Does a Crosley or Victrola DESTROY your vinyl?  

Couldn't have said it better. People just getting into album collecting aren't playing hard to find expensive records. They're playing modern pressings of popular records that are constantly getting reprinted or common dollar bin record store albums. It's not the end of the world if someone somehow manages to wear out an 18 dollar repress of Number of the Beast on a Crosley by playing it 50 times.

me who doesnt even have vinyl: very good information to know here.

you know what i think? so what if you dont have the best stuff. records are meant to be played and enjoyed. if you really love a record you have, wear it out. use it. enjoy it. its not anyone else's problem what you do or use with it anyways

I have a similar turntable, but I'm scared to use it. The vinyl community is so agressive, I'm forcing myself to look for something else 😭😭

A year ago I got a Crosley as a gift and I was so worried it'd destroy my records, I really wish I knew this back then so I would've played em more. I upgraded to a Sony turntable now, mostly for the sound quality, but I'm glad I had that Crosley as a jumping-off point.

The most important thing is to enjoy your records unlike audiophiles who spend their time moaning and complaining about minute technical differences nobody notices!

I'm fine with these they seem to just be for getting people interested in vinyl. I don't know anyone that got into vinyl through buying one of these that continued to use them on a regular basis after they had a collection of more than 10 or so records. They usually upgrade by then or abandon the hobby completely. Usually, the later it seems.

Thank you for this! I've been wanting to get into collecting vinyl but have heard horrible things about the Crosleys, so I have stayed away without even knowing why they're so hated.

A friend just gave me her dad's old barely used Crosley. It's one in a larger wooden cabinet and it surprisingly sounds decent. It made playing old Christmas albums in the living room this year more convenient and without the shrill shite sound I've experienced from cheaper models, it gave a nice ambiance with the decorations. Definitely for occasional playing though. Now if I want to crank up some old mono 45s for actual LISTENING, I go to my main setup in a back room.

I had a Victrola when I first started collecting records years ago. I’ve since upgraded to a Pro Jet Debut Carbon and recently to a Technics SL-1200GR. The records I used to play on my Victrola still sound fantastic. I would not worry about playback on it

The best thing you can do is replace the sapphire/plastic stylus with a diamond one. That also has an aluminium cantilever and the diamond tip lasts 10 times longer.

No worries! For most people new to vinyl, their interest will wear out before their records.

These types of players are for casual use, I doubt they are used for hours of "critical" listening. For what they are, they're fine. Most records are NOT worth a million bucks, and any "serious" listener will have a better (perhaps vintage) TT. My Dual 510 is vintage mid range, But good enough in my system, But these are perfectly OK for a "retro" themed party (likely the biggest use for them) or for someone who want's the occasional nostalgia fix. They don't "eat" records. They certainly are better than whatever passes for CASSETTE players that are made today! Having a worn stylus (even in the best cartridge, on the best turntable) is what's gonna kill your records!

Yep. The biggest issue is just that they sound awful. But sounding awful can be an interesting way to experience old music, so even that has merit IMO. It's fun. People need to chill out a bit and just be happy that this entry point in the hobby has resulted in an incredible comeback of the medium, and the resulting avalanche of good quality represses and new releases.

Very informative & well-paced video. It should also be noted that some older Crosley's also have a shorter stylus arm, meaning they can somewhat lean to the side when it gets closer to the inner part of the record. Victrola's also been releasing newer portable record players (Victrola Eastwood & Victrola Revolution) that ditch the suitcase aesthetic, but have a much higher quality Audio Technica cartridge.

I bought a Hype brand suitcase style USB turntable a few years back. I used it to record a hard to find song from vinyl to computer. It mostly sat around for the next 4 or 5 years. Now the speed drags and lurches. Not sure if the belt wore out or the motor went south. But, suffice it to say, it was not a good purchase even at a relatively low price.

