Vinylwriter Turntableby Grace Digital Audio
It's the ceramic cartridge turntable that destroyed our records (due to a defective needle). The Vinylwriter USB record player is cheap. That's about all it has going for it.
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: January 28, 2010
The Good
- Cheap. Seen as low as $50
The Bad
- Shaved record grooves while playing
- Defective even after warranty repair
- Skipped often. Profusely in one case.
Overview
This was the worst of the four USB turntables Knowzy tested. It took four needles and two months before Knowzy had a working turntable. Even then, poor sound quality and constant skipping characterized the playback.
We normally try to find three positive attributes to put in the "Good" section. "Cheap" was the only one that came to mind. We're open to suggestions. Platter rotates clockwise, perhaps?
A ceramic cartridge and stylus pressure we measured at 6.75 grams are reason enough to avoid this record player. The damage it did to our records and the hassle of getting the turntable in working order is beyond what even the most patient and understanding consumer would endure.
Carved Out Grooves as It Played
The photos speak for themselves- the record grooves turned from black to whitish-gray as the needle passed through them. The dust of groove scrapings coats the tracks that the Grace turntable played.
The problem turned out to be a bent needle, which is apparently a common problem on these turntables, as evidenced by the following:
- The Grace Digital Audio warranty repair rep instantly knew what the problem was.
- The repaired unit also had a bent needle.
- It's not difficult to find others reporting the same problem, like in this Amazon review.
The sound produced from the record-shaving needle was as bad as it looks: An unbearable amount of surface noise overwhelms the music.
It was a long journey to a working USB turntable. Our "repaired" unit came back with a needle bent in the opposite direction of the first. Grace then sent out a replacement needle that took a month to arrive. Read the whole story at Hydrogen Audio.
Poor Sound Quality and Serious Skipping
Predictably, the ceramic cartridge produced poor sound. Its tendency to skip, however, earned it the honor of worst USB turntable we've tested.
The Grace turntable skipped on several songs. These are practically new albums that the other turntables had no trouble playing (with the exception of the Crosley turntable, which also has ceramic cartridge).
The skipping was comically bad when we tested the Gorillaz album.
This is an album record "hot" (louder than the average record) and features pounding bass. It seemed to be the perfect recipe for getting the Grace turntable to skip.
Every beat produced a skip in Gorillaz's Dare. It finished the four-minute song in a minute and eight seconds.
After the horrendous skipping, we played the same Gorillaz track on the Audio-Technica turntable. It played through without a single skip.
From a sound quality standpoint, the whooshy-crackle noise that seems to define the ceramic cartridge sound was easily noticeable on the Black Eyed Peas track. You can also hear it on the Crosley turntable.
While we were expecting poor sound quality from this record player, the frequency of skipping was simply unacceptable.
Only Freely Downloadable Software Included
Like so many other USB turntables, the only software included is a free, a general-purpose audio editor called Audacity. While it performs many of the tasks required to digitize your albums, it doesn't do them all and it's not easy to use.
Even if you get past the fairly steep learning curve, you will need to rely on other programs to create CDs and to automatically populate your MP3s with album information.
Moreover, Audacity simply isn't designed for the process of recording your LPs, making certain tasks more cumbersome than they need to be.
For example, a program called VinylStudio automatically pulls down album information from the Internet, including track names, song times and album art. It then splits the album into tracks and organizes the recordings based on what it learns about the album from the Internet.
Grace and other USB turntable makers could create a much better vinyl ripping experience for their customers if they included specialized software such as VinylStudio or its chief competitor Acoustica's Spin It Again.
If nothing else, companies like Grace owe a debt of gratitude to the volunteers behind Audacity for creating and freely offering software that keeps the cost of their turntables down. By donating to the Audacity project, these companies could reward the Audacity team's efforts and encourage the developers to consider the needs of vinyl digitizers in future improvements.
A Turntable that Goes by Many Brand Names
Grace Digital Audio didn't make this turntable. This is an "OEM" USB turntable, where a company slaps their logo on a complete product made by someone else.
In this case, the turntable comes from a Chinese company called Leetac Electronics. Knowzy found five different companies hawking this same turntable: Memorex, firstStreet, Technical Pro, Innovative Technology and Grace Digital Audio.
JC Penny, Kohl's, Macy's and even Bed, Bath and Beyond, sell the Innovative Technology version. Knowzy first noticed the Memorex version as an insert to a Chevron credit card bill.
$100 is the going price at these outlets. You can find this turntable online much cheaper, as low as $50.
There is no need to settle for this cheap, cookie-cutter record player, though. For $100, you can find many better USB turntables with moving magnet cartridges. And that's exactly what we recommend when asked.
Details and Specificatons | |
Turntable Basics| Categories | USB |
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| Suitable for 78 RPM? | No |
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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 | No |
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| Remote Control? | No |
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Connections| USB Output | Yes |
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| Line Out | RCA |
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| Phono Out | No |
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| Headphone Out | No |
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| Line In | 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) | > 50dB |
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| Wow and Flutter | Not Published |
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| Vertical Tracking Force (VTF) | 6.75g1 |
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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) | 37 x 16.5 x 33" |
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| Weight | 4.96kg |
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1 Measured by Knowzy using this tracking force scale*. Figure not from manufacturer.
Marketing Photo
Idealized marketing photo of the Grace Digital Audio Vinylwriter (AVPUSB01S) USB turntable.
Bent Needle Ruins Records
Watch what happens when you use a defective stylus on a nice new record.
First Stylus Bent to the Left
This close-up shows the needle is crooked. The audio sounded awful when played with this needle.
Second Stylus Bent to the Right
After reporting the defective stylus, Grace shipped a new one. This time it bent to the right and still grinded records as it played.
Third Time's a Charm: A Straight Stylus
The third needle Grace sent finally pointed down. The turntable still skipped frequently.
Close-Up of Grinded Grooves
This was a brand new Steely Dan 30th Anniversary edition record. It's hardly a collector's item now!
Record Grinding in Process
That dust seen atop the record is freshly ground out vinyl from the record's grooves.
Front View
Fully assembled and ready to play. Just make sure that needle is oriented properly!
6.75 Grams of Vertical Tracking Force
Less than 2 grams of stylus pressure is desirable. The Vinylwriter whopping 6.75 grams is tough on your records.
The Same Turntable by Many Different Names
The Grace turntable performed poorly in Knowzy's tests. Expect the same on these models- the same turntable sold by different companies.
The Black Eyed Peas - Dum Diddly
Source: Grace Digital Audio Vinylwriter
MP3 (192Kbps VBR)
Duration: 0:30
Michael Franti And Spearhead - A Little Bit Of Riddim
Source: Grace Digital Audio Vinylwriter
MP3 (192Kbps VBR)
Duration: 0:30
Pink Floyd - On the Run
Source: Grace Digital Audio Vinylwriter
MP3 (192Kbps VBR)
Duration: 0:30
Steely Dan - Peg
Source: Grace Digital Audio Vinylwriter
MP3 (192Kbps VBR)
Duration: 0:30
Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon (Abused LP)
Source: Grace Digital Audio Vinylwriter
MP3 (192Kbps VBR)
Duration: 0:30
Steely Dan's Black Cow Played with First Bent Stylus
Source: Grace Digital Audio Vinylwriter
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.
Learn how Knowzy puts your best interests before our selfish desire to turn a profit.
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Originally Published: Tuesday, December 13, 2011, 5:24 PM PT Last Updated: Wednesday, December 14, 2011, 9:52 AM PT Version 2
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