Are Crosley Record Players Good or Bad? Check Here

The vinyl industry is booming, and as a result, many people are entering the vinyl world.

One of the main reasons behind the resurgence of vinyl is these beautiful suitcase record players manufactured by Crosley and Victrola.

Well, there is no doubt that the Crosley suitcase record players look amazing. It gives us a retro feel with its cool, vibrant colors and design. On top of that, these record players are a lot cheaper than an entry-level turntable.

With amazing looks and budget-friendly features, Crosley record players have become an entry-level option. But despite all this, these record players received mixed reviews from the vinyl community. There is more negative feedback than positive feedback.

Why so?

This “why?” gives birth to many questions: Are Crosley record players good? Is it good to buy a Crosley record player as a beginner? How is the sound quality and build quality? and many more.

Well, I already have my own opinion about these units, but to provide you with proper information, I need to understand the mindset of the vinyl community.

Right?

That’s why I researched online, had conversations with friends and people from the vinyl community, and read multiple forum threads. After hearing thoughts from the vinyl community, I have drafted this article, which has everything you need to know about these record players and also guides you on whether you should buy them or not.

So, let’s start with the most important question.

Are Crosley Record Players Good?

The answer is no.

Some people might get angry with my answer, but it is what it is. These all-in-one suitcase record players are not good for anyone, not even beginners.

There are multiple facts, and I will explain each one separately, and I recommend that you shouldn’t make the final decision before reading the article.

Now, let’s talk about the key points that are sufficient for anyone, whether they are a part of the vinyl community or a beginner, to make the decision.

Reasons why Crosley record players are bad:

Note: I have drafted this article by taking the Crosley CR8005F-HA cruiser plus record player as an example. Here, I am talking about suitcase record players, not the turntables manufactured by Crosley. FYI: If you don’t know the difference between a turntable and a record player, then I suggest you check out this article.

Reason 1: Platter

The record player comes with an undersized platter built with low-quality plastic.

Only the 7-inch record sits perfectly, whereas some part of the 12-inch and 10-inch records hovers in the air when you place them on the platter.

This issue alone can cause your records to wobble.

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Reason 2: Ceramic Cartridges

According to audiophiles, ceramic cartridges are considered to produce less accurate and refined sound compared to moving magnet or moving coil cartridges.

Ceramic cartridges have a high impedance input, so they usually require a heavy tracking force to produce accurate and refined sound. But, due to higher tracking force, the risk of record damage increases.

Well, there are ceramic cartridges in the market, like Grado B, which are very good in terms of sound quality, but red ceramic cartridges supplied with record players are not good.

And, ceramic cartridges are not durable at all. You can learn more about ceramic cartridges and how they work in this article: What is a phono cartridge and how it works.

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Reason 3: Shorter Tonearm

The record player comes with a shorter tonearm, which is also non-adjustable. This directly affects the sound quality when reaching the record’s end because, due to length issues, the tonearm can’t easily reach the end of the record and slides with the right channel of the record, causing damage to the record grooves. Also, the tonearm is built with plastic, not metal.

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Reason 4: Sapphire Stylus

The Crosley CR8005F-HA cruiser plus has an NP6 needle with a sapphire tip. The sapphire stylus is considered a lower-quality needle compared to the diamond stylus.

The sapphire stylus lasts for no more than 50 hours of record playing and also produces poor sound quality compared to diamond ones.

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Reason 5: Cartridge Alignment

The perfect cartridge alignment helps the stylus to track the grooves efficiently, and this alone plays a crucial role in sound quality.

In suitcase record players, alignment is done by the manufacturers, but I am not satisfied at all.

As there is no counterweight dial, I can’t even adjust it.

If you have no idea about cartridge alignment, please check out: Cartridge alignment techniques.

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Reason 6: Tracking Force (No Counterweight)

As there is no counterweight dial, you can’t adjust the tracking force yourself.

Well, tracking is way too high, which I think is necessary to help the ceramic cartridge output better sound quality.

The average tracking force of these record players ranges between 4-6 grams (depending on the model), whereas tracking force should not exceed 3-3.5 grams. As a result, the lifespan of the stylus and record is shortened.

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Reason 7: No Anti-skating

Anti-skate is a great feature that helps our stylus to stay in the middle of record grooves. Again, this record player has pre-adjusted anti-skate settings while manufacturing, and there is no option for me to adjust it.

Learn more about what anti-skate is and how to adjust it from here.