I agree you should periodically put "a new fang in the tonearm cobra" but the problem is keeping track of how many records/songs you play, there was never a good way to do this so most people don't bother changing it

Just enjoy your records people, the amount of snobs and a-holes in the vinyl community is astonishing, they were made to be listened to, enjoy it to the last second, you only live once.

I had my Victorola for over 3 years and never had an issue. 🤷‍♀️ Including my second hand carpenters albums I play religiously lol. Just replace or clean your styluses people.

Honestly, the speakers are the worst part. I have a better turntable, but when I just want to have a casual little sit-down with a record and not make it a main event, I've got one of these USB'd into my computer and I don't even bother with the internal speakers on it, just listen to my vinyl through Audacity on my PC. I mean, if I want to listen to a record like I MEAN IT, I could get up and put one on my nicer turntable, and enjoy a richer, fuller sound, but... this is fine for when I just don't want to get up. On super rare occasions, I will even use the internal speaker if I just want to go to the bedroom and put on a vinyl nice and quiet and nap to it.

These are also great for when you want to play less than stellar condition records (like something you may find at the flea market). I have my higher end turntable for decent condition records. I have one of these Crosley types for the warpy, scratched, potential skip crazy vinyl I stumble across

Short and sweet, couldn't be said any better. Happy new year!

One thing I've learned is that with any record player, rather it be old or new, is to always test with some junk records first. I've played records on SOME of these newer record players and watched the grooves change color as the record played, and I've had the same thing happen on older record players. It's usually due to a QC issue (a defective stylus from the factory, incorrect tracking pressure, etc.). One time, I installed a "no name" replacement stylus in a Stanton 500 magnetic cartridge and I could see my records getting chewed. I then used a genuine Stanton stylus and all was well. On modern record players, I've often had good luck with replacing the Chinese knock-off cartridge with a genuine Chou-Denshi cartridge.

Bought a cheap Vinly record to play physical media. Don't care for the highest Analog quality, best record player, collecting, etc. It's just fun to play Vinly records. For physical music I prefer cassettes cause I grew up with that so this Vinly thing is new to me. Thanks for the info!

I love Crosley. I've had my record player for 15 years and never had problem one with it. And it did not damage at all to my records.

It's worth mentioning some records made around the 70's and earlier had fillers and other material added to the vinyl to boost its strength. This is because turntables from the time tracked even heavier than a Crosley would. One record I own from around the time boasts that it can handle up to 11 grams of tracking force.

I love the aesthetics of the victrola 7 in 1 player and really only want to collect records of albums I listen to all the way through. Otherwise the cd part and the Bluetooth capability are really handy. Thanks for this video! I did a lot of research on proper storage of records but as soon as I asked about the victrola I got shut down by a LOT of record collectors.

I bought a victrola and though it didn’t scratch any records, it did skip them. Due to the lack of balance in the turntable, all of my records started to skip. If your suitcase turntable works for you, that’s great. Would I recommend them? Probably not

I got a crosley for Christmas since I ordered some vinyls for myself a month back and now I'm getting these kinda videos which are extremely helpful and informative for me 😭 thank you !!!❤ I was scared to put my records in because I heard the needle will destroy them ! D:

I’m glad you made this because it makes me mad when the vinyl snobs say what they think is the best “entry level” record player and then it costs $500

I'm a dedicated Stanton user, and I have had my fair share of Crosley turntable usage. They make a great Christmas gift, cheap beginners record player and nice gimmick. They're not exactly designed with quality in mind, but they're not the worst.

I have a Dire straits record I bought in 1979. I still play it and love the crackle it gives. It's nostalgia.

Yeah, honestly the thing that's gonna kill you is how Godawful the built-in speakers on these things are! Also, something I thought of watching your full size video: would adding counterweights to the back of the stylus cause issues? Something like a the kind of weighted tape you see on balanced wheels and helicopter blades, though much less, of course. Would that reduce wear, or would it just interfere with some sort of mechanical design within the player and cause it to do something like skip more or lose volume or something else?

Happy New Year Kevin. Thank you for all your excellent and enjoyable videos during 2021.

