Best Crosley Record Player to Buy in 2020
If you are a true audiophile and are familiar with names and brands in the turntable line, you should recognize the name Crosley. It’s a renowned brand for the audio electronics. It was founded by Powell Crosley Jr. who was an American entrepreneur and inventor. He established a line of auto parts in the early 20th century. Later Crosley diversified and developed a range of consumer products and appliances under his family name, including a line of radios. Crosley eventually sold off his business, and his brand name was gradually subsumed into the products of other companies. Since 1984, however, a resuscitated Crosley Radio has become a seller of high demand of radios and turntables, particularly in recent years, with a line of all-in-one record players fascinating a new generation of vinyl listeners to the audio fidelity and artistic nature of the vinyl. In fact, Crosley has been in phase with the recurrence of vinyl in music sales, selling affordable yet stylish vintage reproductions of classic or portable suitcase hi-fi systems to Millennials and older generations who got rid of their own hi-fis long ago. Today we will discover the best turntables from Crosley, and present their virtues and flaws. So if you were just thinking about getting a table from Crosley you are at the right place.
BUYING GUIDE
Although the Crosley turntables are one of the most used turntables for audiophiles and their better quality, optimization and overall superiority over regular record players place them on a higher ground to be selected by audiophiles; there is no doubt a vast amount of variety even in the case of Crosley tables so you will need to narrow down your search by filtering through some factor that we are about to tell you. Don’t fret; we’ll guide you through your journey. So all you need to do here is concentrate on the following factors: How much money you want to spend on the table, what are the important features of the table you are about to buy, and what use you have for the table.
Price is clearly the first factor to look at. There are so many variants of a turntable that the expense range is shockingly widespread. The range begins from a simple 20$ per device to one that costs tens of thousands. So the first chance to narrow down your search is here. Plan a budget, and your search will be filtered vastly.
To make it easier for you, we have broken down the prices at a different price point to help you understand:
Less than 100$: These are the low-priced ones, but will help you get acquainted with the equipment and know your requisites.
100$ to 300$: The ones of better quality. Surely not the best, but will provide value for the money.
300$ to 500$: These are the most standard ones and perhaps offer most out of the venture. At this range of budget, you may find one of the best quality brand new players.
More than 500$: These are the artistic and more sophisticated ones, for the luxurious collectors and for people who are serious audiophiles. They are more of a collectible than an actual necessity.
You should always keep a checklist of all the significant key features that you may need looking into for the purchase. A good player contains a few central features, which as a group gives the product its temperament and appeal. By looking at these features and associating them with your listening needs, you can form a checklist that will ultimately help you to determine which model is correct for you. The most important features are listed below:
1. Direct Drive vs. Belt Drive: A belt drive turntable has a belt joining the platter and the motor. It decreases the vibrations and noises. A direct drive turntable lacks this belt and gives the platter the ability to turn in opposite direction which creates sound effects.
2. Manual vs. Automatic: Automatic turntables do the work of lifting the tonearm and placing it on the record for you. The mechanization can make noise or the parts can break but offers convenience and ease. Manual ones do not have these amenities but can offer the better quality of sound and music.
3. Tonearm: The tonearm is an important part to think about as this will determine the sound quality. The smoother the tonearm is, the better.
4. Cartridge: Cartridge holds the stylus, and is also a crucial part of the instrument.
5. Playback speeds: Most turntable offer 33.3 and 45 RPM some also have 78 RPM
6. Speed deviation: The less deviation, the better.
What is it that you are going to do with the device? Do you want an elegant and posh looking table that will look like a piece of artifact more than an actual record player or you just want to go ahead and buy a table for your audio requirements? Will you just use it for just personal use or will your party be lit with one of these? Will you just keep it in your home or will you probably take it with you outdoors? Or maybe set it up on your store or restaurant? There are endless possibilities with a piece of a turntable. Recognizing the uses for your turntable will greatly help you choose the perfect, suitable turntable for you. So it is vital that you know what you are buying the table for. What purpose will it serve?
Now we will introduce you to the list of products that have been selected by our experts. All of them are high-quality turntables that you can put your money on.
