Are you in possession of a Crosley record player that you are struggling to get to grips with? Well, today we will be looking at how to use Crosley record player in all its detail, exploring what makes the Crosley so special and how exactly to use it in a detailed step-by-step guide through each of its parts.
Table of Contents
What Are Crosley Record Players?
In essence, a Crosley record player is simply another way to listen to your favorite vinyl records, though this one tends to offer forth its services at a more affordable price.
Though the Crosley most people are familiar with comes with built in speakers attached, there is also the opportunity to connect the whole turntable to an external speaker setup. This means that you can play music without being limited to the less-than-exemplary speakers that come with the Crosley.
Despite its relatively limited means, the Crosley still comes with all the requisite parts and features, including an auto stop switch, tonearm, speed switch, power cord, pitch control, and even coming with, in some instances a headphone jack (aux connection) or even a CD player. There is even a Bluetooth version, for those looking for something more convenient.
Many audiophiles, however, will recommend that you replace the cartridge straight out of the box with a new needle, projecting the needle upward in quality to something better able to do your record plays an adequate service.
Using a Crosley device like so could not be easier, being more than self-explanatory once plugged in.
Step by Step
Sometimes, user manuals can only take you so far, in which case you need a trusted audiophile to take you through each step. Luckily, here I lay!
- Choose a record! It can be any you like, though preferably one that you know reasonably well so that you can tell whether the record player sounds right or not.
- Assemble the device: plug the record player into the socket, secure the slip mat onto the turntable platter, place your chosen album on said platter, etc.
- Place the needle down onto the surface of the record, placing it gently onto the very edge
- Adjust the volume for the space and the listening context. This will depend on the kind of speakers or headphones you are using. Headphones, as aforementioned, are easily connected.
- Voila!
- You will find that, once you lift the tonearm, the turntable stops playing, much like a direct drive vs belt drive turntable.
Final Tones
So, there you have it! Hopefully, you are now feeling better equipped to face the problem of how to use the Crosley record player. The Crosley, though inherently very flawed, has its uses, and if a user is on a budget there is scarcely going to be a more cost-effective way to get into the world of record collecting, certainly not one that encourages portability, style, and ease in equal measure.
Go forth and spin discs to your heart’s content, making sure, however, to change the cartridge to something other than that which it was installed with from the factory.
FAQs How to Use Crosley Record Player
How do I get my Crosley record player to work?
Once you have plugged it into the plug socket in the wall, it is not difficult to get the Crosley working from there. Simply choose a record with which to test the capabilities of the record player, place the slip mat onto the turntable platter, place the record in question onto the slip mat, pick up the tone arm and place it on the outer edge of the record until it locks into place (which in turn should start the turntable platter spinning), then away you go! If you do not intend to use the in built speakers, the process of connecting external speakers is brief and painless.
Do you have to plug in Crosley turntable?
Indeed, you do. There are likely some models of Crosley that do not require the use of mains power, but for the part the Crosley is not so well bestowed that it can properly function on batteries alone. If this question is, inversely, asking whether a Crosley turntable needs to be plugged into a stereo and/or speakers, then the answer is no, not necessarily. Most Crosleys will come with inbuilt speakers, meaning that the use of external speakers or a stereo system is not at all necessary, unless you actually want it to sound good.
How do I get my record player to work?
Once you have plugged it into the plug socket in the wall, it is not difficult to get the record player working from there. Simply choose a record with which to test the capabilities of the record player, place the slip mat onto the turntable platter, place the record in question onto the slip mat, pick up the tone arm and place it on the outer edge of the record until it locks into place (which in turn should start the turntable platter spinning), then away you go! If you do not intend to use the in-built speakers, the process of connecting external speakers is brief and painless.
Do Crosley record players ruin records?
Any audiophile will tell you that a Crosley is not going to do a record much good, at least out of the box. I remember once visiting a lover’s house and they were blaring a Bombay Bicycle Club album from a Crosley, though it could have been some avant-garde musique concrete album of the glass blowing as experienced at the molecular level for how scratchy it sounded. Make the wise decision and fit your Crosley with a better cartridge out of the box. It will do both records and your listening experience a world of good in the long run.
R. Halvari:
Quite often the terms “engineer” and “audiophile” are exclusive of one another.
I for one am more concerned with the sound of the music than with the sound of the equipment.
Hey there,
Hope you are doing well. It is true that an engineer will often have to be something of an audiophile – it is, after all, part of the job description to try and get the best sound possible for whoever they are working for. That being said, there are plenty of engineers who adopt a far more sound-focused approach like yourself, who seek to honor the music more than the audiophilia. Some imperfections, after all, make a piece of music human, and many of my favorite artists are those who have seen the light on such things.
Thanks for stopping by,
Robert.