Nice "cut to the chase" video trying to "set the record straight". NO pun intended (ok, maybe a little) LOL. Thanks for another great video!

nice! I won’t wear out my fairly used, £1 lp’s which are just mostly for testing and all from before 1980. Got some country and classical on all formats, plus I won’t play them more than 50 times

Thanks man I have a 5 in 1 thing by Victrola and I heard it can be bad and it may destroy my records and I was scared to play records on it now I feel better

The problem I have with these record players is that for very little more, you can get something considerably better. These are the cheapest of the cheap you can get and it shows. Spend $20 more and get an Audio Technica AT-LP60 or something. Or better yet, if you're prepared to go second hand, you can get a better turntable for less than these Crosley turntables are brand new.

Remember they're not DJ TURNTABLES. Comparing notes to the old BSR needles in the 1960's those were junk. I had to constantly replace the needle it was reinforced plastic that read: LP you flip them to 78. But this system i am looking at became a standard on lesser technology turntables and record players. I had a cheaper FISHER that had this cartridge needle it mistracked it wasn't the needle but the lousy weight in the rear end of the tone arm...

That's TRUE, vwestlife! If you have an EXTRA CARE in your records and the turntable itself, your records will be STILL fine and less wear!

What EVERYONE needed to hear!

I had very different expectations from this video. My Victrola VV-100 absolutely WILL destroy vinyl records, as will any other record player from the 1920s. Yes, I have an original Victrola, the serial number dates it to 1921. They use a thick steel needle on a heavy acoustic amplifier, and will only work with hard 78 RPM records. Even the latter 78 RPM records are not safe in an old machine.

That's good to know b/c we got my hubby one for Christmas with some old classic albums (not old collectables - old as in music - new albums) After I bought it - I started to realize I might have wanted to do some research -- but all of the research I've been doing - I'm hopeful that tomorrow morning will be wonderful!

50 hours life on the included stylus? Yikes. Best to upgrade it to something a bit more substantial ASAP.

Exactly. These are crappy tables, but they are FANTASTIC to allow people to dip their toe into the hobby and just start ENJOYING VINYL!!! If you see over time it is going to be a longer term thing AND you are spending your hard earned dollars on more and more vinyl....then maybe consider a upgrade. Not even because you are worried about harming your records, but maybe just to get an even better sound quality from them. Most importantly...HAVE FUN!!! :)

Yup. If you can afford it, at least get a minor upgrade--however the idea that these things absolutely wreck records is grossly overstated

The old saying that seems most appropriate here is: "When you buy cheap, you buy twice." Why bother with those when there are better ones available?

That moment when you can't tell if it's Kevin or a late-80s infomercial. Happy New Year mate :)

I used a Crosley suitcase record player on a record that I played about 15 times and now putting it on a more expensive record player it sounds bad

Thank you for sharing this information. Have a great day.

Extra note: Tracking force is the weight that the stylus ("needle") applies to the record while it is being played. It can be measured with a pocket digital scale. You just need to make sure that the platter of the scale is at the same height as a record, and put the stylus on the scale.

I bet that super crotchety-sounding old man in a slightly less old body, aka RadioTVPhonoNut, was fuming if he happened to come across this, given how much he's always beaten that drum/horse/brat.

100 times is nothing. These cheap machines are dangerous.

We have one, it’s not ideal but good enough. What really keeps us from playing records more is not being able to figure out how to clean them without spending more than the cost of the turntable and records combined.

Nice to hear, also nice to see you on my shorts feed.

Thank you for telling me this, I own a Crosley

A Redditor is gonna see this and have a meltdown lmao

I’ve had a Crosley for 10 years and just kept it clean & functioning. None of my records are destroyed.

I have records dated 1902 and play just fine. But I clean my records with warm water with records THAT old. DO NOT use chemicals of any kind because they can dissolve old records.

