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.

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 😭😭

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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'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.

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.

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

Last part save me

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

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.

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.

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

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.

100 times is nothing. These cheap machines are dangerous.

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.

Wait till it skips and skates accross your lp

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

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...

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

Thank you for telling me this, I own a Crosley

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?

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

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?

Agree with you,Happy 2022

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

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!

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

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?

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’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.

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 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.

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

Vinyl albums expensive than players.

I would like to point out that not all red stylii indicate a cheap cartridge. For example, the GT cartridge - found on most Numark TTUSB models - uses a similar red stylus, but it is a Magnetic cartridge, not ceramic. You can also adjust the weight and antiskate on it. (Also, I’m not a major fan of the Crosley players - both suitcase and AIO - because of how the speakers sound.) Expecting haters in 3…2…1…aaaaaannnnd…..

This is a huge part of why vinyl isn’t my thing. I’ve been getting ahold of more digital media as of late because of subscription services. And I’ve started getting cassettes, and CDs. But vinyl just seems like a whole other beast. They need a lot more care, and they’re super expensive. I respect it but I can’t get into it.

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.

A Redditor is gonna see this and have a meltdown lmao

I'll just hang them on my wall when they "get damaged"

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

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.

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!

They’re great for anyone who casually listens to records, not for people who spin multiple albums every day.

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?

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.

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

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!!! :)

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

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

What EVERYONE needed to hear!

lovely as usual thanks for sharing

Just bought one a few weeks ago

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.

Great advice!

Never would buy these cheaper modern POS players. They are overpriced and although they don't chew up records their sound quality is downright awful compared to players made in the 1950s to 1970s. I often restore older tube record players and although they have low output but with larger speakers and playing in a room they sound quite nice.

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.

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.

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’?

Too bad they didnt have a compartment where you could store at least 1 extra needle. 2 would be better. But this made me think of how old 78 players have that dish for extra, needles? Pins? Whatever they call them.

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.

This is why CDs and digital music replaced vinyl

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

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

Im trying to start collecting and this helps a lot. Thx

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

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

Look, use whatever you want. I won't stop you. But why would you listen to LPs on a toy? Just listen to CDs/MP3. And if you do, don't ever talk to me about how much better LPs sound compared to other formats while using a Crossly.

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

Thank you I just got one of the crossleys and this is good to know ❤

You can actually SEE the damage as it plays the record if you look at the groove. Never, ever support the companies that make these destructive pieces of trash.

If you're starting out with one of these okay but just don't expect to hear really good sound.

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.

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.

I’m literally listening to that Billie eilish record using one of those record players while watching this

I have a crosley record player, when I put on a record it will play fine, I could then take that same record and flip it over and my turntable will start slowing down and speeding up to normal. Then I could flip it back and will have the same problem. Seems like it’s a belt or motor problem but how does flipping the record cause this effect. I’ve had this problem with 4 to 5 brand new records. Records are meant to be turned as most of them have 2 sides. Someone please tell me. I know i probably just need a better record player than a 25 dollar one that I’ve had for 5 years even though it still has low use

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.

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.

Those kinds of turntables are incredibly cheap quality, you have to get a good turn table either new or vintage. I don't clean my records, however, I like the dirty sound from them though I should keep my non-replaceable ones clean.