DUDE! For once in a million years, your channel showed up on my front page. I remember watching your very old videos from 13-14 years ago all the way back then. I'm amazed and so happy at how much your channel grew, I always knew there was a charm to your content and to your whole attitude and vibe. I wish you the best!
These People are delusional. Sure if you play a track without hiss and cracks, anyone can hear its digital, but if you have a digital recording of a vinyl play there is no way
I have the Keepsake, it was a Christmas present from my parents circa 2009. I have a collection of about 3000 78 rpm records, so was thrilled that it had 78 available. Bought a 78 specific needle and it sounds pretty good. My preference, though, is listening to records on my 1961 Webcor Moderne console Hi-Fi. Gotta love that retro charm!
As much as I like the aesthetic of pre-1980 turntables, the 80s is the best decade for turntables. Yes, there was a lot of crappy crosley level turntables on cheap desktop AIO stereo units, but the best turntables were made in the 1980s. Just about every mid level turntable from the 80s is more than good enough for anyone but audiophiles. The best turntables of the 80s are the best ever made.
@@itscarve If you are looking for a brand new one, Audio-technica makes a pretty good entry level turntable for about 150 usd. If you're looking for a used turntable, the regular name brands (Technics, Sony, Pioneer etc) all made excellent entry level turntables in the 80s. You can get some really cool models that have cool features like being able to treat it like a CD and play the tracks in any order you like, or play only track 2, 4 and 7. Or Quartz lock, which continuously monitors the speed and makes it perfect (no wow and flutter). Or another popular one is the ability to play both sides of the record without flipping it. The downside of 1980s turntables though, is most will need at least some minor work, like changing the belt (though Quartz Lock tables don't use a belt) or replacing the stylus. Unlike the model in the video, most 80s turntables will need to be attached to a stereo system to play (they don't have a built in amplifier or speakers) records. Most will have a high quality phono level pre-amp. The downside to that is you won't get a line out and will require your stereo to have a phono input and not just "auxiliary," though there are many models that have line-out or selectable phono/aux switch. This can be overcome with an external phono pre-amp if your stereo doesn't have a phono specific input (plus, most of them have a ground wire that also needs to be attached to the stereo). If your stereo is modern, it very well probably doesn't have a phono input. Another drawback is you may have to replace the cartridge because a new stylus is not avail or priced too high. But Audio-Technica has you covered. They make some very good and reasonably priced cartridges with reasonably priced and widely available replacement styluses. One other thing to consider is that something sold in the 80s is pushing 40 years old. It might have bumps and bruises. It might have been owned by a smoker and smell of tobacco. This can be cleaned, but it has to be cleaned inside and out to get rid of the smoke smell. Either way it will probably require some cleaning and polishing. There are cheap turntables almost indistinguishable from modern poorly made turntables today, though even with these cheap ones, they were better physically built then. The mechanism from a Crosley Cruiser was invented in the 80s. But the really bad ones were almost all integrated into a AIO unit and not a separate component detachable from the stereo. Hope this helps. Good luck. It will be fun.
@@itscarve If you are looking for a brand new one, Audio-technica makes a pretty good entry level turntable for about 150 usd. If you're looking for a used turntable, the regular name brands (Technics, Sony, Pioneer etc) all made excellent entry level turntables in the 80s. You can get some really cool models that have cool features like being able to treat it like a CD and play the tracks in any order you like, or play only track 2, 4 and 7. Or Quartz lock, which continuously monitors the speed and makes it perfect (no wow and flutter). Or another popular one is the ability to play both sides of the record without flipping it. The downside of 1980s turntables though, is most will need at least some minor work, like changing the belt (though Quartz Lock tables don't use a belt) or replacing the stylus. Unlike the model in the video, most 80s turntables will need to be attached to a stereo system to play (they don't have a built in amplifier or speakers) records. Most will have a high quality phono level pre-amp. The downside to that is you won't get a line out and will require your stereo to have a phono input and not just "auxiliary," though there are many models that have line-out or selectable phono/aux switch. This can be overcome with an external phono pre-amp if your stereo doesn't have a phono specific input (plus, most of them have a ground wire that also needs to be attached to the stereo). If your stereo is modern, it very well probably doesn't have a phono input.
