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Well, seeing the booming vinyl industry, many people want to enter the vinyl world, but they don’t know where they should start.
Normally, they start looking for a way to enter the vinyl world, which doesn’t take a huge dent in their pockets. And the most affordable record players on the market are these suitcase record players.
Well, I admit that the design and color of these record players are awesome, and they give us that vintage and modern vibe together, but these record players have a lot of mixed feedback all over the internet.
Some people liked them, while some didn’t. This mixed feedbacks often confuse buyers or people who want to enter the vinyl world. As a result, people keep asking me questions like “Are Victrola record players good?”, “Are Crosley record players good?” And they also ask me, “Is Crosley or Victrola better?”
Honestly, these continued questions have inspired me to write a detailed article on this topic.
Well, I already had an opinion on these units, but to make this article a one-stop solution for all your questions, I did a lot of research online, had a conversation with many people in the vinyl community (including beginners) to understand everyone’s perspective, and wrote this article. You will find everything you need to know about these units before making the purchase.
So, let’s get started and talk about the first and most important question that comes in the mind of every beginner.
If you are starting out in vinyl world, this is perfect turntable for you.
- Impressive sound quality - Crisp and detailed (Ortofon 2M blue with nude elliptical stylus)
- Superb build quality
- Accurate speed - wow/flutter under 0.07% (Personally tested)
- Auto-stop feature
- Durable, customizable and upgradable
Are Victrola record players good?
The answer is no.
Some people might get angry hearing my answer, but it is what it is!. I never liked these suitcase record players. And, most importantly, I’m not alone in not liking them; many people in the vinyl community do not consider these record players good for multiple reasons.
Multiple reasons?
Well, yes. There are not one or two but nine reasons why I don’t like these units.
Now, we will discuss all these factors/reasons, and I will share my experience and thoughts about how these record players can affect your vinyl journey.
So, let’s start.
Reasons why Victrola record players are bad:
Here, we are discussing about Victrola VSC-550BT-TQ, the Journey suitcase record player. I am talking about suitcase record players by Victrola, not turntables or vintage record players, which are quite good in comparison. If you consider a turntable and a record player as the same unit, then I suggest learn the difference between record player and turntable.
So, here are the facts:
Reason 1: Platter
The Victrola VSC-550BT comes with an undersized platter made of thin and cheap plastic. This platter is perfect for a 7-inch record, but if you place a 10-inch or 12-inch record on top of it, then the edges of the record will hang outside the platter, i.e., in the air, which is not good in any case, and it might also cause record wobbling issues.
Reason 2: Ceramic cartridges
These record players come with ceramic cartridges, which are no match for modern-day moving magnet, moving coil, or moving iron cartridges.
Well, there are some ceramic cartridges in the market, like Grado B, that sound good, but these units have low-quality cartridges, and the sound quality they output is not up to the mark, and they also require a higher tracking force to output accurate and refined sound.
As you know, a higher tracking force is responsible for reducing the life span of the record as well as the stylus.
On the other hand, the most popular cartridges, i.e., moving magnet and moving coil, require less tracking force to produce better sound quality, and they are also more durable than ceramic cartridges.
You can learn more about ceramic phono cartridges, it’s working principle from this article.
Reason 3: Stylus
All over the internet, it is mentioned that the Victrola VSC-550BT has a ceramic stylus, or some people also call it a ceramic needle.
Well, there is not a single thing called a ceramic stylus; it can be a sapphire, ruby, or diamond stylus.
This record player doesn’t mention their stylus type in their description or manual, so trust me, if their cartridge had a diamond stylus, then they must have mentioned it somewhere because a diamond stylus is considered the best stylus on the market by almost all audiophiles.
So, this record player might be using the sapphire stylus as seen in other suitcase-type record players. And, let me tell you, these sapphire styluses are known for their poor quality sound production and wearing out more often.
The average lifespan of a sapphire stylus is around 50 hours of playing.
Reason 4: Tracking force
The tracking force adjustment is one of the most important aspects of any turntable setup. If the tracking force is very low, then your stylus won’t stick into the record grooves, and it can even jump on the surface of the record, which is known as the record skipping problem.
On the other hand, if the tracking force is too heavy, then it forces the stylus to run deeper into the grooves, which eventually damages the record grooves as well as the stylus.
And, as we have already discussed, these record players have ceramic cartridges, which requires a higher tracking force. Thus, these record players have a higher tracking force, which ranges between 4-6 grams, so your record will wear out faster than ever.
Now, you must be thinking about what the recommended tracking force is. Right?
So, let me tell you that the tracking force depends on the cartridges. Some cartridges need 2g force, and some need 1.8g force, but anything over 3–3.5 g will be bad for your records and stylus for sure.
Reason 5: No counterweight dialer and anti-skating:
Victrola The Journey record player doesn’t have a counterweight dialer or anti-skating features, which are two of the most important part of a turntable, and the perfect adjustment of these two can boost the sound quality a lot.
