googled it before watching your video and it looked like a cheap knock-off of other similarly built turntables. Reviews like this let viewers know what NOT to buy no matter brutal the review is. The manufacturer should take your comments and go back to the drawing board if they can translate from English to whatever language!🤣🤣 I don't feel your honest review was a mistake.
Might as well throw in my $0.02 about this as I voted "go for it" in the poll. I understand it has to be touchy giving a negative review to any product, particularly when a company gives you a sample unit, but I do strongly disagree with the suggestion you recieved that if a review is going to be negative than throw it out! Negative reviews are far more important in the grand scheme of things than positive ones. Where positive reviews basically just re-affirm someone's purchase decision, or help them "pull the trigger" on a product they have been eyeing, negative reviews save someone from a purchase decision that they might regret without an honest upfront review from someone like you who clearly cares enough to deliver the bad news. In the sea of "shill" reviewers on UA-cam if you have the opportunity to be the honest one who will show products in a true light for what they really are I would still say you should go for it, even if you have to give a negative review here and there. The other benefit to this as well is I'm sure the manufacturer (or at least the company that put their label on the product) is watching and will have an opportunity to take notes and improve for a MK2 of their product, and be held accountable to that because we will be watching for the product they come out with next. Anyway I really enjoyed the review and your channel is growing into one of my favorites on UA-cam. Whatever you decide to do keep it up and I will be looking forward to the next video, whatever it might be about!
If the manufacturer is forward thinking your review should be, at least, enlightening. You’ve pointed out shortcomings and now they need to be addressed. Watch, I bet they offer another, more refined product to review. You did them a favor.
Maybe you can just report your observation, both positive and negative. No need to give us a product recommendation. Let each of decide based if we want to buy, search for additional information, or move on based on the facts you present.
I don't know if that would have the feel I want from the videos. I do present what I see, and my recommendation isn't the end all be all by any means, but I don't know if I'd want to make the show so clinical.
Great vid. But I think you are reviewing this turntable as if you are a hardcore audiophile. Listen this is for the person that has records just want music on. This turntable like new as of 2022 is 89 bucks.
So, you are saying that you should only review products that you like? I don’t agree. These companies need to hear the truth about the stuff they make. Especially if they reach out to you to review said crappy turntable. The truth is the truth and they need to hear it.
@@thevinylattack i have been listening to records and selling them for 25 years also love the older heavy trackers like the Stanton 680SL stanton 500 ADC shure m44 i rather track at the higher end of the cartridge force i listen to to blues rock n roll and bluegrass have a good day friend
This makes no sense. What? You pledge never to give anything a bad rating? If you test a product and it's bad you prefer to just NOT review it? Isn't that what a REVIEW is about? Otherwise your just doing a product showcase. An ADVERTISEMENT. You pick a product for review. If it is BAD. Then you say so in the REVIEW. This informs the viewer as to your opinions and observations so they can make an informed decision. If you didn't do the review at all, you are doing your viewers a dis-service as they may buy that product and you have denied them the benefit of your experience.
I think you did a good job with the review. I don't feel like you trashed the product in any way. You just reported what you found. Two things are very important with a turntable at any price. Noise and speed consistency. If both of those factors are an issue, the turntable is an issue.
I appreciate that.
Thanks for making honest reviews. It's always helpfull to know where to spend your hard-earned money and not getting tricked or dissapointed.
Glad it was helpful.
I fully understand your reticence to review this product. Many of us wonder why there are so few negative reviews published. You have given an excellent example of why this is so. I appreciate your honesty and that you did not wish to do a hatchet job just to raise your numbers. Thank you for what you do.
I'm glad it came through clearly, thank you.
This was exactly what a review is supposed to be. Only reviewing things you like is more in my opinion a product demonstration than a review. Great work.
You're a good man, Chris. I love the transparency you used in the review of this product. Not all reviews can be glowing as I'm sure each manufacturer would like, but honesty is what is key. Solid lessons learned as I do think you should have trusted your gut more and reached out to the manufacturer first, but you stand behind your decision and THAT is great!!!
It's definitely a lesson I'll remember if there's a next time.
You've done a great service to the new vinyl collectors. Please keep it up. Thanks.
That's the plan.
Chris, I appreciate the work you do with all your reviews. I hope you begin doing more reviews about accessories and/or albums, as I imagine a lot of us more well-established hi fi enthusiasts aren’t constantly searching for another turntable.
It's definitely something I have in mind, I just had a rush of audio equipment come in and there's a limited amount of time to review them before they go back.
Sounds like you reported what you found. You didn't push me one way or the other, but thoroughly informed me of what you found. Excellent review and I'll be counseling my order
Chris, I always enjoy your product reviews...also understand your reluctance on reviewing this turntable. All in all you definitely keep things honest. Looking forward to the next video...
I appreciate it.
