musicgeek91
Member
I posed this exact same question on Facebook once, and the only reason I ask this... if you have to choose between just from these two brands alone, which would any of you prefer?
Crosley or BSR - which is better?
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Splatter Pak
High-End Scrounger
A BSR turntable is far less embarrassing...the Quanta series was actually semi-decent.
uenjoymyself
Surrender to the flow
Yea my mom had a Crosley like the one pictured playing at Christmas... I was not impressed...at all.
I would prefer the BSR over the Crosley.
I would prefer the BSR over the Crosley.
beat_truck
Addicted Member
BSR all the way. Built better by FAR, a lot less destructive to records, sound better, and even after 40 or 50 years the BSR will usually still work fine with a little cleaning and lubrication. The Crosley isn't likely to last much past the warranty period.
That BSR has a flip stylus, a ceramic or crystal cartridge. Even at that there is no comparison between the two... the BSR was a dependable, well built record changer that would track a lower end magnetic cartridge... I've seen many with Empire XEX or ZEX back in the day... Pacific Stereo used to buy those cartridges in 25 unit cases at a cost of less than fiver dollars each and sell them for up to twenty five, thirty dollars. The XEX was conical, tracked at three or four grams if I remember right, the ZEX was elliptical and tracked at one and half to three grams. The BSR would track them but better suited to the XEX. The Crosley is trading junk on name recognition and styling from long ago, the arm is literally a stick on a swivel... it will however play a CD and has an aux input. Anyway, that's my opinion.
I would rather go without before I chose either in all honesty
repair_guy
Active Member
Just about anything is better than the new Crosley stuff. I get those things in for repair and just about every capacitor in it is starting to fail after a just a few years old. Complete junk.
JURB
Super Member
That line of BSRs will not take a standard mag cart because the shell is too small. Even the higher end ceramic carts like in some Zeniths or the Astatic 353D in some RCAs won't fit. Yup, the RCA was self weighted at maybe 2½ gr. and the Zenith at 2 gr. so they had to have better compliance.
Actually those high end ceramics can be plugged into a mag input if you use a shunt resistor. It lowers the level and flattens the response so the RIAA works fairly well.
Regardless, the carts used in those BSRs were not very compliant. Turn off the volume and listen to the TT itself play. You can hear it via the end of the tonearm vibrating to the grooves in the record. That is chewing it up. fighting that mass at the groove lateral velocity at high levels and high frequency, I am surprised the cheap sapphire could handle it.
Forget the Crosely. If you take the BSR, don't play anything worth alot on it.
Actually, BSR did make a good TT, I had one for a while. An 810.
I am sure there are others, but that one is low end, and mainly only two things stops it. It only has a two pole motor so it cannot take a magnetic cart, and the head "shell" won't fit a mag cart. The mechanisms weren't all that bad until they switched to the plastic platter. Plastic platters should be the death penalty.
Actually those high end ceramics can be plugged into a mag input if you use a shunt resistor. It lowers the level and flattens the response so the RIAA works fairly well.
Regardless, the carts used in those BSRs were not very compliant. Turn off the volume and listen to the TT itself play. You can hear it via the end of the tonearm vibrating to the grooves in the record. That is chewing it up. fighting that mass at the groove lateral velocity at high levels and high frequency, I am surprised the cheap sapphire could handle it.
Forget the Crosely. If you take the BSR, don't play anything worth alot on it.
Actually, BSR did make a good TT, I had one for a while. An 810.
I am sure there are others, but that one is low end, and mainly only two things stops it. It only has a two pole motor so it cannot take a magnetic cart, and the head "shell" won't fit a mag cart. The mechanisms weren't all that bad until they switched to the plastic platter. Plastic platters should be the death penalty.
BSR "turntables" got a lot of people started into listening to records. Sure, you couldn't upgrade that awful ceramic cartridge, and they were fitted into some even worse players. My brother had a Fidelity record player, the transformer hum was amplified by the plastic case, and the plastic speakers added all kinds of coloration you wouldn't believe. But, it played his records, and didn't do any damage to them really. He gave it to me when he got something better, and I gave it to my grandmother to sell at her jumble sale. It sold within minutes, and may still be working somewhere.
Contrast to the Crosley, which is just pure junk.
Lee.
Contrast to the Crosley, which is just pure junk.
Lee.
Op.........I'll take the Fred Flintstone tt in your avatar before I'd waste money on either of those 2. Save your money and put it towards something of at least basic quality. Your records will thank you as well.
The sad things is, there are several BSRs displayed in the window of my "local" used record store - in quotes because it's not really local, but anyway...
I concur with the above comments, I would rather have the BSR but I seem to have no problem finding cheap Duals, they follow me home for some reason.
I concur with the above comments, I would rather have the BSR but I seem to have no problem finding cheap Duals, they follow me home for some reason.
savatage1973
Addicted Member
No thanks on either--I'll stick with my Dual and Hitachi (CEC). It's funny, because I just saw that Crosley at WalMart when I stopped by to buy some Gatorade the other day.
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
BSR built the 810 record changer, which when working right is as good as any ELAC/Miracord or any Dual. BSR also built the AccuTrac and AccuGlide changers which while quirky performed well when they are in good order, and the Quanta line which is basic but decent. BSR for the win ahead of Crosley.
My friend still has an AccuTrac. Very cool looking TT with all the push buttons. Not sure if it still works, I don't think he has used it in 25+ years
yarvelling
Active Member
The BSR that is shown looks to be same as one in a Ferguson music centre that I used to own way back in the mid 70's. Not exactly high fidelity, but it always sounded ok, and records that I used to play regularly on it don't exhibit any kind of sound degradation or wear from it! 
I could not say the same about that Crosley though....one play would be enough to start tearing up the groove!!
I would definitely choose the BSR without any hesitation!
I could not say the same about that Crosley though....one play would be enough to start tearing up the groove!!
I would definitely choose the BSR without any hesitation!
steerpike2
Super Member
Philips 22GP390:
L/R balance <2 dB, separation >24 dB. moving mass 1,4 mg, response 30-17.000 Hz +/- 2dB, tracking force 1.5g
But no longer manufactured!
highwaychild
Well-Known Member
Yes, this BSR looks nice, indeed. If id had to be BSR, I would choose one of this kind.
