Saturday April 18 is Record Store Day 2018. And with the continued resurgence of vinyl, it’s on track to be the biggest yet.
Many of the people who will be milling around those shops looking for limited edition releases, listen to their vinyl on very basic record players, including the portable suitcase versions popularized by Crosley. Those are great for casual listening, but to get the most out of a record –and to ensure the vinyl lasts– you want something better. Crosley took care of the mid range, with releases of its C10 and C20 turntables (you can read my review of the C20 here). These gave record collectors who were getting serious about their music a compelling upgrade option.
But that still left a gap: those who wanted something better than a portable record player, but didn’t want to be spending $400 and up –and then need to invest in a pre-amp to connect a turntable to a wireless speaker. Crosley has now addressed this market segment with the new C6, a two speed, belt-drive turntable with an integrated pre-amp and an Audio Technica stylus. It retails for $159.95, making it even less expensive than some of those portable record players.
In a press release announcing the new turntable, Crosley’s Director of Marketing explained the move:
The intent of creating the C6 was to provide music fans with a truly analog experience at an audio grade which various features such as the counterweights and moving magnet cartridge provide. The C6 is the ideal unit for vinyl enthusiasts ready to graduate from a portable unit, and move on to a high-end turntable that will not break the bank.
I just wrapped up testing on the Crosley C6 turntable, just in time for Record Store Day.
Crosley C6 Turntable Key Specs:
- Two speed (manual change), belt-drive
- Low vibration, synchronous motor
- Audio grade MDF plinth (black, red or walnut finish)
- Manual return tone arm with adjustable tone arm weight and standard cartridge mount
- Audio Technica cartridge pre-installed (uses replaceable Audio Technica NP5 diamond stylus)
- Steel platter, felt mat
- RCA output with Phono or Line with integrated pre-amp
- Vibration control feet
- Removable clear dustcover
- MSRP $159.95
Initial Impressions and Setup
The Crosley C6 makes a great first impression. It doesn’t look like a $160 turntable, and it doesn’t feel like one either. Most turntables I’ve tested in this price range are obviously entry level units. They’re usually plastic, extremely light and mechanisms like the tone arm lift lever feel cheap.
The C6 has an MDF plinth that gives it a very substantial feel. That doesn’t just give the impression of being better: combined with the vibration reducing feet, the heavy plinth helps to isolate the turntable from vibration for better sound. My review unit was coated in a high gloss red that really looks upscale.
The clear plastic dust cover had a serious plastic smell, though. I had to leave it in my closed office for the night with a window open before the fumes dissipated.
Setup was relatively straightforward –the dust cover hinges are pre-installed, the cartridge is pre-installed and there is no skate control to adjust. That left installing the belt (a simple operation) and adjusting the tone arm counterweight. That last one can always be a little fussy, but the instructions included with the C6 were a little head scratching: set the tracking force to 3.5g, but the counterweight dial only goes to 2.0g… Crosley was quick to help out, instructing me to go with two full rotations of the counterweight dial.
That did the trick.
From there, you have a choice of connecting to a stereo system with a Phono input, or switching to the turntable’s integrated pre-amp and connecting to the AUX input on virtually any speaker. You will need a cable though (either dual RCA + ground to dual RCA + ground, or dual RCA to 3.5mm)…
Performance
The Crosley C6 performed impressively for a turntable in its price range. Even through its own pre-amp, it produced enjoyable music playback. With the cartridge it’s equipped with, you can’t expect miracles, but I was pleasantly surprised by the audio quality. It was was lacking in high frequency response, detail and separation compared to more expensive turntables, but hooked up to a decent audio system it is going to sound pretty good. A definite step up from a portable record player, and of course you get that vinyl warmth.
The system you connect it to is important, though. Plugged into a single driver portable speaker, no turntable is going to sound great…
I also found the cartridge and tone arm combo tracked well, with no skipping on a used record that has caused problems for other entry level turntables I’ve tested.
If you want to upgrade the audio performance, Crosley says a standard cartridge mount was used, so you could move to something with more resolution if you wanted to. There are also third party stylus upgrades that may make more sense in this case –offering a boost over the stock Audio Technica NP5 stylus at a much lower cost and with the ease of popping out the original instead of having to install and calibrate a new cartridge.
Where Did the Cost Savings Come From?
The Crosley C6 superficially looks like much more expensive models in the company’s lineup, the C10 ($399.95) and C20 ($559.95). So where did Crosley find the cost savings?
For starters, audiophile turntable manufacturer Pro-Ject had a hand in the C10 and C20 –they used many Pro-Ject components, which carry a premium price tag. That’s not the case with the C6. The cartridge is considerably less expensive than the Ortofon cartridges that come with the C10 and C20, and the tone arm lacks an adjustable skate control. I also noticed more use of plastics in the construction, including the cover hinges and the turntable hub. Crosley also skipped including RCA cables in the box with the C6.
None of these impact its mission as a step up turntable, but they do show some of the differences you can expect between the entry level and Crosley’s more expensive models.
Should You Buy the Crosley C6 Turntable?
If you have the sense that your record listening is moving into serious territory, you might want to skip the Crosley C6 and instead look at entry level audiophile options –like the C10 or C20 if you stick with Crosley. Yes, this turntable is upgradable, but the reality is that with features like skate control missing, even an upgraded cartridge may just be a stepping stone to buying the next level of turntable anyway.
If you frequently switch between singles and LPs, it’s worth noting that this turntable requires a manual speed change. That means lifting the platter off, and moving the belt from one pulley level to another.
However, if you are looking for a significant step up from a beginner, portable, or failing “vintage” record player for casual listening, the Crosley C6 turntable is well worth considering. It’s under $160, so we aren’t talking a huge investment. Records sound good, you don’t need a stereo with Phono input (although you can certainly plug it into one), you don’t need to worry about your vinyl investment risking damage, and it looks pretty stylish to boot. For many record collectors, this turntable represents the vinyl experience upgrade that will serve them well going forward.
And I have to admit, that glossy red paint job is pretty striking…
Disclosure: Crosley provided a C6 turntable for evaluation but had no input into this review.
