James Williamson Whenever someone starts a conversation about record players, there is no way the Victrola and Crosley record players aren’t talked about.
Well, the record players from Victrola and Crosley are one of the main reasons behind the resurgence of the vinyl industry again.
Both of these brands have established themselves as leading record player manufacturers so people often get confused between these two.
And, this confusion often leads to a non-ending Crosley vs Victrola record player debate. So, to end this debate once and for all, I ordered a Crosley Cruiser Plus suitcase record player and borrowed Victrola Journey Plus from a friend for some time.
Well, I have used both record players for almost 2 weeks and compared them from every aspect. For testing sound quality, I have played my jazz records, metal band albums, hip-hop music, and most importantly my bass-heavy records.
After all A/B testing, I am here to share the results of my testing with you guys today.
But before proceeding further, there is one thing that I want you to know, in this article, we haven’t discussed whether these record players are good or not; instead, we have closely compared both players to give you a perfect and unbiased comparison between them.
So, let’s start.
Crosley Vs Victrola – Which Is Better?
Here is a quick answer for you.
After doing a lot of tests and comparing the results of both record players, I can say that the Victrola record player is a lot better than the Crosley record player.
Victrola record players offer better sound quality through built-in speakers as well as external mediums. The build quality is also better, and you will get a smoother operating experience with Victrola as compared to Crosley.
Although, if you ask me how I like the sound quality, well honestly, I don’t like it. Well, I own Fluance RT85 which has Ortofon 2M blue cartridges so listening to the sound quality of my records on these suitcase record players is a very big degrade. So, before making up your mind to purchase any one of them, I suggest you check out these articles about whether is it good to buy a Crosley record player or is it good to buy a Victrola record player and take your decision wisely.
Now, let’s not compare these record players with other turntables and stick to comparing both and telling, which one is better. Let’s proceed further and dig deeper into these units.
Different Between Victrola And Crosley – Our Test Results
Well, we have tested and compared both record players in every aspect and drafted the results from the most important to the least important factor.
So, let’s discuss the first and most important aspect, i.e., sound quality.
Sound Quality:
Both record players use ceramic cartridges with sapphire styli along with other specifications and I thought, the sound test would be on par but I was wrong.
Well, I tested the sound quality by playing one of my favorite vinyl- “Ain’t No Grave by Johnny Cash” and a few of my other collections on both record players, and finally, I can say that the Victrola easily beats Crosley in sound quality.
First, I want to highlight that these suitcase record players are not meant to play bass-heavy records. Secondly, Victrola outputs a well-balanced flat sound, although, I didn’t get the bass I wanted but the vocals of Johnny Cash were very clear. I hear a little warmer and clearer sound with less distortion on Victrola.
On the other hand, in Crosley, I noticed impedance misbalance, which resulted in harshness in the sound, and also the vocals of Johnny Cash were not as clear as they sounded on the Victrola, or I can also say that the sound is very much distorted.
Well, I hadn’t expected this much difference in sound quality because the speaker’s specifications for both record players are the same, i.e., 4Ω, 3W x 2. However, the speaker magnets of Victrola’s are a little bigger than Crosley’s.
So, these are the test results that we have performed with built-in speakers. Now, let’s talk about the sound quality of other mediums too.
External Mediums:
Well, the built-in speakers didn’t meet my expectations and I proceeded with external mediums like external speakers or headphones. Well, the sound quality does improve a bit but not a drastic change.
i) External Speakers
Both record players have external speaker support, so I have tested both by connecting them to my Pioneer S-X20 speakers and playing the same “Ain’t No Grave” vinyl and other vinyl collections.
And this time, I noticed better sound quality from both players. The vocals of Johnny got more clarity, and I could even hear some bass that I didn’t get from the built-in speakers.
Both performed well and produced decent sound quality.
ii) Headphones
Just like external speakers, both record players also have a headphone jack. I have connected my Audio-Technica ATH-M20X headphones and played the same vinyl, and the results are almost the same.
