ION TTUSB05 USB Turntable

This product is not worth the money. The turntable itself is made of plastic, and it is impossible to have record lay flat on it. The outer edges are always lower than the center. The cartridge and needle are poor.
Invest $20-40 more and get a higher quality unit that you will be satisfied with over a longer period of time.

Bought this to record all my dad's old 45's and put them on CD's for him for Christmas. The price was right, and this model got better reviews than the "pro" model I saw advertised in the papers. Easy to set up, easy to use. I loved that when there was a skip during recording, I could nudge the arm to get the song to continue, then go back later, zoom in on the spot, and edit out the skip. I wasn't interested in removing the vinyl crackles, so I don't know much about the more advanced features that handle this - I'm sure there are more expensive models for the major audiophiles - I think my dad would rather have the static in there, for nostalgia's sake. All in all, just what I needed.

I would recommend this to anyone I would like to see rip their hair out. Now, it does look good and the needle is light on the album. Problem is, it's supposed to save your vinyl albums to an mp3 format. Wanna bet? First, it's quite a bit of setup hassle (I'm running Windows Vista). Secondly, it won't work unless you download and become an iTunes member...I'm not a big fan of iTunes. Thirdly, I found that you can't pause the vinyl to mp3 download, so flipping the album over requires fast hands. Fourthly, after the download is finished, the system is supposed to send everything to iTunes. Well, some tracks get transferred and some don't. Often, the whole side 2 of an album doesn't get recorded...so you have to start all over again. And then there was the iTunes window "Couldn't transfer. Close other windows (when no other iTune windows were open) and then "Would you like to try again?" at which point it almost worked. There is also supposed to be this program that tracks down the tracks of your album and lays in the titles. I wouldn't count on it if I were you.

I found this thing to be a piece of crap and my Christmas present is headed back to Amazon tomorrow. Very disappointing. The folks at ION should consider adding some operating function instructions rather than just "Hey, enjoy!" and kissing you off. Something like "Hey kids!!! Wanna be aggravated? Well, you've come to the right place!!"

Hated it.

After reading all the good reviews I purchased one for my Mac. I hooked it up today and loaded the disc. Nothing I clicked on would load. I kept getting messages about things missing and as a result it couldn't load. So I played it through Roxio and about 3 times in every song it sounds like the record's under water. I tried adjusting the tone arm weight from very light to very heavy and everything in between. No help. Also the manual says to click on ez audio converter.installer.pkg but it isn't on the disc. I only have a file called install.exe that opens adobe image reader but then tells me that parts of files are missing so I can't open it. So I put audacity in my applications, as per the instructions, but I get a message that it also can not be opened. So...I guess I'll call the non 800 number tomorrow since they're already closed today.So far a total waste of time.
I'll update this if I ever figure it out. I REALLY wanted this to work.

If you have albums that you took care of and want to convert them to an easier to use format like CD then this is the product for you.The ION TTUSB05 Turntable was easy to setup and begin using right out of the box.The package included two recording softwares EZ Vinyl Recorder which is straight-forward no frills and Audacity which has a learning curve that I have not had the time to get to yet.Put an album on..hit the record button and away you go..you do have to pay attention with EZ Vinyl if you wish to separate the tracks as you go but that is not so bad if you are enjoying your classic sounds anyway.It also doesn't have any tools for removing pops and clicks but if your albums are in good condition, as many of mine are,your finished product will sound great!When I learn the process for recording with Audacity I will post again but right now I am enjoying being able to listen to my classic albums in an easy to use format like CD.The first albums I converted were Mandre "Mandre",Seawind "Window Of A Child" and Captain Sky "The Adventures of Captain Sky" three albums that I could not find on CD anywhere(reasonably priced that is).I popped them into my CD carousel put on shuffle and I have been listening to them non-stop since.For what I would have had to pay for these albums at "import" prices(if I could even find them)this turntable has already paid for itself and I get to use it again and again!Buy..Try..Enjoy.