Customer Reviews

Crosley CR249 BK Keepsake USB Turntable (Black)

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

Okay, so I've been, for about 6 months now, debating whether or not to purchase this turntable, and I have a feeling that is the case with a lot of people. For starters, I'm a musician, and I record music regularly, always trying to achieve a quality sound. When I read the reviews of people who claim to be hearing horrible sound and that the turntable is poorly made and cheap, I was constantly turned off to the idea of buying this. Long story short, my dad works in sales and had enough points on a rewards website to get one of these guys. We finally decided to go for it since it was basically free. The turntable just arrived in the mail and I'm currently listening to Dark Side of The Moon on it. Let me first say that it's not comparable to having four bose bookshelf speakers in each corner of the room, but seriously, this thing does sound good. For someone who just wants to get into vinyl and experience that warm crackle and unique tangibility that comes with playing records (which I think is about 95%+ percent of everyone looking to buy this), then this turntable is absolutely perfect for you. The sound is no where near bad, the volume can get high enough to really fill a medium size room, it looks great (not cheap), it's easy to use, and you can bring it around with you unlike a whole sound system. Bottom line is this: If you don't already have a major sound system then chances are you're not going to get one because that's not your passion. It's very easy to get caught up in bad reviews on here and then think you're looking for something more than you really are. If you are someone who wants to listen to records casually, maybe with a small gathering of friends inside a decent sized living room, or even alone in your own room, this is all you need. It's perfect for that, and don't let the bad reviews fool you- the sound is GOOD. For the money that you pay for this, you're getting a good deal.

So i got the unit and put some records on ...
1. Sound
The sound is mediocre.It is reminiscent of the middle 50's to late 60's low end phonographs. Tone adjustment is a single pot type that ranges from low to high, bass is questionable.
2. Turntable
This is all plastic, the tone arm has no weight adjustment for the audiophile collectors and is not a quality arm, the speed switch is of low end quality (3 position slider type)
3. Case
It is a good solid wood type looks and feels good, Hardware is mid line quality.
4. USB
The system works as advertised however there is a lag time between the player speakers and play through on the computer which , if the player volume is up will give you an echo, this is not recorded, mearly a time difference between the player and computer. The player tone control does not effect the recording on the computer as it is a direct thru put from the tone arm to USB to computer.
5. questions
why is there no headphone or external speaker jack?
why is there no kickstand to hold the top open, i had to add one.
instead you have to remove it or lay it all the way back down.
Product is worth maybe $100 in todays market
The plus is that you can listen to records without having to patch into a separate audio system, it is a "portable record player" Plug and play!!!

Let me tell you a story. Recently, I went on a road trip up and down the west coast. In a small city known as San Francisco, I came across a record store, alas, it was the famous Rasputin! Marvelous music abounded everywhere, the earthly delights, it was paradise of rare form.

Since then, I have returned to my humble abode and realized that I do not possess a record player nor have I ever owned one (seeing as my birth was a decade after the 70s). Thus began my holy quest, many retailers have I visited and many forums have I searched for wisdom and an answer.

Well...

One learns soon that the Crosley name is well-spoken of in this trade. One also learns soon that record players are a dying breed. Golly! This is where the Crosley CR249 comes in. This behemoth of a record player also provides a future-proof USB connection, thus allowing one to interface it with a modern age contraption known as the Personal Computer and digitize those wondrously rare LPs that have never seen the laser light of CD form.

Hooray, I yelled at the top of my lungs. And for those desiring a more vintage look, Crosley offers this in tan. If I could trade this in for tan, I would, but I can't so I won't but in the end I am still content and extremely pleased with my purchase.

PROS
- case is fully portable with handle, like an oversized briefcase
- dynamic range speakers put out decent sound
- USB interface
- 3 SPEEDS
- cables and software are included

CONS
- lack of outputs (only USB and an AUX IN)
- speakers are not for audiophiles

If you are in the market for a very well made basic record player with USB output that is also SIMPLE to use, then this is wonderful product to start with. If you already have great speaker system and receiver, you may want to choose another record player w/ USB that offers more output options.

One's satisfaction with this turntable will depend on how exactly it will be used. If you're looking for high-quality sound reproduction through the internal speakers, well---it's not going to happen! The retro styling (and retro sound) of this unit is perfectly acceptable if you're hosting a vintage 1950's style sock hop in your living room and using it to play records from that era. But if want really high-quality audio, select a dedicated turntable that you can plug into your existing stereo system.

