Crosley CR85 Collegiate Stack-o-Matic Turntable, Oak

1. Posted: Jun 27 2008

   I recently purchased the CR85 Collegiate to play some old 45s and LPs that had been gathering dust in my basement. I originally had some concerns because the Crosley turntable products I had seen in stores appeared to be poorly constructed with cheap parts. I was pleasantly surprised when the unit arrived because the cabinet is reasonably well constructed, and the quality of turntable unit itself is good considering the price. After setting up the unit, I stacked some 45s (using the supplied plastic adapters - which are red and designed a bit differently than the yellow ones I remember) and started playing. The changer works as advertised, just like the one I had when I was a kid. My own kids had never seen anything like it and were absolutely fascinated. The sound is definitely lo-fi, It was loud enough, but it reminded me of listening to AM radio back in the '60s. The treble is somewhat muted, even with the tone control turned all the way up (by the way, the tone control functions exactly like these sorts of controls functioned on equipment back in the day - they cut treble but do not increase bass). The unit has two stereo speakers, but they are so close together that you might as well be listening to mono. All this may be part of the fun, it recreates the music listening experience I had as a kid back in the 60's and early '70s, and certainly will provide some nostalgia for baby boomers. On the other hand, I do think Crosley could have supplied somewhat better speakers and given the user more flexibility in adjusting the sound. All in all, though, so far I am pleased with my purchase.

2. Posted: May 10 2008

   We are enjoying vinly records, all sizes, which had been stored in boxes many years. The reason we purchased this unit was the stackable feature so we can play more than one record without physically going to unit. We wish it had outlets for jacks to take sound to speakers in house/porch. Also, we should have pursued a different finish on cabinet, but this is a minor objection. We love hearing the old Beatle 45s.

3. Posted: Apr 19 2008

   I ordered this item for my mother (she's 80 years young) so she could play her albums. She loves it. I had to send the first order back because the speaker system was bad, but return process went very well (didn't cost me to return it) and received a replacement pronto. Thanks Amazon. Jane

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