Last part save me

I found that you most notice it if you go from a low end turntable to a higher end one. The excessive weight of the cheaper machine eventually makes the groove wider and as long as you keep the record on low end equipment they'll fit perfectly fine in this widened groove without a noticeable impact in quality. However, when taking this record and putting it onto a high end system that has little weight and a fine stylus you'll definitely hear a more distorted sound do the grooves being wider than they should be leading to degraded quality.

My journey started with a Crosley! It was short lived when I heard my buddy’s sound system so I upgraded to a Sony. Now I’ve upgraded my Sony for a Audio Technica which I’ll have for a very long time because I can upgrade the my needle. Something I couldn’t do with the Sony.

I have a black Crosley record player my brother got me for my last birthday gift and I use mine rarely. I have older records I’ve played once but am not too serious about vinyl collecting. But in the future I wouldn’t mind upgrading to a better turntable that won’t mess up my more vintage records. Even getting serious into vinyl in the future. I have a small collection right now so I am not too worried my vinyl will get damaged before I can upgrade. I barely use my record player.

Agree with you,Happy 2022

With an appropriate 78 rpm stylus (these are easily available), this type of record players, which often support 78 rpm, also is actually not a bad choice for playing the occasional 78 rpm shellac record, the sound quality of those can be surprisingly good IMHO.

Still kind of nervous about it. I do not have a high budget at all, really can only afford a Victrola or Crowley. I want a record player because I’ve got a Mick Ronson vinyl from the 70s I’ve been doing to play. But, this vinyl is discontinued and somewhat hard to find in good used quality and low price, so I really don’t want anything happening to it. This vinyl is really important to me, so should I just wait for a while until I have more money to spend? Or is it really that negligible of ‘damage’?

You'd likely be much better off buying a good second-hand turntable, than a new cheap shitty one. Old ones were made well enough that they're still in fine condition, but most people who bought one way back when don't use it any more. They sound better, they look a shitload better, and they're made better. That said if you decided you really like vinyl records for some reason, you may as well play the ones you have with what you have, they're not intended to outlive you. Unless it's some rare precious record. You can often upgrade the cheap sapphire needle with a diamond one in a compatible pickup.

After watching your initial video about this, I did what I like to call the "51 cent mod" that is, take two quarters and stick them to the far end of your cheap record player's tone arm with tape. Good desktop record players have a counterweight for the tone arm, so you can just add your own. I tested it myself, brought the resting weigh of the needle from like .8g to like .3g.

Good job. Besides , after hearing how bad everything sounds on those select turntables with their selected cartridge, you'll bottom out at 69 albums.

I have a crosley and I’m a beginner so when I’m older I can try to buy a better record player

50 hours? Holy crap, That's a lot of times playing Taylor Swift's Lover album. Thanks for the video, Kevin.

good to know in case i somehow wake up in the 1970s one morning.

That's true, many of the cheaper TTs do destroy albums, and you'll really notice the damage when you play them on a better deck and cartridge. Tracking your cartridge too light, does more damage than too heavy because the stylus tip shaves the wax from your grooves. I've learned it's best to track your cartridge a bit heavier than recommended, and with some (like Grado), they actually sound BETTER with a bit more weight.

Im new to record collecting, and my first record player was a Victrola. It was fine mostly but it kept skipping my new records very frequently on the first time playing them. So I have replaced it because I was worried.

Don't spray stuff on your vinyl. Don't wipe vinyl with any kind of towel. Use a dry brush with a directional nap that picks up dust from the grooves and allows you to wipe it off on some clean cloth by wiping it in the opposite direction. I would recommend going directly to that $250 Audio Technica turntable. A friend bought one recently, and it is a very good unit although it is manual, but that can have its benefits.

You can also adjust the tracking force and upgrade to a decent stylus for these types of turntables, which reduce any "harm" to your records. But it's not really worth the trouble, better to just upgrade.

I spent way too long looking for signs of the original cover on the yesterday and today cover, like ringo's sweater, to give up after a while, only then did I notice that you can just see the corner peeling off ...

I think you can upgrade stylus to diamond one when worn.