However, what I'm using the player for is the transfer of old recordings to the computer (using the USB port) so that I can burn CDs of my old records. And this machine works admirably for this purpose. Again, if you're a real audiophile you'll probably want to purchase a much higher-quality (and more expensive) turntable, but I think for the average consumer this unit does a very acceptable job.

(I should add that while this record player will play 33s, 45s, and 78s, a 78 rpm needle is not included. Now, such a needle is available for this unit from third-party sellers for about twenty dollars. I haven't bought one yet, but plan to do so. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES play 78s on this machine without changing the needle first! You'll get very poor results---and it's really bad for the records as well.)

The machine includes Audacity editing software to convert the recorded sound into files for your computer. I'm not at all technically savvy, and quite honestly I was a bit intimidated at the thought of figuring out how to use the Audacity programme. The software comes with only the most basic user's manual, but complete technical instructions can easily be found on the web---there are even YouTube videos that show how to use the features found in Audacity. So, after a couple of hours of experimentation and doing just a bit of on-line research, I got the basics down pat. And in fact I've been having a lot of fun messing with these audio files, to see how much I can improve the quality before saving them as WAV files on the computer. The most useful tools are the noise reduction filter which will minimise rumble and hiss found throughout the recording, and the click and pop eliminator. (If you have a very stubborn click that the auto feature doesn't remove, you can actually zoom right in to the sound wave and manually re-draw the offending segment so that the pop is minimised.)

There are quite a few other tools that will alter the original audio as well, but these are the two that have gotten the most use, and they work very well as long as you have the settings adjusted properly according to the shortcomings of the recording with which you are working.... There is also a feature which will automatically separate your recording into tracks, but I've found that this is iffy at best: for me it's much easier just to manually do the dividing. And while it takes a bit of time to type in each track name, that's just one of those things that have to be done if you want the titles displayed on-screen when playing back the finished files, whether you've just saved them onto your hard drive or have burned a CD from them.

So, if I can figure out how to use Audacity I imagine anyone can do it; it provides very pleasing results for the average listener.

So far I've transferred about forty LPs to the computer, with most of the records dating from the 1950's and 1960's. I've been able to clean up the sound much better than I thought I would in most cases; some of these records were almost painful to listen to when filled with clicks and pops. There have only been a few records that were worn beyond improvement for the capabilities of the software.

One nice feature of this suitcase-like unit is that when not in use I'm able to pack it up (always make sure the tone-arm is clamped down when the machine is to be moved!) and store it away easily. Then when I'm ready to transfer a few records I just bring it out, take off the lid entirely, and set it on the computer desk and get to work.

So, to sum up----no, this unit will not fit the needs of a true audiophile. But if you're like me and have many (hundreds!) of old records that you'd like to transfer to CD, this should do the trick for you.

I recently started to collect vinyl and was looking for a way to play my records. I wanted something small (I live in studio) and easy on my wallet. I was also looking for something that looked old, but had more modern technolgy. The Crosley Keepsake Turntable was the answer that I was looking for. I have been using it fairly nonstop for 2 weeks now and it has been a blast! What's more, I have installed the software and have been ripping some mp3's! Also, the auxillary jack allows me to play my ipod through the built in speakers (which sound fine for a small, portable record player). Everyone that sees this product asks me about it and they are suprised at how reasonable the price is. I recommend this turntable to anyone looking for a cheap and unique way to enjoy analog music in this digital age.

This is a real heart breaker. First of all the fidelity is so far below average it fell off the chart. My 83 year old Victor Orthophonic Victrola has a better tonal range. Additionally, volume is extremely weak and it seems to bring out more pops and clicks than from any other turntable. And I'm referring to LP's! If you're looking to play your 78rpm records on this thing, forget about it. I discovered that Crosley has a 78 stylus available which I promptly ordered only to discover that it isn't compatible with the cartridge on this model. I spoke to a service rep and they don't make one. As it turns out, I got this as a premium for making a pledge at a local radio station. Had I purchased it outright, it would have gone back pronto! As is, I managed to help out a local commercial free station but I now have a rather expensive doorstop.

If you're buying this just to have a nice-looking portable record player, then you'll probably be happy with this. It's stylish (I actually got the tan one, but there wasn't a way to review it on Amazon) and has built-in speakers so once you turn it on, you're good to go. It's not a Bose sound, but it's not terrible, either. By the way, if you plug the usb cord into the PC you can play the turntable through your PC's speakers (though I don't know why you'd want to).