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Reason 8: No Height Adjustments

Height adjustment is a handy feature that helps a lot when playing old 78s thick records. The record player doesn’t have a height adjustment dial, which disappointed me.

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Reason 9: Bad Quality of Built-in Speakers

The output quality of these built-in speakers is not good.

I have tried playing my favorite track, i.e., “Ain’t No Grave” by Johnny Cash, and here is my review: there was no proper bass, and Johnny Cash’s vocals are pretty distorted.

I don’t know what you think about the sound quality, but to me, it is not good.

I have seen some people commenting in the forum threads that if you don’t like the built-in speakers, you can use external speakers through an RCA cable, as the manufacturer has given external speakers support.

But here my question is, if I am going to opt for the external speakers, then why am I going to buy this all-in-one suitcase record player? I can buy any entry-level turntable with an inbuilt preamp and then use active speakers, which can make my turntable setup complete without compromising on the sound quality.

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Reason 10: Vibration Isolation

The surface is made of plastic, and the section where the drive motor comes in contact with the belt under the platter is also surrounded by plastic with a separation  (now, they have added a small separation with rubber) or any other isolation technique.

As a result, the motor’s vibration can reach the stylus, which results in distorted sound and might also cause record skipping issues.

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Reason 11: Lightweight

The all-in-one record players are marketed as lightweight portable record players, which I think is completely wrong.

A turntable is never meant to be lightweight or portable because if a turntable or record player is lightweight, then it becomes more prone to vibrations.

These are my opinions about these units. Now, let’s discuss how these record players can affect your vinyl experience.

How a Crosley record player can affect your vinyl experience:

Well, I have already discussed the effect of using suitcase record players while reviewing Victrola suitcase record players.

And I still stand on my statement: “A suitcase record player can make you quit the vinyl world.'”

Yes, it’s 100% true.

Firstly, let’s discuss the manufacturing of these units.

These units are available for around $50-$80 in the market (online and offline).

In this small budget, you are getting a turntable, cartridge, speakers, circuits, and wiring, and out of each unit, the manufacturers also secure their profit share.

Right?

Whereas, the cheapest and real entry-level turntable (AT-LP60) is available to purchase for around $150. And, along with a turntable, you also need to spend a few bucks on a pair of speakers. So, the total cost of a proper turntable setup is around $250-$300. This quick calculation shows what sort of quality you’re getting in suitcase record players.

This is all about the quality of these units. Now, let’s talk about user experience.

I have met many people who bought these units with high expectations from the analog medium. After setting up everything and playing their first record, they told me that digital music is cheaper and sounds much better than vinyl records. Whereas, in reality, they haven’t experienced anything near the sound quality that a good-quality turntable setup outputs.

They just bought something that is not considered good by people in the vinyl community.

I have also seen people facing issues with their units on their first-ever spin, and they are forced to do troubleshooting, which ruins their first-ever vinyl listening experience.

So, if not suitcase players, then what to buy?

Well, I always recommend people buy an entry-level turntable with a built-in preamp.

Here is a quick entry-level turntable recommendation: Buy an Audio-Technica LP60X turntable along with a pair of active speakers.

The setup will cost you around $200-$250, depending on your choice of speakers and deals. If you have a good budget, then you can check out our list of the best turntables under $500.

This is a perfect starting point for anyone looking to enter the vinyl world. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1- Will a Crosley record player ruin my records?

The answer is yes, Crosley record players ruin your records a lot faster than good-quality turntables.

Well, the truth is that every turntable or record player will damage your records in the long run, no matter whether you are using the best quality turntable along with the best quality cartridge on the market.

But the Crosley record player does that process a lot faster. I have seen people start noticing the wear in just 25 plays on these record players.

Q2- Why do Crosley record players skip?

The major cause of record skips in Crosley is vibrations due to all components being placed in a single unit, no anti-skating feature, undersized platters made up of cheap plastic, etc.

There is one more thing that I want to add: not every time a record player is responsible for skipping issues, sometimes, a vinyl record itself is damaged to warped.

Q3- Is it better to get a record player or a turntable?

My recommendation to everyone is to go for entry-level turntables. This will cost a few bucks extra, but trust me, it will be worth it.

You can buy Audio-Technica AT-LP60X, which will cost you around $150, along with a pair of active speakers.

This is all about Crosley suitcase record players. If you already own one of these units, then I recommend you upgrade because you don’t know what you are missing in your vinyl journey.

Well, I have shared my thoughts with you, and now, I want to know your thoughts as well. Do let me know in the comments.