@@itscarve (Part 2 if 2. Keeps disappearing) Another drawback is you may have to replace the cartridge because a new stylus is not avail or priced too high. But Audio-Technica has you covered. They make some very good and reasonably priced cartridges with reasonably priced and widely available replacement styluses. One other thing to consider is that something sold in the 80s is pushing 40 years old. It might have bumps and bruises. It might have been owned by a smoker and smell of tobacco. This can be cleaned, but it has to be cleaned inside and out to get rid of the smoke smell. Either way it will probably require some cleaning and polishing. There are cheap turntables almost indistinguishable from modern poorly made turntables today, though even with these cheap ones, they were better physically built then. The mechanism from a Crosley Cruiser was invented in the 80s. But the really bad ones were almost all integrated into a AIO unit and not a separate component detachable from the stereo.
"Just because something is popular doesn't mean it actually has any redeeming qualities, TikTok proves that"... truer words were never spoken on RU-vid.
Anders Enger Jensen also doesn't copyright claim the use of his music in RU-vid videos, which makes it excellent for these demos. Techmoan uses those tracks a lot for that reason, too.
Wow. I'm stunned by this player! If it had a different name and maybe packaging when it came out, this night have been a runaway success. Even at $150. Great video, brother!
I purchased one of these in early 2005 (dated 2002 I think) and knew that the internal speakers would never be amazing. As soon as the suitcase turntable arrived, I immediately disconnected the internal speakers, and added two output jacks and fed the audio through my old SONY receiver. It was a very simple mod that made the turntable totally worth it for me - my gateway to vinyl. Glad to see that there are new models with more features. It's a shame that they didn't use all of the features of the PCB in the first release.
Great informative video. As a 80s kid, I can appreciate the value and quality of Vinyl a lot. I used to have a Fisher-Price 45 LP record player as a kid, and my Grandfather had a entire stereo setup dedicated to his massive Vinyl collection for its time.
Nice my favorite RU-vidr Time! Btw thanks again i feel happy because of you i made my coming out and living an happy life with my boyfriend!! And now i have a video about a briefcase turntable love your stuff mate.
That John Laduca album sample really piqued my interest so I searched for more and of course I find a video from 11 years ago playing more. Yeah it's your video. Singlehandedly keeping John Laduca relevant in my life. John and I thank you.
I have the Crosley traveler turntable, which is essentially a cruiser with the Keepsake style design, and larger speakers (exact same ones!!) with tone control. It’s still got the smaller platter, but it has the removable lid. It’s mounted on springs, but the record doesn’t hang off the side, though you can’t shut the door when playing LPs. It’s got the cruiser style red cartridge, and sound quality is somewhere in between the two models. Surprisingly, closing the lid while playing 45s on the traveler actually dramatically increases the bass response! It’s crazy!!
Thank you for turning me on to Slugbug. I heard the 7" blue (or red) single in one of your videros a few years back and it hooked me. Got all their recordings now! Fascinating that you can't get a decent portable without working hard for it.
This actually reminds me of the old school record players from Newcomb, with the large speakers on the sides, and the removable lid. The chunky thickness of it reminds me of the old tech with the valves/tubes.
Many of the school record players have solid state amplifiers, though many are tubes. The problem is they peaked in the 70s, maybe the early 80s, but even by then they were not the quality they once were. They also don't use good cartridges. They use a replaceable cartridge/stylus combo. I don't think they make them anymore. Plus, they are crystal cartridges. Many of them don't have the power to use a MM cartridge.
Wow, I'm impressed. Who would have guessed a record player from Crosley could sound that good. I'm also impressed to see the 8-bit guy released an album related to his video game..Attack of the Petscii robots. As always, great video VW!
Nice to see you demonstrate this Crosley turntable since I've actually seen you demonstrating this playing a record awhile back in your one of your previous videos.
