Record Player reccomendations for beginners?

Hi,
I'm currently looking at purchasing a record player and it will be my first time purchasing and using one. I would prefer to get something small with inbuilt speakers.

I have been looking at crosleys record players and have heard from a lot of people that they will ruin your records and even possibly break or have faults over time. Is this the case? And if so, do you have any recommendations on what i could buy that is similar but better quality? I don't want to go over $150 as im just starting out but i want something that will last as well.

Thankyou!

 

Do you have a stereo that you will be integrating it into or are you starting from scratch? I bought a uturn orbit earlier this year and have been very happy with it but I already had a reciever/speakers. It's slightly over your budget but I feel it will be much better then a Crosley or something similar.

 

Small is OK but built-in speakers are invariably lo-fi so what would the purpose be ? Vinyl is a hi-fi format so to get it to sound at least OK you will need an amp and a pair of speakers. Crosleys will chew through your records faster than a shark would through your legs. 150 bucks just won't cut it unless you can find a humble, clean-used japanese TT.

If all you want is a fashionable piece of decor that produces discernible sound from a vinyl record for your home, by all means disregard every advice against getting a Crosley.

 

What Waxfreak said.

 

Go through KAB and see if he has one of his refurbished Technics. He was selling them awhile ago for around 200.00 or try and grab a gently used Denon DP300f (it has a built in phono pre)

 

Read the first post well; touches on more than a few pieces of specific knowledge
Maybe legitimate, MAYBE not
Don't feed the dirt bags from the other site new material
It just feels loaded to me
Wait and see what the OP comes back with

 

Huhmmm....I took the bait like an idiot !

 

I must have missed something. What's up?

 

Hey man, I may be the "idiot" here; just doesn't ring true

 

The OP is clearly pulling our collective legs.

 

Ahhh I get where you guys are coming from.

 

And I'm afraid Sleepyhouse is part of the scheme. None will take a PM. But one answered the other's post. Ha ha; cheap fun

 

Well, ive never used a record player/turn table before so i was just going to buy secondhand records. Probably just for recreational use as ive always preferred older music to modern. Is it just crosleys that ruins records or would it be all players like that?

 

im really confused now?? I just did a lot of research before visiting this form, im not from 'the other site'.

 

Remind me to never commit a crime with you guys.....................

 

2 new members discussing Crosleys. All said.

 

I was only trying to give some advice being that I'm fairly new to vinyl as well I'm not sure what was wrong with my post.

 

I find all the posting on this thread other than the OP's insulting, you guys should be ashamed of your selves! There are and have been many new members to this site wanting to know about buying a TT for the first time and invariably ask about Crosley turn tables. I am not a Crosley affectionado or owner I am neutral on this but all you rabid Crosley denigraders should do some basic research on Crosleys, true there are some horrible ones out there with ceramic stylii, heavy 10.0 VTF non adjustable etc, but there also Crosleys with S shaped tone arms, removeable headshells with 1/2" std screw spacing AT 3600 carts with a .6 diamond conical stylus, adjustable counter weights, and anti skate, speed control with strobe light and marked platter, 12" platters all the same stuff as some of the other name brand new TT's such as AT 120, all these TT's, Crosleys and the older name branded new decks, that the platter, tone arm assy. are all made in the same factory in China, let me say that again, "they are all made in the same factory" plus most of the Crosley units have RCA L-R outs to connect to an external amp.
My Daughter in Law has a Crosley CR-66 loves it plays many records on it and has not damaged a single one it has a AT-3600 cart with the .6 conical stylus set at 4.0 VTF from the factory, hers does not have a adjustable counter weight but it can be un bolted and spaced back to change it, I just got a LP Gear .3 x .7 elliptical stylus for it, LP Gear has a number of mid to higher end AT stylus' for these decks. So maybe all you anti Crosley folks should stop talking and do some reading.

 

Hmmm.....

 

I repair audio gear. I call them the way I see them. Leetac in China makes Crosley and the other nostalgia players. They make one or two adequate models, the main weakness is the klutzy tonearm and it's higher friction bearings (the AT 3600 cartridge is excellent but happiest at closer to 3 grams). And the better Crosleys are getting some improvements. I'd still rather have an old Voice Of Music suitcase model in good order or a 196o's Zenith suitcase model as a beginner turntable properly serviced as they were better made and had decent tonearms and were easy on records and better sounding. P.S. I love the AT 3600 in broadcast tonearms a lot. It excels in that application, a good budget cartridge.

 

I agree that the older suitcase models are much better than most Crosleys but rather difficult for the young newbe's to get. Crosleys are just so obtainable at Target, Kohls, Wal-Mart, K mart etc. They are specifically marketed to that crowd, I just wish there was better info out there for them on the Crosleys and other off brand players with all the same parts, just different brands, different cabinets, some are very attractive. I have seen the name Hanpin as manufacturer of these decks also.

Jim

 

Hanpin

 

Cruise the thrift and put something together.

 

Jboy has it right. You may as well put a little research into it. Maybe Crosley , some of them are ok. But it's a good opening question. Don't let the negative responses deter you from looking into things. Yeah, it will probably take you a little more than a buck fifty to land something decent.
You should look into what makes a table perform well. Audiogon and this forum are good resources.