Many people think of Crosley as the company that sells those Instagram-friendly, colorful and retro-looking suitcase record players. That’s true. Crosley products like the Cruiser are an iconic and affordable gateway to vinyl records–and a favorite of decorators and set dressers. But with the ongoing growth in record sales, Crosley has also been courting vinyl collectors who want something a little more capable for playing their record collection. Over the past few years I’ve gone hands on with a number of these, including the C6, the C10, and the impressive C20 turntable (made in partnership with Pro-Ject).
This time around, I had the opportunity to try out the Crosley C8, an affordable two-speed, belt drive turntable with a chunky walnut-finished plinth and an Audio Technica Cartridge. Crosley calls this a record player, but don’t let the name fool you: it’s a turntable. Here’s what $279 gets you.
Unboxing and Setup
The C8 arrives largely assembled. Your role in getting the turntable up and running is to free up the tonearm from the twist tie that holds it in place during shipping, insert the headshell (the cartridge is pre-mounted), set the platter on the spindle, loop the belt around the platter and pulley, then use the counterweight to properly balance the tonearm.
This is slightly more involved than some entry level turntables, but the added fuss of having to balance the tonearm is actually a big plus. Because of that adjustable counterweight, you have the option of upgrading the cartridge for better sound without having to buy an entire new turntable.
The C8 has a nice heft to it, thanks to an audio grade MDF plinth and an aluminum platter. It not only feels more substantial than a plastic record player, the heavy components help your records to sound better as well, protecting the stylus from vibration.
In terms of connectivity, you have two options. Use its integrated pre-amplifier to plug into the AUX input of a compact stereo or portable speaker (you’ll likely need to buy a dual RCA to 3.5mm cable). Or, you can use the RCA jacks (cables included) to connect to the PHONO input of a stereo system or amplifier. The back of the turntable also features dials that let you manually adjust the platter speed for both 33 and 45 rpm records. An under $300 turntable isn’t going to offer computerized speed control, so having manual control does give you the ability to tweak the speed if it seems off–I never felt the need to touch it, though.
Hands-On With the Crosley C8
After spending maybe five minutes or so setting it up, it was time to find out how the Crosley C8 sounds. Crosley does sell a variety of powered speakers you could use, but I didn’t have any of those handy. Instead, I plugged into the SpinBase MAX turntable speaker from Andover Audio that is still part of my testing setup (you can read the review here).
The C8 pulls off a bit of a retro look thanks to its walnut-finished, chunky MDF base and aluminum platter. But it also delivers analog audio goodness. The pre-mounted Audio Technica AT-3600 cartridge is extremely popular in this price range for a reason: it delivers solid audio weighted a little toward being warm (not a bad thing from vinyl fans), while the conical stylus and 3g tracking weight combine to reduce skipping on records that may not be in pristine condition.
While this is not claimed to be audiophile output and the sound system you connect the C8 to has a big impact on what you hear, it is going to be a big upgrade over what a record player in-a-suitcase sort of system puts out. I found spinning vinyl on the C8 to be quite enjoyable and played through a variety of records including offerings from Devo, The Police, Fleetwood Mac and Steely Dan. It did a nice job with all of these and I never felt as though I were listening to music on a budget turntable. I did find the included felt platter mat a little disappointing, though. I would spend a few dollars and replace that…
If you find you self wishing for better sound–more detail and separation, for example–you can easily swap out the stylus for an upgrade, or even replace the entire cartridge.
Crosley C8 Key Specs:
- 2-speed, belt-drive turntable with isolated motor
- Pre-mounted Audio Technica AT-3600 moving magnet cartridge
- Aluminum platter with felt slipmat
- Aluminum tonearm
- Adjustable counterweight and anti-skate
- Switchable integrated pre-amp with RCA outputs
- Audio grade MDF plinth with walnut finish
- Clear, hinged dust cover
Recommendation
The Crosley C8 checks a lot of boxes for a turntable that is priced well under $300. An attractive walnut finish MDF plinth, a pre-mounted Audio Technica cartridge (upgradable thanks to adjustable counterweight and anti-skate) on an aluminum tonearm, a switchable pre-amp and an aluminum platter. Unlike entry level turntables from some other manufacturers, it also includes a switch for the two speed motor and a cueing lever.
If you’re looking to make the leap from a Cruiser or other beginner record player to something that will make your records sound better, but still want to keep within in a fairly tight budget, the Crosley C8 turntable should be on your short list.
Disclosure: Crosley provided a turntable for evaluation purposes but had no input into this review.