Well, you will get a tonearm balanced and anti-skating settings set from the manufacturer’s side, and according to me, those settings are not configured properly and other is no option through which can adjust them.
Reason 6: Vibrations
The record player is very prone to vibrations.
Well, we have talked about the vibration isolation technique, and we have discussed the techniques to reduce vibrations on a turntable setup in which everything is a separate unit.
But, in this all-in-one record player, you will get a turntable, amplifier, and speakers built into one unit. And if you look closely at the image above, you will find that there is only a single piece of foam above the speakers, which is separating the record player’s top from the speakers, and I don’t think that’s enough to isolate vibrations coming from the speakers.
So, having everything in a single unit with the least vibration isolation techniques followed, you can imagine how much vibration can reach your stylus while playing and cause sound distortion issues.
Reason 7: Cartridge alignment
The cartridge alignment techniques help the stylus to track the grooves properly and reduce sound distortion. However, the alignment techniques require a counterweight dialer, anti-skate and adjustable headshell, and all of these are not available in the Victrola Journey record player, so you can’t calibrate the cartridge.
Reason 8: Bad Quality Of Speakers
The quality of the speakers is not up to the mark. I have seen several people talking about this online and offline, and trust me, nobody likes the quality.
When I played my albums on it, the sound sounded flat, and I didn’t like it.
Well, I’ve seen some people arguing over sound quality but it’s a fact that if you liked the sound quality of these units then you have never experience the sound quality of a real turntable setup.
On top of that, some suitcase record player owners debated with me and said that if you don’t like the internal speakers, you can always use external speakers because this unit supports external speakers through RCA cables.
Well, the use of external speakers destroys the whole concept of an all-in-one unit.
Reason 9: No dust cover
We have discussed many times that vinyl records are made from a material called PVC, which is a natural insulator, and the static charge is built on it when it interacts with the air around it, record sleeves, hand touches, and much more.
So, when we are playing, there is no option to cover the setup, and we also can’t close the suitcase lid because our record is already over the surface, due to which we are forced to leave the record player’s lid open while playing, and the static charge built on the record keeps attracting dust particles inside the record grooves, which is not a good thing.
Well, I own Fluance RT85, which has a dust cover, and I have a habit of placing the dust cover on the turntable once I am done changing the record, and playing it.
Well, these are some major factors, due to which I suggest you reconsider your thought of buying this record player.
Now, let’s talk about how these suitcase record players can mess up your vinyl experience.
How do suitcase record players affect your vinyl experience?
Here, I am going to make a very controversial statement: “a suitcase record player can make you quit vinyl world”.
Don’t judge me through this term without hearing my POV.
Well, first of all, I am not making this point out of nowhere; this statement is true.
I have seen people buying these record players, playing their records on them, and then leaving the vinyl world, saying our digital music sounds better and is a lot cheaper too.
Well, I don’t blame them because they have never experienced the real sound quality that a complete turntable setup outputs.
They bought these record players due to the vinyl trend, but their mistake is that they bought something that isn’t considered good by people in the same community.
I have read multiple user reviews on online e-commerce platforms and forums where people received a faulty product, and the first thing they do after receiving the product is troubleshoot to understand why their unit is turning on or not spinning. Some people are either requesting a refund or asking for a replacement.
Or if their journey has started better, but soon they will face problems like a stylus worn out and much more.
So, problems like bad sound quality, cheap build quality, and being prone to electrical issues combined, can make any beginner leave the vinyl world without even experiencing how the vinyl record sounds on a complete turntable setup.
So now, one question arises- if not a record player, how can some start their vinyl journey?
How a person should start their vinyl journey:
Well, I always recommend people buy an entry-level turntable with a built-in preamp. You can go for an Audio Technica LP60X turntable along with a pair of active speakers. If you have a good budget, then you can check out our list of the best turntables under $500. These units will cost you a little more than a record player, but trust me, you won’t regret spending some extra bucks after some time.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1- Do Victrola record players damage vinyl?
Yes, a Victrola does damage your vinyl records. Well, it won’t be instant damage, but if you keep playing your records, then you’ll hear an increase in surface noise and distortion.
Q2- Is Victrola better than Audio Technica?
Well, it depends on the turntable models you are comparing, but if you are comparing a Victrola suitcase record player with any entry-level Audio Technica turntable, then the answer is no.
An entry-level Audio Technica turntable is a lot better than a suitcase record player. The Audio Technica turntable will sound better and will have better build quality.
Q3- Are cheap record players okay?
No, cheap record players are not good. I have seen many people arguing that suitcase record players are for beginners or people entering the vinyl world with less budget, but the reality is, these record players don’t represent the real vinyl world.
Well, I admit that the reason for vinyl’s resurgence is these record players, but still, I won’t recommend anyone to buy these. You can invest a little more and get yourself a better quality entry-level turntable.
I have shared everything you need to know about Victrola suitcase record players and also shared my opinion about them in the most descriptive and simple words possible. I hope you have understood my point, and this article will help you make a better decision. If you have any questions, you can ask me by commenting below, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