Best Choice
Notable Specifications
Type: Belt Drive, Automatic
Size: 13.8 x 17.6 x 6 inches
Weight: 9.5 pounds
Play Speeds: 33.3 and 45 RPM
Diamond Stylus Needle
Adjustable Tone Arm Weight
Adjustable Pitch Control
Auxiliary Output
RCA Phono Output
Crosley C100A is a fan favourite, solid product from Crosley. As the manufacturers claim, this table takes vinyl listening to the next level. C100A comes with an S-shaped tone arm along with an adjustable counterweight, adjustable strobe pitch control, and a built-in phono preamp. All of the components are packed inside a sleek, classic black and silver case. This turntable is the perfect addition to any current speaker system. Pair it with any type of speakers and they’ll sound good. A perfect set up for someone wanting wants to start to collect and listen to vinyl without breaking the bank. Well built and the heavy platter tracks well. It also looks awesome and is very easy to operate. Overall, this is a great entry level turntable with great features for the price.
- Features Anti-Skate Adjustment
- High Tech ABS Construction
- Comes with a transparent protective lid
- Easy to use
- The setup guide is confusing and the whole process is a bit of a chore
C100A is a great turntable. It looks great, works great and plays great sound. The biggest flaw it has is the terrible assembly instructions from the manufacturers. Other than that, it’s a great bang for the buck. The product is a fan favorite with mostly positive reviews by users. Some have complained about different things but they seem to be a problem that mostly is due to a faulty unit rather than the actual product. Overall the C100A is a great value turntable that you can get without any actual problems so it would be a good choice to go with.
Value Choice
Notable Specifications
Type: Belt Drive, Automatic
Size: 13.8 x 17.6 x 6 inches
Weight: 9.5 pounds
Play Speeds: 33.3, 45 and 78 RPM
Built-in Bluetooth
CD player
Side-mounted Cassette Deck
AM/FM radio with airplane tuning dial
Full range stereo speakers
A vintage looking product from Crosley. This table will definitely be a subject of conversation for visitors. It stands out with its unique look, and if you have a home that has an older feel to it then it really will accent to your home. The box is sturdy and doesn’t feel brittle or weak. It’s made of real wood and is of quality build. While the dials and front piece are made of plastic, they look and feel almost like metal. The record player arm is made of metal. The build is solid and sturdy. The sound of this thing is amazing. There are speaker vents on the front and side, but sound only comes out the front. The vents on the side are purely cosmetic. Although it could use a little more bass it isn’t bad on its own. The functions are wide too. It has an auxiliary port for various mp3 players. It comes with Bluetooth and has full range stereo speakers. Overall, it looks good and plays well.
- Offers Bluetooth functionality
- Plays 3 speeds
- Portable audio ready- works with just plugging in your smartphone
- Some people have complained about product life being too short.
CR704D is a much-appreciated table. It has many functionalities and is a top quality product. The build quality is strong and sturdy. It plays cassette tapes, CDs and vinyl records. The radio sounds amazing. The speakers are wonderful and produce a nice clean sound. It looks wonderful as well, great retro style. Users are generally pleased with quality, price and the sound and although it has a few negative reviews, they are too few to actually count. So overall it is an excellent product that is easy to use, has good sound and is inexpensive and a great option to go with.
Most Expensive
Notable Specifications
Type: Belt Drive, Manual
Size: 16.2 x 13 x 4.5 inches
Weight: 15.4 pounds
Play Speeds: 33.3, and 45 RPM
Low vibration synchronous motor
8.6-inch manual return aluminum tonearm with sapphire bearings
Anti-skate adjustment
Adjustable tonearm weight
Ortofon OM5e cartridge, pre-mounted
User-replaceable phono cartridge for a customized listening experience
Special turntable feet for effective vibration control
The Crosley C10 is an excellent audiophile turntable—Crosley only in name by the silk screen printed logo and model number on the plinth, but, parts and build quality is in courtesy of Pro-Ject. The speed control of the player is very accurate. Tonearm and the supplied Ortofon OM5e cartridge , a cartridge that when sold separately is just under the $100 mark, do an outstanding and synergistic job of just letting the music flow. There is no sibilance, no inner groove distortion. The last track plays just as clear and sonically pleasing as the first track. Ample bass is produced along with clean, well-pronounced mids for vocals of both female and male. Highs are detailed without any risk of becoming ear and mind fatigued. Turntable cover hinges can be pressure adjusted by two screws on each hinge to make sure lid does not slam down on plinth if opened during playback. The cover can also be easily removed. Setup was easy. Moreover, it looks very attractive due to the minimalist plinth design. It comes with a Solid MDF construction. No platter wobble or warpage. We could go on, but you get the idea.