I appreciate the honest opinion about this unit. When I was working with a tighter budget, this might have found its way into my search and I would have been very disappointed had I purchased this a replacement for an older B&O TX2. AS it turns out I was able to purchase a Fluance RT-85 which I was bought prior to your review. I was very happy to see your video, as I do value your opinion about products. Sometimes, the hatchet is earned.
I think you'll be happy with the Fluance for a long time to come.
Your honesty is greatly appreciated!!! Thank for putting in the time and effort on all your reviews. I will wait and save a little more to get more bang for my buck! 👍👍👍
I'm glad it was helpful.
And this . . . is why I love your channel. On a separate topic, the Hummingurus have started shipping the to the Kickstarters. I look forward to your equally transparent review of it.
I'm glad you found it helpful.
Great review on the Angel's Horn. Since you asked, could you make a video on turntables in the $200-$300 range? Thanks again for the helpful review!
The best thing about this pile , is the wonderful AUDIO-TECHNICA-AT-3600L cartridge its been with us since around 1980 featuring the 211 body and carbon cantilever, this little work horse punches well above its price point, i have many carts that share duties on my SL-1200G and the lowly AT 3600L never fails to make me smile, in fact all AUDIO-TECHNICA carts offer so much more than their selling price. 😀
I would agree that the cart is the best thing included in the box. Although, the box itself was pretty nice too.
Went to a record store and bought my first record. Excited to get a turntable, thanks for the suggestion to bypass this one! From one youTuber to another - hello!
Good and honest. I appreciate your dedication to the hobby. Keep up the good work.
I appreciate that.
What's a good turntable for someone who's just getting into vinyls? I want decent good quality but don't want to spend too much on my first one
I really appreciate that you script your stuff. Again, that added professionalism over others who just talk while their camera is tucked under their chin. You feel like you've -thought- about what you have to say and that's damned important. Being sincere will go far. It establishes trust and means we'll come and listen to your reviews, bad or good and will likely think more than we would have if we hadn't seen them. Well done.
I appreciate that.
Chris. I Look forward every week to your channel and it's content.
Let me give you a quote I try to live by “Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men” ― George S. Patton Jr. I find this very accurate in this day and age. You have the courage to stick to your guns and tell it like it is. That's why I come back here. The honest reviews. All the best.
I'm glad you can see the integrity I try to instill in these videos. Thank you.
hello i have watched some of your video and found them very helpful but what is a good turntable with included speaker/built-in speakers or are isent there any if thats the case please tell me a good turntable with speakers and 200 for both. tysm :D
You're not going to find a nice, complete system for $200 unless you find something used.
Hi. Good job. Do you have any suggestion on a good combined record and CD player?
Unfortunately, I don't.
First, you presentation is clear. Your information is invaluable. Could you explain the steps from table set-up to listening to a record.
In one of your videos, you seem to imply that you clean brand new vinyls before putting them on the deck??
I am new at this, and kind of in the process of chilling lots of $$$$$ to get re-acquainted with vinyls. It seems like things have changed since buying a record and put in on the "pick-up". If I am going to use a lot of doughnut money in this hobby, I would like to make sure I am doing things right. Thanks for your time.
Setting up a table can be an involved topic depending on the table, but it's on my list of things to try and cover. I do clean all of my records as soon as I get them home whether they're new or used. Calling records 'vinyls' will probably cause you more grief than you'd like with the majority of collectors online. Just a heads up.
I had the same issues with the anti skate mechanism as well.
It sounded okay but not worth the risk of putting good vinyl on it (as you said)
It’s now boxed up and on it’s way back to Amazon.
Thank you for a honest review, much appreciated.
It's a bit of a shame because there's a definite need around the $170 - $200 mark for turntables, but this just isn't it from my field of view.
Woah what a gem of a channel 10/10, I'd also be interested to see what vinyl player you'd recommend for around $250/£200
I appreciate that. I'll put it on the list and hope to get to it sooner than later.
Is it rechargeable turntable
I would like to add to my previous comment. I appreciate a review that is informed and honest. Too often, when we spend, we do not get what is promised. I feel it is the manufacture’s responsibility to deliver a worthwhile product to the consumer. A product marketed simply to get money to change hands is usually disappointing - or worse. Also, the consumer should be aware of their own responsibilities. In audio, money spent does not necessarily equal better sound. There is, however, a minimum entry fee to realizing the potential of analog sound reproduction. One is advised to do One’s homework prior to purchasing equipment. An honest review that details limitations is helpful. You did this well. Keep it happening. ☮️
If you please help me. I can’t connect my turnable with my sono speakers
I'm very happy with my pro-ject debut carbon evo and my Klipsch R15pm speakers. I like your content very honest and helpful reviews.
Sounds like a good setup.
This guy deserves way more than 10k subscribers
Working on it.
Chris thank you so much for your honesty I am looking for a turntable and powered speakers for a friend of mine she doesn’t have a lot of money to spend on it so your video was very Helpful
Glad I could help.
