Crosley CR85 Collegiate Stack-o-Matic Turntable, Walnut

I purchase this player hoping to relive the 70's and 80's using my old LP's. Well, the unit looks good and does have an automatic arm and a long spindle for dispensing more then one album or 45 record at a time but that's where the good stuff ends! The sound is just horrible! I don't know if it's the speaker in the unit or a poor amplifier or both but the sound is week and isn't that why you are buying it? I say go to Ebay and bid on an oldie but goodie vintage record player!

This record player is really a very good buy considering what you get. Sure, the sound from the single speaker is only about a "B+," but if you really want that retro feel and look in every way, including the stackable records feature so reminiscent of the '60s, then this is one of your best choices.

It doesn't take up much room and it plays the records very well. You can stack a few albums up (maybe not more than five, though) and just walk away, letting the records spin and the music roll through your house for the duration of five or six sides worth of records! (I wouldn't recommend stacking 78 rpm records; they might be too fragile for that and should be played one at a time.)

The wood grain quality looks a little cheap and the iron mesh grille in the front covering the speaker is certainly not the best. Of course you knew that diamond stylus needle wouldn't be the very best diamond stylus needle you could ever buy, either. Nevertheless, it IS a diamond stylus needle--and it IS a sturdy record player.

But that's not what you're really buying here. The selling point of this turntable, this record player is the nostalgia, that feeling you get and the memories you recall when you see and hear it play your records. If you're like me and you kept your record albums all these years, you DO value nostalgia and therefore you'll be pleased. After all, it's not like turntables are growing on trees anymore, so this is one of the few opportunities we have left for us record lovers!

This model allows you to play 33 1/3 rpm, 45 rpm and even 78 rpm records that are 7 inches, 10 inches or 12 inches in width. There is an automatic return arm and this is a great plus!

Overall, this really is a wonderful record player for those of us who remember yesteryears fondly and who want the look and styling of record players from the '50s and especially the '60s. It is not a modern turntable used in clubs in jet set cities; but chances are if you're considering this product a modern day turntable requiring speakers and other equipment isn't what you wanted anyway. I recommend this as an affordable "retro" record player that does the job well and will work well through time. It also comes with six 45 spindle adapters and a user's manual that's actually written in plain English!

Enjoy this for years to come! SMILES