For first system as long as it plays records and sound comes out in stereo who cares what the audiophiles think. My first stereo was an all in one BSA unit, with a front load cassette deck and probably this same turntable mechanism and it was great for a kid and got me into the idea of having "my" music that was different from my parents music. My first bike was also a cheap Sears coaster brake bike that probably cost $60 and it got me into riding. It didn't hold me back. If anything it is what got me interested in the first place and like my stereo it was cheap so I could enjoy it the way I wanted and play with all the controls without my parents caring if I did something "wrong".
11:35 The great 1964-71 Wurlitzer 4500 straight console solid state (all replaceable transistors) Electronic Theater Organ ('71 4500R on this album, as noted by green auto-rhythm tabs on the lower right of the organ). I uploaded John La Duca's other great 4500 album. ( look for side 2 as well)- *Wurlitzer Organ 4500 4502 4300 John La Duca Side 1* , On this album it's the '64- '68 model without the auto-rhythm, but did have something the 4500R didn't have, louvers on top of the organ for the spinning rotary speakers known as the Wurlitzer SpectraTone to be heard better by the organist for sure. The 4500 straight console organ guts were also put in the 1966 Wurlitzer horseshoe theater organ console. They started with the straight console in 1964 and didn't even call it a theater organ per say, as to make it more desirable to a larger market of players, but it was a theater organ. The 4300 was it's smaller spinet version with less keys and pedals, but the same electronics and same controls, just all rocker tabs. Check out the cool 4300 brochure- *internet Archive WurliTzer Model 4300 Organ Brochure* BTW The album on this video is on VWestlife's video list. Also the complete album was uploaded recently on RU-vid. Forget how they titled it. If VWest is short for VW Westfalia, right on. I drove my '64 Westfalia for years! I put 15" Beetle rims on it and ran a 1500cc engine with Solex 28 pict-1 carb, Bosch 009 distributer, a Tiger Capacitive discharge ignition, and unleaded heads I ported myself. I got 27mpg highway or in town.
Intrigued by that "Macintosh Tapes" track on the Truck Month album; never heard this before. I also liked the Robot music! Thx for your interesting video.
It’s obviously not intended to be a high end model, but this is actually pretty nice for a suitcase style player! It’s nice they added extra features later on, but considering the higher price, I can see why it wasn’t as popular. If they could fit the features of this into the lower end models, I’m sure they would be pretty solid overall. Great video!
One of my units is a Kreisler with the 4 speed auto changer and flip over cartridge. It has AM radio as well and has Valve's in it and it has quite a good sound. From memory it has large oval speakers in each side as well, the lid lifts up and one time this fell down with a loud bang at which I thought a capacitor had blown. I was out of the room and ran in to turn of the power then i realized what had happened.
i actually remember seeing these keepsakes back when i was a poor college student and wanted to start in on the hobby... kinda wish i snagged one back then as it wouldve been better than my cruiser (aka my dedicated 78s player) 🤣 thnx for the video!
The Feelies! I knew I liked you 😊 I also got that older Crosley Keepsake when I left for college in 2007. It was good at what it did but I still graduated to a better turntable when I could afford to.
There is one thing I always say these Crosley Cruisers and similar (current) models are really well suited for: playing 78 rpm shellac records (if they have the 78 rpm setting)! - using a suitable stylus (they're readily available), not the standard one for vinyl records one they come with, and of course not the built-in loudspeakers (many models have some form of external audio output, often RCA connectors). Shellac records are meant for a high tracking force, in fact it's what they need (especially the really old ones that were made for wind-up mechanical gramophones with their heavy sound boxes). The results you get using such a Crosley Cruiser for your old shellac records are certainly not poorer than on a period-appropriate gramophone, and you most certainly will also not damage them in any way, as by gramophone standards, a Crosley Cruiser treats them extremely delicately. (Edit: I don't know whether the typical "Crosley Cruiser" does have audio output, but I have seen many clones ore clone-ish models which have one, and also an 78 rpm setting).
