Keepsake Turntableby Crosley
The Crosley Keepsake USB turntable, like many other Crosley record players, is a style over substance proposition. Inferior parts like a ceramic cartridge ensure poor sound quality.
Contents
Turntable Quality Checklist |
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| Score: 0 out of 6 |
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Moving Magnet Cartridge or Better |
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Adjustable Anti-Skate Compensation |
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Metal Platter |
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Upgradable Cartridge/Stylus |
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2 Grams or Less Tracking Force |
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Adjustable Preamp Gain |
Review Date: March 31, 2009
The Good
- Stylish, portable, comes in two colors
- Built-in speakers
- Plays 78 speed records
The Bad
- Poor sound quality
- No easy software
- Seriously defective on arrival
Overview
The Crosley CR249, aka the "Keepsake Turntable," is truly a style over substance proposition. Its attractive retro look comes in black and tan and travels in style. But it features an undesirable ceramic cartridge and the difference in sound quality should be obvious listening to the samples. Nonetheless, the CR249 has features not found on the other two turntables: Built-in stereo speakers, a line-in jack, 78 speed and portability.
Buy this turntable because you like the way it looks. Buy this turntable because it stores nicely alongside your luggage. Don't buy this turntable for sound quality- you'll be sorely disappointed.
The Infamous Ceramic Cartridge
In the turntable comparison guide, Knowzy profusely warns you about turntables with ceramic cartridges. The Crosley sample clips provide the proof.
The Gorillaz sample is good example of how bad your music could sound through the CR249. You actually hear this "crispy crackling" noise accompanying the music.
It also skipped five times during this song. This is a new record in excellent condition. None of the other turntables skipped on this song.
Low bass and/or loudly recorded albums seem to cause the crispy crackle noise. It is easily noticeable on the Black Eyed Peas and Gorillaz samples but well under control on the albums produced in the 70's.
Beyond the crispy crackle effect, you may notice a lack of low-end tones in general. This hallow sound is another limitation of ceramic cartridges- a poorer frequency response.
It Does 78's. Just Get the Proper Needle
The Crosley is the only turntable out of the three that has a 78 speed. However, Crosley doesn't make a stylus suitable for playing 78 records. Luckily, LP Gear sells an aftermarket needle to breathe new life into your 78's without ruining your original stylus.
Any turntable with a 78 speed can play a 78 record. However, it is important to use a stylus made specifically for 78 records for two reasons: First, these old records will damage a needle designed for regular, vinyl records. Second, your 78 record will sound worse when played with a stylus made for vinyl records.
The grooves on 78 records are wider than modern vinyl records. They also respond better to a conical-shaped needle, as opposed to the spherical-shaped needle found on the Crosley.
The result: Use a stylus designed for modern records on a 78 record and you'll hear mostly the dust in the bottom of the groove, where it has been collecting for a century or more. At the same time, the hard shellac and other materials quickly wear down the tip of your Crosley-supplied needle.
Knowzy located only one company that sells a 78 needle compatible with the Crosley NP4 needle (please write in if you have another source, competition is good). LP Gear sells this stylus for $24.95. The Crosley NP78 stylus is not compatible with this turntable.
DOA. Fixing (Would Have) Required Warranty Service
The CR249 Knowzy purchased from RadioShack powered on but the platter refused to spin. In addition, the cover fell off completely upon opening due to bent hinges (see third picture). The kicker: Crosley expects you to pay $20, plus shipping, for their mistakes.
The motor was running but the turntable wasn't spinning. It was clear there was a problem with the turntable's belt. Knowzy opened it up (voiding the warranty) to see if it was fixable. Sure enough, the belt has simply fallen off the platter (see second picture). After re-attaching it, the turntable was spinning properly.
The bent hinges remain. As a result, the dustcover sits to the side of the record player when in use.
Crosley's warranty policy reflects poorly on their level of commitment to and confidence in their workmanship. The warranty is 90 days and, in addition to footing the bill for shipping it back to them, they ask you to include a check for $19.95 "to cover the handling and return postage."
In comparison, Ion Audio offers a 90-day warranty and you pay for one-way shipping. Audio-Technica stands by their product for a full year and, again, only one-way shipping.
Other Crosley CR249 Features
In addition to 78 speed, the CR249 has other features not found on the other two turntables. It is portable, it has built-in speakers and has a line-in jack for digitizing a tape player or other audio component.
The Crosley folds up and is secured by a clasp. When closed, it resembles a piece of luggage, complete with a handle. It easy transportable and stores nicely.
The line-in auxiliary connection is 1/8", the same size as a mini-headphone jack. It lets you connect a tape player, 8-track or anything else with a line-out. You can either digitize what you connect or listen to it through the built-in speakers.
The stereo speakers are loud enough to fill a room. They are one-way, so don't expect superb sound quality. The volume and tone controls adjust what comes out of the speaker but doesn't affect the digitization.
No Easy to Use Software
Unlike the other two turntables, the Crosley doesn't come with additional software to make digitizing your vinyl easy. It ships with Audacity, a program you can download free on the Internet that is difficult to learn and doesn't burn CDs.