Hey Chris. Thanks for the honest review. Silvio and big Frankie will drop by to pick it up lol. BTW a box of lady locks might help smooth things over 😂. Greg
Uhhhhhhh
Another reviewer experienced a total motor blow out with the first play. Angel's Horn promptly replaced it but the technical issues still remain. I totally respect and consider your reviews as informative. Thank you sir. By the way....who is your beard stylist as I am way overdue for a trim.
I'm not nearly vain enough to have someone do something to my beard, I'm just lazy. I'm glad you liked the review.
Bravo thank you so much for an honest review it was detailed and fair . I would like to see a video for the best entry turntable at around $200 .
My Top 5 under $500 might be what you're looking for.
Great, honest review. I don't feel like you should apologize or avoid items you don't necessarily care for, these companies are asking for an honest review and as long as that's what you provide you are doing a service to your viewers. Anyway, thanks for the informative review.
I'll always be honest with the products I review, I'm just going to be more selective about what comes in.
Thank you for your transparency and service.
You're quite welcome.
Hi Chris, I have an ancient system which still functions and sounds good. (Nakamichi SR-3A receiver/amp, Klipsch Cornwall II speakers--which I purchased in 1978 for $ 479 each, and Bang & Olufsen, Beogram 1700. The turntable is belt driven with an MMC 20EN cartridge (moving magnet). My tone arm tracks a 1.0 gram. Last year I upgraded to a Willsenton R8 tube amp and got a Schiit Mani pre amp. The turntable is at least 40 years old. Soundsmith still sells replacement cartridges but their replacement MMC 20EN runs just under $ 800 the last time I checked. The belt drive could go at any time, or not.
The turntable is not going to last forever and I can't find anyone who still works on them. My question to you, is, what turntable/cartridge combo would you recommend as a replacement? I listen to Jazz and classical music, if that makes any difference. I am looking for something that produces a sound quality that is at least what I get now, and I am not made of money, so cost has to be within reason.
I watched a couple of your videos and consider you knowledgeable on he subject. A lot of this stuff changes, but some does not. You have probably figured out by now that I am not a spring chicken. (My first turntable was a Dual.) Thanks, Mike
It's going to come down to budget and personal preferences. How much are you looking to spend?
@@thevinylattack That is a good question. It would be easier to answer if I had some idea of what a turntable equivalent to the B&O 1700 would cost today. The tonearm is almost weightless and tracks well at 1.0 gram. The belt drive seems to be consistently accurate and, as a B & O product, it is a beautiful piece of equipment. I rechecked the Soundsmith website and found that my memory was not correct. Their replacement cartridge is $ 399.95 and their upgrade is $ 799.95, but that still leaves a belt drive that is 40 years old.
I would put a limit of $ 1000 to $ 1200 for a replacement, cartridge included. Soundsmith has one cartridge for which they are asking $ 2699.95! I doubt they sell many at that price, but there are those of us with our audiophile addiction who have deep pockets.
@@Oldgoat912 The tracking force will come down to the cartridge specs, not the tonearm, so I'd look at that to start. There are many options for carts out there, but Nagaoka, Ortofon, and Hana offer some strong performers around a thousand. Five hundred will get you a fine performance as well. From there I'd look at what features you want in a table. That should help narrow it down.
I can say for certain that Soundsmith sell many carts at the $2700 mark and beyond. They're that good.
@@thevinylattack Continuing my research for a replacement, I am looking at the Audio Technica LP 140XP with either an Ortofon Black or an Audio Technica AT-OC9XSH. Am I opening up a can of worms with a moving coil cartridge? What are your thoughts on the turntable and cartridges? Thanks
@@Oldgoat912 I think the carts are a solid choice, but the table might be a little under-constructed for them. It'll certainly work mind you, but carts like that can take advantage of a better-built tables tighter tolerances, and stability.
I like your approach and honesty , i guess with this particular turntable and others of similar performance
it's built to a price , it looks good for the money but when you look closer it doesn't take long to spot corner
cutting, it's a shame . i'm a Rega guy had a planar 3 since 85 (now my daughters) and now i am a happy owner
of a P6 with Ania cartridge . I have subscribed i can see future reviews will be entertaining thanks !
Welcome aboard!
Solid. Thorough. Honest.
Another slam-dunk trifecta.
Puts some perspective into the narrative. Good job Chris!
Thanks Dana.
Thanks for taking one for the team! You did a great job with what you had to work with. 🙂
I'm glad it was helpful.
Not an error: this video provides potential buyers with a better insight than the amazon fake reviews!
Thank you for doing the video!
Thanks for watching!
Sometimes an unfavorable review is what's needed. I would love to see the manufacturer take the problems you noted into consideration and improve the product. I'm not very optimistic that it will happen, but I can hope anyways.
I am looking to upgrade, and I am in the budget category. My old Garrard SL-65 table has a loud motor and that's the main reason I am looking to upgrade it (I should take it to my local shop first to see if that can be fixed). But for me, the killer missing feature on the Angel's Horn table is 78 rpm.
There's something to be said for repairing and not replacing when possible.
thanks for your honesty
You're quite welcome.