I got decent sound quality with more clarity and better bass as compared to built-in speakers.
Testing Built-in Speakers (Using Aux-In Feature):
The aux-in feature allows us to connect our external devices to the speakers of these record players.
I thought it would be the best way to test the built-in speaker quality because the sound quality of record players is affected by various factors, i.e., stylus, cartridge, wiring, tonearm, and much more. With the aux-in feature, I could eliminate all these factors and perform the test on built-in speakers only.
So, I connected my smartphone to these record players and played the same song, “Ain’t No Grave,” on Spotify.
This time, both record players’s speakers performed slightly better as compared to their previous performances with vinyl records.
But still, the sound quality is not good enough to enjoy the music. I don’t know why manufacturers have added this aux-in feature when their speakers aren’t good enough. Well, I won’t be connecting my smartphone to the speakers of these record players to listen to the music.
Bluetooth Support:
The Crosley Cruiser Plus supports in/out Bluetooth, i.e., you can connect your external devices to your record players and listen to your music through the record player’s speakers, or you can connect your record player to the external Bluetooth speakers and listen to your vinyl records through Bluetooth speakers.
On the other hand, the Victrola record player only supports one Bluetooth mode, i.e., you can connect your external devices to the record player and listen to music through the record player’s speakers.
New update: Well, this Bluetooth support comparison is based on the models I have used. Newer Victrola record players do support in/out Bluetooth features too.
Speed:
While testing, I noticed inconsistent speed issues on both record players, i.e., the wow and flutter aren’t good enough. The reasons for inconsistent speed can be the bad quality of the motor, belt, and plastic platter.
But you can always fix the speed issues by adjusting the motor speed screws or pitch control.
The Crosley record player has a pitch control knob through which you can easily adjust the speed, but the Victrola record player doesn’t have pitch control, so to adjust the speed, you need to open the motor’s speed screws. To adjust the speed with speed screws, you can follow this guide.
Build Quality:
Both record players are built with plastic.
The Victrola gave a leather-type feel to the suitcase, while on the other hand, the Crosley has put fabric over the suitcase, which probably gives it a better feel and looks.
So, while talking about the feel and looks of the suitcase, Crosley takes the lead here.
But, if we talk about the quality of the buttons and dialer on the plinth, Victrola has done a better job.
The volume and BT/Line In/Phono dialer are a little heavier than Crosley’s, and while operating the Victrola, I feel a better and smoother experience.
So, in terms of build quality, the Victrola is better.
Tracking Force:
Well, I have used the stylus gauge to measure the tracking force. The tracking force of the Victrola Journey Plus is around 6 g, and on the other hand, the tracking force of the Crosley Cruiser Plus is around 5.7g.
Durability:
Both record players are available to buy for under $70.
For $70, you will get a whole record player, i.e., a turntable, speakers, amplifier, ceramic cartridge, sapphire stylus, and much more.
And, as we all know, all companies love profit, so even in these $70, they have made a lot of tweaks to make some profit on each unit.
Well, the profit margins in these record players are created by switching from good-quality components to cheaper components that are mostly of bad quality, and these bad quality components can fail anytime, so both record players are not durable at all.
Design:
From the design perspective, both record players are amazing. Honestly, I liked their design a lot. It has a retro feel with its cool, vibrant colors and design.
From what I have observed, the Crosley record players are better than Victrola in design.
Both of these record players have their units designed in basic color combinations, but Crosley has taken one step further and improved their design by using beautiful patterns, glitter, stickers, and much more.
I have also seen Crosley record players designed according to popular franchises like Captain America, Iron Man, Mickey Mouse, etc., which elevates the design of record players to a whole new level.
On the other hand, Victrola record players are mostly seen in common color combinations. Well recently, I have seen that they are also trying to improve their design, but currently, they are not at the level of Crosley.
That’s the comparison between the Victrola and Crosley record players and at last, I can say that Victrola record players are better than Crosley. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