However, I figure most people are buying this with the grand idea of transferring all their LPs to MP3s. You're going to be disappointed. First of all, the documentation is terrible. By the time you get all the connections right (it'll take a while) and get ready to make your first MP3 transfer from one of your favorite albums, you're going to realize you might have been better off just simply buying the CD or downloading the song(s) you wanted. To transfer an entire album to MP3 will probably take a couple hours or so. Then you'll find when you listen to the transfer, there are a few skips, loops, etc. I'm not a purist, but that will end up being as irritating as the way 8-tracks (remember those?) used to shift in mid-song.

You're better off just transferring one or two songs individually from your favorite albums, which may be what you plan to do anyway since it'll take years to transfer each individual album if you have a large collection. By the way, I also never figured out how to separate the songs so the album is just one really long song. I THOUGHT I figured it out, but it didn't work. Frankly, I was grateful (and relieved) I got the thing working in any fashion after hours of frustration.

Would I buy it again? I don't know. I'm tempted to return it, to be honest. Still, I like the look of it, and if it'll let me record a song or two from my favorite albums, then maybe it'll be worth it.

Here is how Crosley could improve it. Get someone who can read and write English to write the documentation. I'm not trying to be a smartypants. I'm being honest--the manual is a joke. Crosley should also think about using something other than the free Audacity program (or at least including the dll file you're going to need to make MP3s which I had to research and then download from the Internet). There are some good user-friendly software programs out there that will help you record from LP to MP3--give us a break, Crosley, and give us a better one because it reflects on your company. It makes you look cheap.

This is a very high quality turntable. The sound of it alone was a shock for being so simple it sounds great! I am making CD's of all my precious records from the 50's and 60's. It is easy after you get all the computer settings done, that is a bit of a challenge but once done making CD's is a snap. Highly recommend this item. I got it in black so it matches my other modern equipment.

I've been using this record player 2-3 hours a day for about a month and I love it. The hardest part about setting it up was getting it out the box. The speakers sound great despite how small they are and they don't get fuzzy even when the volume is turned all the way up. If you're one of those people that always wants cutting edge technology and the best sound possible, go out and buy a fancy-pants home stereo system. But if you're just a normal Joe looking for a quality record player, this is definitely for you.

I need to quantify this review. A month ago I bought a restored late 1960s Portadyne portable record play. I have a lot of 60s vocal vinyl (Nancy Wilson, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan), I haven't had a record deck for a number of years and I wanted a small all in one record player to start playing them again. The original 60s player looked lovely in red vinyl, but the sound was weak and there was a lot of hum. I never would have bought the item if I had realised you could purchase a new record player in same style of the items of the 60s.

The Crosley CR249 is an unusual item in the UK and can be bought at Urban Outfitters for around £150 (same price as purchasing from the US + shipping). It's cabinet is made of wood and covered in vinyl. Many people have complained that the turntable is made of cheap plastics. Now it may not be a Garrard turntable of the 60s, but its is reasonably well put together.

It uses many of the same parts of the Bush MMT1 turntable(including the same stylis, if you are in the UK and need a replacement) which as a basic turntable for £69 won awards here in the UK (for being an amazing budget turntable) a few years ago.

As record players go the Crosley CR249 is a great replica of the "all in the box" record players of the mid to late 60s.
I bought it on impulse and was a little worried after reading the reviews on the way home, hoping that I wouldn't regret the purchase.
Well after the easy set up, I was really really pleased! Ok the sound is nothing like my Bose portable sound dock, but then neither was the price.
As a replica, it sounds the same as a mid priced unit from the time. My records sounds great, beautiful vocals and pleasant bass tones.
So much better, than the original Portadyne, ie the Crosley doesn't hum when you turn it up and there is actually some bass!

To be fair, most record players where the speaker(s) are in the same box, are designed to be light on the bass, otherwise there is just too much feedback on the pickup.
Also, the reason for the external power adapter, is it makes shielding the mains AC "hum" from the cable easy. Have you tried turning up the volume on an original unit from the era? They hum! Usually they use an AC motor too and the turntable platter needs to be metal to shield the pickup cartridge. I look at the external adapter as a bonus. I can plug the record player directly into the 12volt supply on my canal barge, when away and if the adapter ever packs up, then it is easily replaced being a standard unit.
USB conversion is a bonus, that I will probably never use. I do think it's a shame there is no line out or phono out for use with a bigger amp, but don't let this put you off.

If you want Bose/Apple sound quality for your records, you will need to buy an expensive record desk, valve amp and large speakers costing £$1000s, just as you would have done in the 60s. If you want a simple all in one record player with great room filling sound, that's well made then this really is for you!