I think you missed the point of this turntable. It's a mobile turntable meant for camping and the platter doubles as a frying pan for blueberry pancakes. Yum!
and as the dinner bell
It's possible I might have.
Angels Horn actually has this video embedded on their website for the turntable!
Do they really want to sell them?
If their dumb enough to put a poor review on their site, let them. I'm not changing anything because of it.
Should start calling your channel 'honest John' great job Chris! Also saw Recordologys reviews, that guy will review anything? I'd love your take on budget soundbars and active speakers? 👍
I did just review some Fluance active speakers, but I'm always on the look out for more products. It tends to rely on what the manufacturer has in stock, and/or would like reviewed at the time. Hopefully as the channel grows I can gain a little pull with them.
Thank Chris, I use some active Edifiers decent budget near use speakers ! 👍
Context is everything. You did not give the impression of gleeful malice. Rest easy. Someone will be thankful that you made this video such that they were able to avoid a costly mistake.
I appreciate it.
What happened to the review of the EAT petite e-glo.
It's waiting until I get caught up with the products I have in home. These products are here for a limited time so they take priority for now.
Owned this for almost a year now. I do wish i saw this review beforehand, lol. To be fair, i dont think this is a horrible product. It's a cheap manual table that plays my vinyls.. fine. Not super great, but fine. I dont expect utter greatness with like $160 which was about the budget i had been willing to put to a new hobby. Knew i wanted a manual table, didnt want an ATLP60 with no adjustable counterweight, and married to the at3600 stylus.
That said speed issues are real. Was running 34+rpm out of the box, made the speed adjustment, but this goes between 33.3 and 33.7 within each rotation (yes im on level surface). But what else at that budget is going to be worlds better? Not sure..
Dont see how the fears about 3.5 g, though, for the at3600, thats exactly where that stylus should be, and it's a well-known and well-regarded quality budget cart that doesn't wreck records. I did switch to the ATN91 stylus, which sits at 2g instead that was a decent upgrade, along with using an acrylic platter mat instead of the stock felt mat.
I will probably trade up to the Fluance 85N or a Project Carbon Evo this Christmas, and then i'll holefully be set for a long time.. (torn between these, any thoughts 😂)
Never be hesitant or reluctant to be honest. People respect someone that tells the truth, and they will give you their trust. Don't worry about it. You did a great job.
I'm not hesitant to be honest, but I also don't want to start a trend of needless negativity. I'm glad that people are seeing what I'd hoped with this review though. Thanks Danny.
I cant understand the angst that some reviewer (including you) have to review a bad product and TELLING about that to us! I find this non-recommendations as important to us as showing the good products! We as customer dont benefit of only reading/watching positive reviews. Please keep that in mind and tell us WHAT REALLY IS WRONG with certain things. I have no problem with negative reviews! The opposite is the case. Its refreshing and gives a honest feeling when someone tells me the naked truth! Good to know that this is a bad product! So keep it up!
I always point out any negatives I see in a product but when you do nothing but negative reviews, companies will be reluctant to send their products. That leaves me in a lurch. Ergo, I have a feeling that if I get a "bad" product again, I'll just pass on the review.
@@thevinylattack Sorry, makes no sense. Nobody said that you will do nothing but negative reviews. Most products will be ok I guess.
Just saved me from getting this for my first table and you really earned my respect for putting this review out thanks
Glad I could help.
A negative review done with class. Well done!
Thanks, it was a tough one.
The Recordology guy can usually find a way to like the cheapest hunks of junk and remain positive, but even he couldn’t hide the fact that he had problems with two samples of this. Seems like the obvious choice in the sub $200 class is the U-Turn Orbit.
The Orbit is definitely a solid option.
Don't let me started on the Recordology, I have the impression this guy is the importer of ultra cheap audio, like Crosley, from China.
He has his moments, but his production is so bush league it’s sometimes hard to pay attention. He shoots most of his videos in his kitchen, which is bizarre for videos about records and turntables, and the acoustics are dreadful.
My friend Richard is a bit like Kramer in Seinfeld - always has crazy schemes for making money. One idea he had was to do a website that would be a restaurant guide for the city of Sydney, where we live. The website would contain detailed reviews of these restaurants.
I asked him how he was going to make income from that. He said he would rely on advertising from restaurants. I asked him how he would handle giving bad reviews to advertisers. He squirmed a moment, then said: "If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all...?"
I informed him that if I ever found an online reviewer, the first thing I do is make sure they DO do bad reviews, as logically must occur from time to time. Otherwise I would smell a rat.
All I am saying is, keep it up.
(The other problem I had with my friend's website idea was that it would have maps showing where all these restaurants were. I asked him how on earth he proposed to create such a large number of maps. He said he would copy them off Google Maps. I informed him that street directories are covered by copyright law in Australia. That was the last I heard of that website. My friend has a lot of crazy ideas.)
I call it like I see it.
Dear Chris,
This will be wordy, my apologies in advance.