Even experienced computer users struggle to learn how to use Audacity for vinyl ripping. To their credit, Crosley does a pretty thorough job in explaining how to use Audacity in their "Software Installation Guide."
In 22 pages, they cover setup, recording, raising the volume level (you will need to do this), cleaning your audio, dividing LP sides into tracks (manually and automatically) and saving your songs as computer files.
What's missing? They only allude to the fact that saving your songs as MP3s requires you to jump through some hoops. They don't touch the topic of creating a CD from your records other than to suggest using a WAV file format. They also omit how to "tag" your files with song titles and album and artist names.
Audacity accomplishes most vinyl ripping tasks. However, if you're not a computer whiz, you may need to enlist one to get you started.
Details and Specificatons | |
Turntable Basics| Categories | USB |
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| Suitable for 78 RPM? | Yes1 |
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| Pre-Amp? | Not Required |
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| Upgadable Cartridge? | No |
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| CD Burner? | No |
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| SD Card, USB Flash Drive | No |
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| iPod Dock | No |
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| Software | Audacity |
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| Tape Player, Radio | No |
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| Speakers | Stereo |
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| Remote Control? | No |
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1 Requires an aftermarket stylus available online at LP Gear. Read more in the review.
Connections| USB Output | Yes |
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| Line Out | RCA |
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| Phono Out | No |
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| Headphone Out | 1/8" |
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| Line In | 1/8" |
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| S/PDIF Out | No |
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| Ground Wire | No |
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Turntable Construction| Cartridge Type | Ceramic |
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| Cartridge Mount | Permanent |
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| Cartridge Make/Model | Not Specified |
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| Adjustable Anti-Skate | No |
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| Drive | Belt |
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| Adjustable Gain | No |
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| Speeds | 33.3, 45 & 78 RPM |
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| Platter | Plastic |
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| Automatic Features | Semi-automatic |
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| Tonearm Cue | Yes, Lever |
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| Dustcover | Vinyl |
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| Tonearm Height Adjustment | No |
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| Offset Tonearm? | Yes |
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| Adjustable Feet | No |
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Turntable Features| Adjustable Pitch? | No |
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| Pitch Lock? | No |
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| Reverse (Backward) Play | No |
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| Strobe Light? | No |
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| Cue Light | No |
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Specifications| Signal to Noise (S/N) | Not Published |
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| Wow and Flutter | Not Published |
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| Vertical Tracking Force (VTF) | 4.62g1 |
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| Tracking Error | Not Published |
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| Effective Tonearm Length | Not Published |
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| Speed Variance | Not Published |
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| Counterweight Range | Not Adjustable |
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| Cartridge Weight Range | Not Applicable |
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| A/D Resolution | 44.1kHz, 16-bit |
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| Dimensions (W x D x H) | Not Published |
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| Weight | Not Published |
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1 Measured by Knowzy using this tracking force scale*. Figure not from manufacturer.
Crosley Keepsake Turntable (CR249-TA) Marketing Photo
Idealized marketing photo of the Crosley Keepsake Turntable, model number CR249-TA.
Closed Up
The Crosley CR249 sits closed and latched, ready to come along with you.
First Time Opening
Brand new, the tape is still on the needle of the Crosley CR249.
Belt Was Not Attached
I turned on the CR249 for the first time and the platter wouldn't spin. When I took it apart, I found the belt had come off.
Reattaching the Turntable Belt
Ah, that's better. The belt is now back on its pulley. Too bad I voided the warranty to fix it!
The Cover Easily Flopped Off
Thanks to a bent hinge, the turntable cover falls off when fully extended.
Cartridge Close-Up
The Crosley CR249 cartridge and stylus in all its glory.
Low Recording Volume for the Crosley CR249 Turntable
This is Pink Floyd's On the Run recorded on the Keepsake Turntable. It comes nowhere near the peaks and cannot be adjusted.
Same Recording with Normalized Volume
After normalizing, the same Pink Floyd recording is a reasonable volume.
The Black Eyed Peas - Dum Diddly
Source: Crosley Keepsake Turntable
MP3 (192Kbps VBR)
Duration: 0:30
Michael Franti And Spearhead - A Little Bit Of Riddim
Source: Crosley Keepsake Turntable
MP3 (192Kbps VBR)
Duration: 0:30
Pink Floyd - On the Run
Source: Crosley Keepsake Turntable
MP3 (192Kbps VBR)
Duration: 0:30
Steely Dan - Peg
Source: Crosley Keepsake Turntable
MP3 (192Kbps VBR)
Duration: 0:30
Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon (Abused LP)
Source: Crosley Keepsake Turntable
MP3 (192Kbps VBR)
Duration: 0:30
Listen to recordings from other turntables on our USB Turntable Samples page.
Disclosure
* Knowzy earns a commission on items marked with a *. We strive to find you the lowest price from reputable retailers but you may find a better deal elsewhere.
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Originally Published: Wednesday, December 7, 2011, 10:44 AM PT Last Updated: Tuesday, December 13, 2011, 6:35 PM PT Version 5
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