Is Crosley a problem for Vinyl revival?

[iLUVanalog]

First, let me say you bring up very strong, compelling points. I'm glad to hear you have personal experience with the brand - that helps to add solid data to the original question raised. But I can't resist playing devil's advocate here - it's a great way to prove out (or disprove) theories.

First, I have to say that any company that isn't in it for the money, is going to stay in business by accident or by luck. The number one rule for every business is to make money. Like it or not - that's a fact. To look at Crosley's business model as negatively as possible, I'd describe their mission statement as "let's get these fools to buy a machine to play records on for cheap." I suspect Crosley executives put a more positive spin to their mission statement using words like "value" and "experience" and "vinyl experience."

It sounds as if you've traveled the path of audiophiles to quality machines - or perhaps leapfrogged those first steps involving low quality equipment. I took the hard road. My stepping stones include my parents' console and a BSR hunk of junk (produced in the millions for the masses). Ironically, I graduated to an ADC turntable that had BSR roots. In terms of tracking LP's it out performs the AR XA I am currently listening to John Mayer on. So, can a lousy quality piece of equipment act as a stepping stone to greater things? If more than half of the population can say "yes" then Crosley is good, because a lot of Crosley owners will be buying new (or new to them) equipment to truly enjoy the music - and that's what vinyl revival is all about.

Interesting response, rmoreau. However, I will never, EVER recommend that anyone buy a Crosley "suitcase" record player (not even for a kid) for one critical reason: the sound quality (which is not good). I understand Crosley may have meant well, and they are still in business by accident AND by luck...not because they make good products, because they don't. The AT-LP60 will outperform and sound WAY better than any Crosley "suitcase" record player. Of course it would...it is far better built and uses a magnetic cartridge instead of an inferior and short-lived ceramic. To me, it is far more preferable to spend $200-$250 on an LP-60 and a pair of powered speakers...needless to say, the sound quality will be vastly superior compared to a Crosley "suitcase" record player. And in 2019 (well...now 2020), $200-$250 is not a lot to spend on a "starter system" like this, and it will give you a far better listening experience versus listening on a Crosley. If anything, listening (especially for a vinyl neophyte) to vinyl on a Crosley I firmly believe will disappoint and dissuade.

 

[zkman2002]

Yes it is! The darn records won't fit on it!

 

[vwestlife]

To me, it is far more preferable to spend $200-$250 on an LP-60 and a pair of powered speakers...needless to say, the sound quality will be vastly superior compared to a Crosley "suitcase" record player. And in 2019 (well...now 2020), $200-$250 is not a lot to spend on a "starter system" like this

Yeah, but of course spending $250 on such a setup is "preferable" to spending $39 on a suitcase record player (the current price of the best-selling model on Amazon). That's like saying a $96,000 Porsche is "preferable" to a $15,000 Hyundai.

Most of these suitcase players are purchased by or for teenagers and young children, and spending $39 rather than $250 is a much safer bet on something that may fail to capture their interest, or which they may end up being accident-prone or careless in operating. (Some suitcase players even come with extra needles in the box just in case such accidents happen.) And if they can get a year out of it before they're either ready to upgrade to something better or it breaks on them, for most people that's $39 well spent.

 

[Taketheflame]

Crosley is only a good thing for the vinyl format, and it's future IMO. Sure, the vast majority (if not all) of us on here would never buy one for the obvious reasons, but they make for a very low cost way for the "vinyl curious" to sample the format. Those who decide to pursue vinyl further will ultimately move on to better gear to listen to their records on.

Besides, it's getting much harder to find basic, older TTs and other hi-fi gear for cheap at the thrifts anymore (at least in my area, that seems to be the case), so yet again, another good reason for Crosley and some of the other <$100 TT options out there.

 

[Condorsat]

Since this thread was started back in 2014 .. apparently not.

 

[iLUVanalog]

That's like saying a $96,000 Porsche is "preferable" to a $15,000 Hyundai.

...and a $20 million apartment in New York is preferable to a $5 million beachfront home in Malibu. Using that logic, the list is endless.