Where i live the cheap crosley costs about €100. For €25 more i bought a german built 'Dual' from the '70s. It obviously has no built-in speakers, but it is an amazing machine
Hey Kevin, this is going to be a very random comment, but i watch your channel since the beginning way back and to me you have created one of the best technology related channels on youtube. I remember there was another channel named wxbill or something of that kind that i also thought was pretty good, it reminded me a bit of your channel but apperantly it doesnt exist anymore
Are there any other geezers here who remember the KLH suitcase systems? A Garrard (I think) turntable in the bottom part, and two split-apart speakers for the lid. These were very popular in dorm rooms in the late 1960s.
i found one of these used on ebay, the seller included a 10" 78 shellac complimentary, and i had the same problem of it stopping before it reached the run-off groove, so i sprayed the edge of a magic wall sponge with some vinyl spray i prepared (four parts distilled water, one of 90% isopropyl alcohol, and a few drops of dish soap), ran it backwards over the record, dried it with a microfiber cloth, the record was filthy, and after cleaning, the needle made it to the run-off with no problem
I gave up listening to 'audiophiles' years ago. Seems no matter what you have, it isn't good enough. Seems like snobbery to me. I work on a lot of vintage equipment, and have a toy record player from the '70s like what the Cruzer is based on. People mercilessly trash Crosley stuff, but don't realize that their priceless records were almost certainly played on something *just as cheap* back in the day. Very possibly much worse. That's some real irony for you.
Many audiophiles seem to live in an esoteric world far away from reality, just think of that "Compact Disc shaver" rightfully ridiculed by Techmoan... (who is, like VWestlife, a bastion of audio common sense and a pragmatic approach).
If the inflation calculators are accurate, those portable made-in-USA phonos from the '70's like the GE Wildcat cost the equivalent of several hundred 2024 dollars. My records survived being played on them.
The case and speaker design reminds me of the Califone rim drive institutional record players which were popular in classrooms. I always wanted one they're cheap enough but the plug in ceramic cartridge / stylus assembly is getting ridiculously expensive. This one is actually an improved version of the Califone it has a nearly full size platter, an inexpensive magnetic cartridge (better sound quality), and a belt drive which will produce less noise than a rim drive.
Oh man, I love to strut my stuff down the street with my portable record player on my shoulder It really gets the dames into a fizz (In between record skips)
78 rpm shellac discs can offer rather lifelike sound quality, particularly when played with cheap modern turntables and a 3-mm stylus suitable for the wide grooves. Thanks for demonstrating!
One of your videos introduced me to SlugBug and I instantly needed to know where that music comes from. For this video it's good to hear him again, and I just had to troll your comment section a bit to see if anyone else mentions him. Seems like you've spread it to a few people!
I did buy a similar record player to the Cruiser when I was in the UK last year so I could listen to the records I was buying over there. It was by a company called Goodman and it came with a ruby stylus so it wasn't quite as bad as the cheaper styluses that usually come with them. The speakers were small but had a decent enough sound for me to listen to records in my hotel room or at a friend's house. It also had 78 speed although I didn't have any 78s so I never tested this. It had bluetooth so it could connect easily to a much higher quality speaker. It wasn't an audiophile set up at all, but it was fine for travel purposes and it was a lot better than any other portable turntables I've tried.
There was an identical looking Crosley to this that I got way back in 2002...It had the same Chuo-Denshi ceramic cart that triggers audiophools, no inputs (besides the power brick connector), and possibly no suspension on the turntable. It wasn't bad for what it was, but probably besides sound it was not much better than the new smaller ones.
@@vwestlife I bought 3 of them into Australia, 2 of them made in 2002, the black one 2007, which has a lighter arm weighing in at 3.7g, the others 6.8g, I had to take 2 turns off the counter spring and got it to 4.3g
I’ve seen way too many of these Crosley Cruisers at the thrift store and sometimes sold in the boutique section. I knew there was something off if I see them dumped in the same place as the UV phone cleaners.