I have a Crosley Cruiser and a AT LP60X. The AT is my main driver but the Cruiser does just fine. Other than it skipping on a few of my modern records which I find strange. But someone who may want it in the living room to play a Christmas record or something they are perfectly fine.

quick question, i have a more expensive turntable, however i have no idea when i will have to replace my stylus since i havent been keeping track on how many hours of music Ive played on it. Is there any trick to telling when a stylus is worn out?

Happy New Year!!

These are the worse tables around, they're so cheap that the platter and the tone arm gets shipped from China in bulks of 1000 batch selling for 80p per platter and tonearm, that should give you an idea what flimsy plastic they are. Every items reflects it's user, may it be books music if you look after your stuff. These types of players are fashionable with new novice users who are not familiar with record player. These days you can find a decent plug and play player alas pre 80s players will give you more pleasure. Personally if you are getting into vinyl collection I would avoid such players

i think im gonna use it for causal use like play a album once and move on to anthor one

Okay here’s another trouble with tank-styluses. They get stuck. If you have a scratch it’s more likely to loop or skip on that track than a good stylus. Furthermore the shape of the tank-stylus means that it doesn’t capture all be groove movements of a good stylus so you’ll never hear the true sound.

Is there record hardening spray to reinforce grove strength as an cleaner? Even if it's a gimmick or destroying qualities result. 🧐

It's the sort of thing I played on when I was about 10. And played any record we had in the house scratched or warped. Now I'm paying £20 to 40 quid an album as my system is of very reasonable quality.

If you change the needle beforehand to a better one, won't that reduce the wear and tear??

Mines came in today for $33, thanks for the help and advice for inexpensive record players, i should buy more styluses incase the stylus i have gets damaged

It's not just that they use heavier tracking force, these also use ceramic styli instead of diamonds which don't wear well. Regardless, skip over these entriely, spend a little more and get an Audio Technica AT-LP60X.

I’ve been using cheap record players for years as long as you don’t scratch them they are fine.

Great advice!

They may not destroy your records, but they sound like hot trash

I tried my daughter’s Crosley and it made Beethoven sound like Daft Punk. Edit: sorry, my mistake, but why does she never put my records back in the right sleeves?

A real Victrola (acoustic gramophone by Victor's Talking Machine Co.) might due to the wide steel needle for 78 RPM shellac records and ounces of tracking force but not these modern cheap turntables that use the Victrola name. These cheap plastic turntables in general are not great and honestly I worry more about warping from the tiny 7" platter and poor sound quality than wearing out your records on these. Skipping also causes more damage than heavy tracking anyway. I ended up getting a Crosley Cruiser for Christmas in 2016 and I definitely wasn't the nicest about it but we did test it with my grandparents' LPs. It was disheartening for my grandma to hear the wow and flutter from the lid not being down all the way. She thought the record was too warped but of course that in conjunction with a good chunk of the record hanging off the platter and the lid not being fully open was a contributing factor. Cruisers aren't exactly known for their speed consistency anyway. Almost a year later I got myself a U-Turn Orbit Custom with an acrylic platter and Grado Prestige Black1 which I swapped out in April 2021 for a Nagaoka MP-110. While I don't recommend these plastic decks, you also don't have to go the route I did. You can get better options for a similar price and slightly above such as that Barnes & Noble bundle mentioned in the dedicated video on the Cruiser or an AT-LP60 or something similar.

Just bought one a few weeks ago

I have a 1byone 200$ record player that was on sale or something lowering the price by 120$ Best 80$ purchase ever

My biggest problem with my victrola is the heavy tracking force can cause skipping certain areas. Really annoying but other than that super convenient and nice to look at

Wish i knew what other good players to go with since I'm serious about upgrading I've had my victrola suitcase for awhile and wanted something somewhat better

If you knew how many people don't even know how to set their tables properly and actually damage their records. More often than not I have had to adjust tracking and weight even on higher end tables lol

And they ask me why I use cassette instead of Vinyl.