Product reviews are like Two-Face’s infamous coin…you hope that shiny side lands in the up. Sometimes it lands on the scarred side. It ain’t fun but it’s necessary to let people know what that means so that scarred side remains superficial instead of a serious wound to someone’s money & time.
Such is the burden of having your own UA-cam channel.
This was an outstanding video that could have only been made by a person with integrity and it appears you possess this quality in spades.
We live in a culture that either feels the need to project negativity very aggressively, to convince, attack and/or entertain.
On the other side of the fence is the common reluctancy to be even remotely critical of something or someone, even when its completely warranted and fair…and much needed.
Both of these extremes destroy trust.
When it comes to informing, which is what your channel does. (And, in a way, you sir are teaching as well). It’s easy to tackle and celebrate, and even recommend products that perform greatly.
Am I right?
However, we need to know what to avoid out there. Do I personally need to know? Not so much regarding certain products, like a new piece of kit; I’m an experienced music lover/audiophile that’s been at this for 40 years, and I’m certainly not alone in that spectrum.
However I don’t know everything which is why I’m here for every new video.
It’s my Zen place.
But especially for the newer, new, very budget conscious, or on-the-fence enthusiast, they need to know what to avoid out there and that’s where you and this video expands in value…and trust.
I suggest you consider making a video, at some point, that informs people on how to best research a product holistically, so that they make a very informed decision with their time & money, while mitigating the risk of disappointment as much as possible.
For example, I can tell you, from personal experience (and as a person with a background in English Studies) that a lot of consumers do not know how to write a product review accurately. It’s a thing. It causes problems for both the consumer and the manufacturer.
In closing, this was a great video.
It was an honest video, and it was a fair video.
You did an outstanding job.
Respectfully,
Moony the Loony.
I appreciate your well thought out reply, I'll certainly take a look at how to make a "how to buy" video and see what I come up with.
I purchased the Angels Horn HP 002 two years ago and it now is consistently 6~7% faster than it should be. Belt change does not fix it. There is no adjustment that I have found or been told. So....I have a $200 turntable that is going to the trash. Bummer.
I think there was an adjustment on the motor underneath the unit, but you're honestly better off turning into firewood.
@@thevinylattack Thank you. I tend to agree. I have an AT-LP120XBT sitting here....still not high-end, but hopefully better than what I have!
I'd definitely like to hear any recommendations for a player under 200 dollars. I'm into budget hifi but every inexpensive turntable I've heard sounded awful compared to cds . I believe a expensive turntable can sound good but I'm not able to spend a ton of money on a hobby.
Given monetary constraints, perhaps digital is your best choice. It certainly is more convenient. Not all vinyl is equal, and it needs to be done well to get that ‘superior sound’ it is rumored to possess.
It's something at which I'll be taking a look.
Just stumbled over this again. Good review, but just some observations?
There are unforgivable shortcomings and flaws and defects, and others are nit-picks. May I point out the nit-picks first? Then we nail the coffin shut and bury the machine with the real problems:
A - In the 70s and even early 80s (I drooled over many catalogues and pestered a many dealers until I bought my first setup), there were MANY cartridges tracking at 3 to 5 ponds (i.e. the weight force of 3 to 5 grams, but gram is a mass unit), so with a good diamond, that is not a problem, but yes, it scares us :) This is surely a nit-pick, as DJs track at 5 pond and more, to keep the stylus from bouncing in the hopping disco!
B - Vintage turntables all had terrible platter ring from aluminium and steel platters, but they also came with rubber mats that damped it. Once the platter sits on the sub-platter though, just that provides enough damping for practical purposes. This is surely a nit-pick, and in normal use, it is not a real problem.
C - 1% off on speed happens to the very best machines. I had a Thorens TD-146 once, which was always 1% or so slow, when checking with a strobe disc, but it was spinning just fine and steady. Most people do not notice speed deviations, until they reach at least 2%. This is surely a nit-pick.
D - NOW we have PROBLEMS, the first big one being with the wow and flutter! At 0.5% and more, this must have sounded like a rendition of the Duet for 2 cats by Rossini, played on a Klaxon horn operated by a pack of dogs in heat!! That is indeed unforgivable!
E - The failure of the antiskate is also a real problem, because it can and will damage the groove, and that just "ain't groovy man!"
So, just between D and E, we have a total "failure to musicate" ... pardon the pun reference to ... never mind ...
R.I.P. Angels Horn! You ain't no Cool Hand Luke!
BTW:
The phone apps, run on a good phone, work just dandy and are far better than their reputation, and confirm factory specs on my vintage gear, or being close to it, which is remarkable for 45 year old machines. OK, I lubed them, and put new belts on my Dual 1242/1246/510/1237/502, etc, and I even put a new hamster in the direct drive Akai AP-207, but I am surprised they are still close!