I’ve that 2 tone white and blue 1987 ford f-150 single cab pickup truck that Paul owned I finally found one and bought it now driving it as my daily driver pickup truck
I started collecting around 2006, and bought my first player on clearance at Christmas time for around $120 at radio shack of all places... It was one of those retro-styled Curtis ones that has a CD player in the front (though sadly no cheap tape deck in the side like similar units later added). That crappy sounding player was my pride and joy, even after my wife bought an ION iPT 01 for Christmas the year after, and went through more than a few home repairs to keep it alive. Nearly 20 years later, and I own dozens of turntables - most much better than that one - but still hold shitty players in high regard as a way for people to get into the hobby. My kid's first player was a knockoff cruiser from goodwill, and they still love to crank up the phonograph to listen to tunes from a hundred years ago
The 2013 updated version of the Crosley Keepsake was the first turntable I purchased about 10 years ago. I found it to be notably better than the Crosley Cruiser that some of my friends had, but I never realized that it had a magnetic cartridge or a lighter tracking force. Though I inherited an old Sansui turntable, I didn't have a preamp/receiver or good set of speakers at that time, so the Keepsake was certainly a good place to start as a teenager. I still have it, but I've since moved on to using a 'real' turntable. I'll probably adjust the speed pots sometime and replace the stylus.
Love that you have a Johnny Messner 78. I have about 4. He was super imo. Johnny Messner and his music box band. He had Prof. Coleslaw always played the toy piano. Check out his Hap Hap Happy Day on Varsity 78.
In my opinion, the only things that would probably make the Crosley Keepsake better would be the addition of a line output on the back (to connect it to an external amplifier or speakers) as well as a headphone jack for private listening. Otherwise it would make an excellent portable turntable… thanks again for sharing! You rock!!!
15:42 - Now, why did he use this pic... 15:45 - {red arrow appears} OH! The turntable. Gotcha. 👼 I wanted to use a portable turntable, I'd refresh my mom's GE V631n. Sure, it's ugly and clunky, but as a teen she cranked her Jackson 5 and Monkees singles on it, and then when I was a child and she was in her twenties, her Larry Gatlin, John Denver, and Kenny Rogers LPs. (Huh, I wonder if my dad's Richard Pryor and filthy Bill Cosby LPs are still around? They'd be in the closet next to Mom's LPs... I should check on that sometime.)
I have got to agree with you on the whole TickTock thing, I don't understand the appeal at all. Why watch vertical videos on a tiny phone screen, when I could be watching awesome full size videos like this on a big 27" monitor? Maybe I'm just having my first "Am I out of touch? No, it's the children who are wrong!" moment in my life.
I really hope the market for quality stereo decks and vinyl players increases, its a niche hobby we dont need the trash to fill the bins. Maybe people are fed up with all digital finally though.
Pretty sad- with all of the technology extant for the last 29 years, they can't even make a portable record player that's as good as what we had in the 70's! When I was a kid, I had a stereo record player that was the size of a large suitcase. It consisted of a metal frame from which you swing the full-sized speakers out from, and pivot the turntable part into horizontal position. It had great volume and sound quality; volume, treble and bass controls, and could play multiple stacked albums or 45's automatically. I've never seen one like it since...but that thing was great! Wouldn't give you two cents for a Crosley.
Many manufactures in the sixties and seventies made record players like you describe, often with an AM-FM radio. I had a GE version that was all metal and included Porta-Fi which allowed for a portable speaker to be set up anywhere in the house and get audio through the house wiring. The GE and other brands show up often on auction sights. I have a Zenith, Magnavox, Voice of Music, Admiral, and RCA that have the fold-away speakers and drop down record changer. If you search long enough you can probably find the same model you had.
@@rizzlerazzleuno4733 Thanks for that. Interesting! Other than the record player I mentioned, the only other kind I remember seeing were the cheap little small suitcase variety similar to these Crosleys, which had just one built-in speaker and were horrible. Going to search Ebay right now just to see if I can see one like we had...don't even remember the brand.
