Vinyl Music - Record player recommendations?

[Tanooki]

A month ago or so in that Street Fighter II SNES re-issue thread a few of us got off track a bit and dipped into music, reissues, the come back of vinyl. I had been saying I was looking for a long stretch to find an old school 80s~ record player with no luck for a good year or so.

A little bit ago I found a barely touched Crosley 704 5in1 system that has a turntable, casette, line in devices, am/fm and CD audio on it dirt cheap. I looked it up on my phone fairly fast and found that this model despite no bluetooth (who cares, I don't) was rating like a 4.5~/5 rating for quality so I snapped it up.

It's nice being able to hear a record of my mom's she had as a kid I've kept for decades now on a high shelf due to the cover (original sound track to Lady & The Tramp from the movie.) The audio quality on that thing is fantastic. I even have one cassette tape from the 80s (Cyndi Lauper) that is working beautifully in the device right now.

So I was wondering any tips on this as I was a kid when I last had one of these. I'm talking maintenance, cleaning, care, or just good places to stump for records and what to look for. The unit can handle all the usual speeds and even has the 45 adapter with it.


Scratch that -- back on the hunt for a record player. The CD is dead or likes to open/close repeatedly and after playing the one record I've kept for decades it decided to up and stop spinning when it finished on one side of it I had going and won't come back on. Refund tomorrow. Don't know why it's so hard to find a second hand one that works.

[Tanooki]

I'll fix this the way it was when I can get my hands on another.

Does anyone have any recommendations of a good basic unit sort of like the bum Crosley I got off goodwill that has to go back? I don't have room for a whole turn table + receiver to balance it + a pair of big speakers here. I wouldn't mind either an all in one smaller Crosley/Jensen something of the sort that just does records + radio if that much that has a good set of built in speakers or can take a basic copper wire/rca style cable (red+white) to a couple smaller ones I can tuck away. Hell if it would work I have a nice pair of altec lansing that run off a mini headphone jack I could adapt to potentially. Still ticked that thing failed after I got it back here.

[Ziggy]

For all-in-one units (table/amp/speakers) suggestions wont matter much since they're all about the same level of shit.

You don't have to get a proper amp and floor standing speakers if you don't have the room, but you don't have to resort to one of those horrible stereo units. You can get a small amp (I have no suggestions - put they're pretty popular these days so I'm sure someone will) and bookshelf speakers. It would actually take up less room than an all-in-one unit. And if you're gonna use 2.1 desktop speakers, then you don't even need an amp.

As for tables, Sony, Pioneer and Audio Technica all make tables around the $100 mark, with Audio Technica being the most popular one. Pretty sure they all have built-in phono pre-amps too, which means you could actually just hook a table directly up to powered speakers (such as desktop PC speakers).

Tables:





Phono pre-amp (only if your table doesn't have one built in):

Small stereo amp (unless you're using powered speakers): (There's probably better ones available - There are quite a few amps that are this size and price range).

Powered desktop speakers (can plug directly into a table if it has a built in preamp):

If you're gonna plug some powered desktop speakers directly into a table with a built-in preamp, you might just need an adapter or two (3.5mm/RCA).


As for setting up a table and maintenance and that sort of thing, just check out YouTube. Lots of great videos up there. Check out the channel Vinyl Eyezz. Some people give him shit, but he has a playlist of videos that show you how to set up a table quickly. There's lots of videos showing how to clean records, lots of different methods. 99% of maintenance though should be just using a record brush and a stylus brush.

Handle records only by the edges and labels, the oils from your hands will help gunk stick to the records (making them dirty). Use a record brush (usually while the record is spinning on the table) to remove large bits of dust and hair, etc. Periodically use a stylus brush (not ANY brush, a brush specially made to clean a stylus) to remove gunk that it has collected. If a record is pop, skip or cracking a lot, then you probably have to give it a deep (wet) clean.

Store records vertically, not stacked horizontally, to prevent them from warping. I think that's the all the basics.