- Motor noise, vibration is practically non-existent
- The cartridge, which is an expensive and high-quality one, is pre-installed
- Great stereo imaging
- Manual turntable so lacks all the amenities of an automatic turntable
C10A-MA is such a great table, that we were actually looking for some negative reviews or complaints about the product but we ended up with practically nothing. It has a high rating of 4.8 on Amazon and 86% of all the ratings are 5 stars. This should tell you about the quality and reputation of the product. The construction comes from Pro-ject which is also a well-known name in the music industry. The construction, aesthetics, function all of them are top notch and none of them are compromised. So if your wallet can handle it, go for this one.
most affordable
Notable Specifications
Type: Belt Drive, Automatic
Size: 14 x 5 x 12 inches
Weight: 7 pounds
Play Speeds: 33.3, 45 and 78 RPM
Adjustable Pitch Control
Built-in Bluetooth receiver
USB Enabled
Moving Magnetic Cartridge
Okay, this one is probably one of the products from Crosley with the most diverse opinions. It’s not just that some people hate it or some love it- people love and hate this product at different varieties. There are a lot of negative reviews on this product. But people still buy it because it has many virtues along with being cheap. It works decently. Of course, the sound isn’t as great as others because it has such little speakers, but it sounds good anyway. It does sound very good with earphones. Has the option of digitization. Has Bluetooth, 3 play speeds- as we said many virtues. But the build quality seems to be a bit poor. The table itself is small, and the overall build is a bit flimsy. Either way, it comes way under 100 dollars so that is kinda expected. Other than those, it just works fine.
- Bluetooth and USB enabled
- 3 play speeds
- Smaller in size and lightweight
- Economic
- Poor build quality
- The platter is reported by many users to vibrate and wobble
- Speakers are tiny compared to other players
- Tracks may skip
So you want a turntable under 100 dollars? CR6019D-BR may be the right choice for you. It does have a lot of features and is a pretty well entry level turntable. Our advice to you will be if you are just an entry-level user, this is a good entry-level product. It is economic and will be a good product to get into the water without drowning. It has a lot of negative reviews, yes, but also has a lot of positive ones. So consider buying this because, at this range of price, it won’t be a loss.
We will now compare the 4 choices to help you differentiate them from one another.
– All four of the products are belt driven
– CR6019D-BR and CR704D-PA have 3 play speeds the rest have two play speeds
– CR6019D-BR is the only one which is under 100 dollars, while the rest are all well over 100 dollars, with the C10-MA being over 200 dollars
– CR6019D-BR and CR704D-PA come with Bluetooth functionality while the other two do not have that feature.
– C10MA and C100 both have adjustable tonearm, while the other two don’t have that feature
– Only C100 has a Diamond stylus needle.
By looking at this comparison you may decide your preferred device.
We will also be introducing some more products for you to compare and contrast.
Notable Specifications
Type: Belt Drive, Manual
Size: 13.8 x 17.2 x 26.2 inches
Weight: 20 pounds
Play Speeds: 33.3, and 45 RPM
Portable audio ready
The first thing to note about this turntable is it’s unique look. It looks way too fancy for a record player. It’s not bound by the aesthetics of a player but looks more like furniture. It will be a great addition to your interior. Customers are pleased with the looks and performance of Crosley CR231A. The material on the outer casing looked to be put together quite well. A plus for this is that it comes with legs if you don’t have a shelf to put it on and though it depends on your personal taste, it actually looks great! The sound is soothing and decent. The Crosley CR6231A has that old 50’s feel and sound. It also has a pretty nice tonearm. It is heavy and sets the needle on with no skipping at all. It is a straight ol’ school table with all manual needle placements. It is a great option to consider.