The apps also confirm specs for my newer Music Hall MMF-2.2LE, which is not super high end, but good enough for my limited living conditions with neighbours I cannot inundate with loud music. What I noticed is, that wow/flutter actually changes between day and late night (0.07%), when all is quiet, and there a bit less demand on the power grid. The synchronous belt drives behave better at 3 in the morning, but even at "busy" grid-times during the day, they stay within 0.12% maximum wow/flutter, so those 0.5% of the Angels Horn are a total fail!
Angels Horn must have bought a bad batch of motors, or mismatched the belts, because there is now just ONE model of DC-motor, that powers them all: the EG530SD-3F, an internally self-controlled motor for 33/45/78.
This motor is practically in EVERY Asian turntable nowadays, and it performs marvelously in my Crosley C3 I bought just for giggles for 59 bucks with shipping direct from crosleyradio dot com!
BTW: That C3 is worth a try for you, with its its 0.09% average wow/flutter, the worst being 0.15%, which is still under the generally agreed upon maximum permissible 0.2%. I did fiddle the speed close to specs, because it was 2% high, but when records runs a bit fast, it is not annoying, just makes for more foot-tapping with the faster rhythm :)
Thanks for the review. As consumers, we need to know not only what is worth purchasing, but also what to stay away from. Or at least the downsides to products to base or decisions on. If manufacturers don’t get negative reviews and keep making sales, they have no reason to improve the product.
I can only hope that they'll improve this product.
If you see reviews as a contribution to the community, warning about bad products is a moral obligation. The problem with some reviewers is when they are so into hi-end that bash some decent products. You must be objective and give the audience perspective. Good review man!
Just to add my contribution: I have a Pro-ject Debut III and some components looks exactly the same. Same resonant platter, very similar subplatter, same tonearm tube, also the plinth has the same uncovered routed hole and the electronics are covered by a cheap plastic housing, the cue lever looks the same. I think it's a cheap Chinese Pro-ject Debut II copy.
Angels horn from other UA-cam reviews happen to be their own enemy but does the public a good service. If they sent out these bad review samples to reviewers what are they pushing to the public. Just stay away. Thank you for staying Absolutely staying 100 for this So called angels horn - it’s a horror show. Peace ✌️!
I'm glad you found it helpful.
Glad to see you were able to get around to doing this review. I see you experienced the same issues I had with this TT. I only wished that this review came out before my girlfriend bought me this last year for Christmas. I barely used it, and only because I felt I had to, then boxed it up and bought myself a Debut Carbon Evo. Needless to say, she was most disappointed, but understanding enough that I wouldn't want to put my valuable records at risk.
The Pro-Ject will serve you well for years, I'm sure she'll appreciate that.
Wait, why was my comment deleted? All I was saying is that the optimum stylus force is around 6g, and I linked some reference material from the 1950's
I can assure you that I didn't delete anything. There have been problems with comments not posting from time to time here. It's even happened to me when replying for no rhyme or reason.
in my humble opinion, bad reviews should be released too. otherwise how would one know if something is bad (prior to buying it), if reviewers would just skip the product?
Honesty is a good policy too. Perhaps it could be considered paramount. A manufacturer making a platter that rings? Two basic things a turntable must do is spin at the correct speed, and track accurately. Thank you for helping people that might otherwise purchase this ‘table.
Thanks for the encouragement.
integrity and accuracy=a really good product review...even when it's not a really good product!
Thanks for that.
Ugh- I just bought this. It will be here Thursday, and now I am not excited.
You can always return it for a refund.
Thank You. This has just stopped me from buying something a bit shit
Chris, you did it right…
Thank you.
It is unusual that the platter is smaller diameter than an LP; so the thicker edge of an LP is not where it rests.
There's not much that IS usual with this table.
@@thevinylattack Right - it *looks* like a good turntable; and seems like someone designed it to look good at a price point - and never listened to it. A cast metal platter that rings like a bell ...
It is a difficult one, from a HiFi perspective this turntable is a non starter but it is a bit better than a Crosley.
I am not sure what you can expect at all for $170,- Perhaps this is what you get for that money. And yes, I also would not run it with 3,5 Grams of stylus force. But I probably would have tried it without anti skating at 2,5 gram. My Dual 1009 also has no anti skating but it sounds very nice none the less.
It is a tough price bracket.