[Tanooki]

For all-in-one units (table/amp/speakers) suggestions wont matter much since they're all about the same level of shit.

You don't have to get a proper amp and floor standing speakers if you don't have the room, but you don't have to resort to one of those horrible stereo units. You can get a small amp (I have no suggestions - put they're pretty popular these days so I'm sure someone will) and bookshelf speakers. It would actually take up less room than an all-in-one unit. And if you're gonna use 2.1 desktop speakers, then you don't even need an amp.

As for tables, Sony, Pioneer and Audio Technica all make tables around the $100 mark, with Audio Technica being the most popular one. Pretty sure they all have built-in phono pre-amps too, which means you could actually just hook a table directly up to powered speakers (such as desktop PC speakers).

Good read I'll look into it.

I had bookmarked this on amazon, it looks solid and if you ever found a rare 80rpm record it works on there too. It's made to work on its own or with a set of speakers.


Also those logitech speakers i'm using those but one number under 313 on my computer here. I have an equally comparable to that or your 323 Altec Lansings I don't have wired into anything unless I plug my handhelds into it.

[Ziggy]

Unless you have or plan to get 78's, I really wouldn't worry about getting a table that supports 78 RPM. The only person I know that has 78's is my grandfather, and he's almost 90 years old. Unless (AFAIK) you're planning on collecting and listening to records from before 1950, then you'll really have no use for 78's. Don't let that be a selling point for you. Also note, you really need a different stylus (and possibly cartridge, too) for 78's. Some people will say you don't, but you really do in order for it to track right.

I'll just be honest with you, that Jensen table looks like garbage. For $60, you'll be much better off getting the Audio Technica for $40 more. The built in speakers that the Jensen has are gonna be just awful, and if you plan on using the headphones output to use desktop PC speakers to forgo the shitty built in speakers, then what's the point on getting such a low end player? The Audio Technica AT-LP60 has a built in phono preamp so you can hook it up directly to desktop PC speakers, you just might need an adapter.

[dsheinem]

The Audio Technica AT-LP60 has a built in phono preamp so you can hook it up directly to desktop PC speakers, you just might need an adapter.

Yup. I have this as my main turntable. Works great and sounds fantastic for the price.

[Tanooki]

The Jensen like that broken Crosley I took back have speakers. I'm not certain I'd want to plug my spare speakers into it so that's why I was looking at something that was stand alone.

[marurun]

I think the point that people are trying to make is that those all-in-one turntable units are typically crap. They have cheap motors, cheap needles, cheap cartridges, cheap amplifiers, and cheap speakers. They're highly likely to sound like crap and do damage to good vinyl. Vinyl, like cassettes, are a resource which, no matter how well cared for, will eventually decline with use. Why turn that decline into a race? I mean, I've never understood the arguments for vinyl over digital, but if you're gonna go vinyl and claim you can hear something digital can't capture you're just going to look dumb doing it with crap equipment.

[dsheinem]

I think the point that people are trying to make is that those all-in-one turntable units are typically crap. They have cheap motors, cheap needles, cheap cartridges, cheap amplifiers, and cheap speakers. They're highly likely to sound like crap and do damage to good vinyl. Vinyl, like cassettes, are a resource which, no matter how well cared for, will eventually decline with use. Why turn that decline into a race? I mean, I've never understood the arguments for vinyl over digital, but if you're gonna go vinyl and claim you can hear something digital can't capture you're just going to look dumb doing it with crap equipment.

100x this. For the same price as most of those units with built-in speakers you can get a decent table with a line-in preamp and basic speakers (powered if needed). Crosleys and Jensens will harm your vinyl: https://budgetvinylcollector.wordpress. ... uin-vinyl/

[fastbilly1]

LP60 is the base level if you plan to spin new print records. Anything less is going to have issues. I used an Ion player for a while, put on Daft Punk and the bass notes made it jump sections. LP60 is probably the best table for under $500 and is more than enough for most people.

That said, if you are only going to play garage sale finds, buy this:

Though I take the comment about your mothers vinyl you want to spend the money on a real table.