- Unique looks and aesthetics
- As it comes with legs of its own, you don’t need a different place for it
- Issues with speed adjustment
- Records may skip
The Crosley CR6231A-GR1 is a subject to much dispute. Many people like it, many don’t like it that much and many even hate it. It has decent specifications and likewise stats. It sounds just about right. The one thing that adds to this table is how different it looks. Other than that the specifications are, to be honest, pretty ordinary. Nevertheless, it is a decent turntable and we believe will provide good value for the price.
Notable Specifications
Type: Direct Drive, Manual
Size: 11 x 17.7 x 5.5 inches
Weight: 11.2 pounds
Play Speeds: 33.3, and 45 RPM
Damped die-cast aluminum platter with felt slip mat
1/2-inch mount universal headshell with Audio-Technica cartridge (pre-installed)
Balanced S-shaped tone arm with hydraulic lift control
Anti-skate
Height adjustment
Built-in switchable phono pre-amplifier with detachable RCA output cables
This turntable is fantastic. It looks way too metal with its black color and is a cool looking turntable. This turntable is a direct drive and is used by professionals. The cartridge included with this table is good but not great. It uses a conical stylus, the AT-91 which is of good quality. The quality is far better than I was ever expecting at this price point. The direct drive motor is strong and picks up speed almost immediately and runs rock-solid immediately out of the gate. Additionally, the deck uses the direct drive system for electrical braking when the stop is pressed, leading to a less-than-one-second spin down. The standard headshell and tonearm setup also makes a change out or upgrade of the stock cartridge and stylus a simple matter. The only professional turntable in this list definitely deserves special consideration.
- Professional turntable
- Great value for the price
- Looks cool
- The setup instructions of the turntable are unclear
- Due to being direct drive, the motor may produce a bit noise
Crosley C200A-BK is a super cool looking and working turntable. It has a high rating on Amazon with 4.4 stars on average. Most of the reviews are 5 stars. People are happy with this product. The one thing great about this is despite having stats of a professional turntable it is priced and used just like a regular turntable. It is not super confusing and easy to use. The sound is amazing for this budget range and it looks so damn cool. You may have a party in your house with this device with the roll of the Jockey. This device will not just look beautiful but also light up your environment. It isn’t super expensive either so we recommend you give a serious consideration to this product.
Notable Specifications
Type: Belt Drive, Manual
Size: 14 x 10.5 x 4.6 inches
Weight: 5.5 pounds
Play Speeds: 33.3, 45 and 78 RPM
Dynamic full range stereo speakers
AC power adapter
RCA audio out
Headphone jack
Crosley CR8005A-DS is pretty unique in itself. It is a popular model for gifts and presents because it comes with a very cutesy design with a Disney artwork. It is also portable, which makes it a choice for many people. Specification wise it is a pretty normal belt driven turntable with a manual tonearm. It has 3 play speeds and is an economic choice.
- Unique design makes it popular among young kids
- Suitable for present
- Lightweight
- Affordable
- Portable audio ready-simply plug in any portable audio device or mp3 player
- The build is rather flimsy
- The sound quality is a bit compromised
Crosley CR8005A-DS is an above average player. It’s not that good for serious use but good for presents and gifts. It has normal specifications similar to tables at this price point. It is very affordable though so you may go with it as an entry level turntable.
Crosley has made some pretty good turntables over these years and it was quite difficult for us to put up this list, but still these are the tables that we handpicked for you. Almost all of the Crosley products are good, but still, they seem to get hate. But all the big brands have to endure that. Nevertheless, they have their own reputation and popularity. We can assure that your precious money will get grea value whichever product you may end up choosing. We have even put up a comparison section to make things easier for you. So now all you have to do is, Plan your budget and find your necessities, and you will find one that is suitable for you. Good wishes to you.