I ve owned many a table in my 72 years of audio life and I'm telling you this is my all-time favorite! It's unfortunate you made a big deal out of ringing the platter which I feel is absolutely solid and transmits zero noise to the wonderful 3600 L phono cartridge. The motor is absolutely quiet on my model. The Walnut finish is absolutely beautiful! I also own a green U-turn orbit a Technics SLT 202 a Pioneer PL 500 NSL 2500 and as I said many others in the past that I either trashed or passed on to other people. This one is the quietest of the bunch and I just got done listening to Joan Baez any day now and Jim pepper Pepper's pow wow Plus Virgil Fox digital Fox and I have to tell you the Angels horn 002 was absolutely silent and imparted no sense of coloration during the performance. I think the 132 dollars plus tax that I spent on this table at half the price of my u-turn and considerably less than the 1997 planer two with glass platter it was a steal especially during these modern times. Yes granted the parts came from China but that is true of many modern turntables. All I know is with the 10 steps I had to put the kid together and tweak it I feel it was built in the USA by myself LOL and yes I did have to loosen up the tone arm screws a bit and adjust the screw on the counterweight and it just the speed of the 33 SWAT on the motor because it did run and 2% fast at first but and this is a big but but.. in the end I felt I wound up with a first-rate turntable. Yes I know there is just a tad bit of tonearm friction but it seems to me the tone arm and Audio Technica cartridge that was mounted to Perfection as far as alignment was concerned along with the built-in preamp is a match made in heaven! The Glorious sound I'm hearing from this turntable and the Beautiful looks make this my old time favorite and it has not failed me once the tweaking. I am listening to high quality headphones and a tube headphone amplifier PHA 3. Thanks for your honesty anyway but I feel you were a bit too tough let's say and too many reviewers make a big deal out of ringing in the platter. And I love the slightly undersized platter and the felt mat is so stiff and stable and I don't hear any unwanted noise transmitted to the carbon fiber stylus on the Audio Technica to the platter or the mat or the belt or even the motor for that matter. It is simply a first-rate bargain among turntables of any era! God bless and enjoy vinyl!
Oh by the way.. although the supply RCA phone no patches we're okay and better than many tables.. I replaced them with a $9 pair KabelDirekt
quality ones from Germany. Yes I know...I'm speech texting right now LOL please forgive me
If you received a table from Angel's Horn that you like, I'd say it's a fluke. They're built very poorly and aren't worth the meager amount that they charge.
I don't see the problem in reviewing items and reaching negative conclusions. As long as they are genuine opinions with evidence to back them up, that's the point of a review. I purchased a Lenco L-3808 based on reviews a couple of years ago and have been very pleased with it. I think it is a public service to report negative as well as positive results.
It's not so much about putting out the negative on a product, for me it's about being more selective on which products get reviewed.
@@thevinylattack Sometimes it's good to have honest reviews that are negative to stop people buying lemons.
#integrity.
Not all reviews are positive. A well intended negative review gives the manufacturer informed feedback on how, and where, they can improve the product.
Let's hope it goes that way.
I am new to collecting vinyl, I ordered this player and wish I would have watched this video beforehand. Right out of the box the player plays records noticeably too fast. The pitch and tempo is speed up on 33. I am going to have to return the player. I am disappointed because I saw many positive reviews before purchasing.
I'm just glad to hear you can return it and get your money back.
just get the project primary e under $200 without phono stage, I think it's about 250 with phono stage built in.
Where are you finding those prices? Everything I see has the standard table at $329. Let me know if I'm missing something.
@@thevinylattack
I'm trying to do a rough conversion from pounds to dollars in the UK it's £179 the primary e, so roughly $200 to $210 should be about right, why would it be more than that?
@@hoobsgroove Because it costs money to ship them overseas to us. I can't find them that cheap. I wish I could.
Looks like a simulated walnut vinyl. LOL nice bell/platter. With vinyl records being as big as it is now I'm not surprised there are shitty snake oil scammers trying to cash in on vinyls resurgence. Always remember " The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of the supposed deal is forgotten". Good review as I see it. Listed on my local CL today is a just serviced Technics SL-20 and judging by the 11 photos I would say it's minty for 200 Canadian. I would rather have it.
Thank you for the honest review. I appreciate your transparency and you were very throrough about the drawbacks of the product.
Glad it was helpful.
A U-Turn table would walk all over this for similar $$$
I reckon so.
Larger than 0.5% wow and flutter? WOW!
Anti-skate messed up? OUCH!
Platter ring? Well, a heavy mat can tame that, and vintage really good 1970s and 80s machines had heavy metal platters that rang like a bell without mat, so that is indeed getting picky. Maybe you should leave that part out next time.
However, just the lousy speed control and the arm pulling the stylus all over the place are indeed complete disqualifiers. Even the Pro-Ject designed el-cheapo Crosley C6/8/10/20 series does much better at a lower price, and many seem to like them.
For my part, I am all set with my vintage Dual machines :)
Now Mr. isabella , the cow falling off the alien record and those 2 lights bulbs make sense., yet this video producer's ways and the 36L not so much...By the way, where is it made though?...Shema!!!
It's made in China.
you are human. my condolences on that. at least you try to make the best of it. perhaps going on you tube and searching for the political philosophy of Calvin and Hobbes will make you smile again. all the best, Roynoy only human but olden uglie too
Record-ology did a review of the Angels Horn turntable too and had problems with the original unit sent to him as well as the replacement unit.
Manufacturers have a straightforward job to do when it comes to turntables; build them properly, ensure that the record speeds are accurate, avoid any sound distortion (wow and flutter), provide a quality stylus, and don't fake any features to con consumers.
