I suspected that the phone had to be placed at the exact center of the turntable, and according to the instructions this was the case. I was able to record the marginal values of 0.2 % which is typical for run of the mill cassettes, and detectable under certain conditions. This site says .20% is OK.
When looking at this unit and the reviews I was concerned about tracking force, and if it would destroy records. Some reviewers say that no, it will not. This remains to be seen. Anti skating is a matter of conjecture, and I see no tracking force spring or weight.
Tracking force is a high 6.5 g at about the level of a turntable. I tried playing back an mp3 file from an USB, however there was no output. It may be that the mp3 recorded from the Ezcap are named music01.mp3 and the like, so maybe it was looking for that type of name. No output from the speaker or line out at all, though the turn on click came through.
When looking at this unit and the reviews I was concerned about tracking force, and if it would destroy records. Some reviewers say that no, it will not. This remains to be seen. Anti skating is a matter of conjecture, and I see no tracking force spring or weight.
Tracking force is a high 6.5 g at about the level of a turntable. I tried playing back an mp3 file from an USB, however there was no output. It may be that the mp3 recorded from the Ezcap are named music01.mp3 and the like, so maybe it was looking for that type of name. No output from the speaker or line out at all, though the turn on click came through.
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THAT, says it all.
Say goodbye to the records.
https://www.google.com/search?q=adios au revoir arrivederci welk#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:6174d479,vid:zKyWiXTAToE
In stereo.
See that transparent plastic stylus guard? You need to remove it before measuring, or it will be included in the VTF-measurement.
Realistic?
Let me be honest.
Look I was there... we considered Realistic a notch below Superscope.
What next? Dokorder?
If you want a reasonable TT of the time, you go for a Thorens or a Dual. Technics if you got money. Denon made some nice ones but they were the heavy duty version. Sure there are some TT from the 60s that are considered classic, some very interesting idler drives. Or perhaps an AR.. BUT, then you are looking at reasonable money.
I still think that if you can find a nice Linn LP12 with a Valhalla and even a basic tonearm, you ought to go for it. Not only are the bones correct, but if you get it tuned correctly ( the suspension needs maintenance ) you will have a very good sounding, almost modern unit. And it can be updated because ALL the parts are available.
I can not believe what people are paying today for stuff that we in the 70s considered mass market dregs.
Same thing with phono stages... if you must go 70s, go for a Sansui or Yamaha... although there are units from the 90s that sell for less -in these crazy times- and sound better. I'd look into Arcam, Musical Fidelity and a number of the English brands that never dropped the LP.
Let me be honest.
Look I was there... we considered Realistic a notch below Superscope.
What next? Dokorder?
If you want a reasonable TT of the time, you go for a Thorens or a Dual. Technics if you got money. Denon made some nice ones but they were the heavy duty version. Sure there are some TT from the 60s that are considered classic, some very interesting idler drives. Or perhaps an AR.. BUT, then you are looking at reasonable money.
I still think that if you can find a nice Linn LP12 with a Valhalla and even a basic tonearm, you ought to go for it. Not only are the bones correct, but if you get it tuned correctly ( the suspension needs maintenance ) you will have a very good sounding, almost modern unit. And it can be updated because ALL the parts are available.
I can not believe what people are paying today for stuff that we in the 70s considered mass market dregs.
Same thing with phono stages... if you must go 70s, go for a Sansui or Yamaha... although there are units from the 90s that sell for less -in these crazy times- and sound better. I'd look into Arcam, Musical Fidelity and a number of the English brands that never dropped the LP.
Meanwhile, I found what looks like a valid test of the damage caused by the Crosley.
Apparently, it introduces permanent damage in the form of record noise, crackles, but I could not hear a difference in audio quality.
If someone wants a record converted, they can play it once, and record it, and play the digital file 100 times or more while waiting to buy a better one, which, according to ebay, all the good ones are about $2000.
Apparently, it introduces permanent damage in the form of record noise, crackles, but I could not hear a difference in audio quality.
If someone wants a record converted, they can play it once, and record it, and play the digital file 100 times or more while waiting to buy a better one, which, according to ebay, all the good ones are about $2000.
I am still awaiting my record. In the meantime I tried recording to an USB, there was nothing but silence. An mp3 file was created, though, in a folder named
TAPE001 or something like that. The manual informs me that files in that folder will be played back, however copying files to that folder and attempting to play them back had no effect: no sound.
The tone arm swivels freely in the up and down direction, however does not make more than one swing from side to side, when the device is held vertically, and the tone arm given a short push. The stylus or cartridge or both seem to be tilted to the right, when seen from the front.
I suppose it is a good time to take it apart.
TAPE001 or something like that. The manual informs me that files in that folder will be played back, however copying files to that folder and attempting to play them back had no effect: no sound.
The tone arm swivels freely in the up and down direction, however does not make more than one swing from side to side, when the device is held vertically, and the tone arm given a short push. The stylus or cartridge or both seem to be tilted to the right, when seen from the front.
I suppose it is a good time to take it apart.
Internals. It has a nice little motor, and the belt is in place. The platter has something like a screw at the bottom of its plastic structure, and it does not look like a real bearing. There is an neat switch that activates when the arm moves all the way to the middle, that must be auto stop. The motor is held in place with some sort of bracket and then some screws. The board at the bottom houses the USB ports, and the AD converter, and two speed adjustments screws. The right side board host the play and record and other switches. The green thing is the bottom of the volume control.
That's honestly just a toy. Its nothing more than a novelty and no way it will produce any results which are respectable enough to be designated as "hifi", but rather just a crude implement for vinyl torture. In all seriousness this is just a garbage plastic POS. I wouldn't even call that a turntable of any sorts. If you're 80 yrs old and can't hear well anymore, its probably good enough, but as a means to actually enjoy music, its just a pitiful joke.
BTW, tracking force itself isn't the actual killer here. It's the mistracking which occurs with sibilance and lack of antiskate compensation. A properly set up and aligned stylus even at 5g VTF won't introduce much appreciable wear if the record surface is kept clean and the stylus itself hasn't been damaged or (even worse) worn out unevenly.
Its because a CD played back properly is definitely a higher end listening experience than a plastic turntable with a horrible arm and cartridge which won't ever track correctly no matter how much you wish it would. Clean it 10. 100 or 1000 times along with the stylus, it will only give you back what was given.