Angels Horn failed most of this basic test (other than providing an Audio-Technica cartridge) and it's absurd. It's also committing fiscal suicide if the company continues to destroy its reputation, especially since there is a lot of choice out there when it comes to vintage or new turntables.
Unfortunately it just doesn't seem to be that reliable.
No person who reviews products professionally should choose to only review the good stuff, or the stuff they’ve already decided they have a positive opinion of. Reviewers should review everything - the good, the bad and the ugly - so that the consumer can be informed.
Unfortunately, it's not always that simple. While I always point out any flaws that I personally perceive in a product, if you tend to put out negative reviews regularly the chance of getting products to review will most likely cease.
I get the impression that the manufacturer just makes turntables out parts sourced from Alibaba or the like. The cheapest, lowest grade of quality or they just have them built at the lowest possible cost spending the bulk of cost on packaging and advertising.
Who can really say, unfortunately it's just not a good end product.
Why am I not surprised by your honest review? You get what you pay for! I Googled it before watching your video and it looked like a cheap knock-off of other similarly built turntables. Reviews like this let viewers know what NOT to buy no matter brutal the review is. The manufacturer should take your comments and go back to the drawing board if they can translate from English to whatever language!🤣🤣 I don't feel your honest review was a mistake.
I'd encourage an improvement to the table. Only time will tell.
Might as well throw in my $0.02 about this as I voted "go for it" in the poll. I understand it has to be touchy giving a negative review to any product, particularly when a company gives you a sample unit, but I do strongly disagree with the suggestion you recieved that if a review is going to be negative than throw it out! Negative reviews are far more important in the grand scheme of things than positive ones. Where positive reviews basically just re-affirm someone's purchase decision, or help them "pull the trigger" on a product they have been eyeing, negative reviews save someone from a purchase decision that they might regret without an honest upfront review from someone like you who clearly cares enough to deliver the bad news. In the sea of "shill" reviewers on UA-cam if you have the opportunity to be the honest one who will show products in a true light for what they really are I would still say you should go for it, even if you have to give a negative review here and there. The other benefit to this as well is I'm sure the manufacturer (or at least the company that put their label on the product) is watching and will have an opportunity to take notes and improve for a MK2 of their product, and be held accountable to that because we will be watching for the product they come out with next. Anyway I really enjoyed the review and your channel is growing into one of my favorites on UA-cam. Whatever you decide to do keep it up and I will be looking forward to the next video, whatever it might be about!
I appreciate the feedback.
If the manufacturer is forward thinking your review should be, at least, enlightening. You’ve pointed out shortcomings and now they need to be addressed. Watch, I bet they offer another, more refined product to review. You did them a favor.
I suppose we'll see if they make changes.
You need to express bad products so people wont purchase them. Honesty is important
Maybe you can just report your observation, both positive and negative. No need to give us a product recommendation. Let each of decide based if we want to buy, search for additional information, or move on based on the facts you present.
I don't know if that would have the feel I want from the videos. I do present what I see, and my recommendation isn't the end all be all by any means, but I don't know if I'd want to make the show so clinical.
Great vid. But I think you are reviewing this turntable as if you are a hardcore audiophile. Listen this is for the person that has records just want music on. This turntable like new as of 2022 is 89 bucks.
I'm reviewing it as I see it. I wouldn't give that table to a new person in the hobby because of its faults, so that's what I report.
So, you are saying that you should only review products that you like? I don’t agree. These companies need to hear the truth about the stuff they make. Especially if they reach out to you to review said crappy turntable. The truth is the truth and they need to hear it.
I'm saying I didn't enjoy the process of a review this negative and I don't have any interest in doing it again.
@@thevinylattack I think it’s a good thing.
so I should spend $700
You should spend whatever you're comfortable with.
serious dude Come on now nothing wrong with high tracking carts
You're right, if you don't care about record damage.
@@thevinylattack your silly you really are
@@bronsonosborne3962 Sure I am. That has nothing to do with my being correct, however.
@@thevinylattack i have been listening to records and selling them for 25 years also love the older heavy trackers like the Stanton 680SL stanton 500 ADC shure m44 i rather track at the higher end of the cartridge force i listen to to blues rock n roll and bluegrass have a good day friend
This makes no sense. What? You pledge never to give anything a bad rating? If you test a product and it's bad you prefer to just NOT review it? Isn't that what a REVIEW is about? Otherwise your just doing a product showcase. An ADVERTISEMENT. You pick a product for review. If it is BAD. Then you say so in the REVIEW. This informs the viewer as to your opinions and observations so they can make an informed decision. If you didn't do the review at all, you are doing your viewers a dis-service as they may buy that product and you have denied them the benefit of your experience.
I think you missed the point. I don't want to spend my time doing hit pieces.
Thanks I will not be purchasing this turntable😮
A wise move.
@@thevinylattack 👍
you are WRONG ....3.5 grams on hat cartridge will NOT wear your lps faster....thus your whole review is Bogus
Sounds like someone bought a lousy turntable and needs to make excuses for their purchase...