How to Improve my Crosley Radio Cruiser Portable Turntable setup

I've recently gotten into vinyl collecting and received the Crosley radio cruiser as a gift but I'm scared to start picking up some of the vinyls on here before making sure I won't damage them or if theres anything I can do to upgrade my set up without replacing the turn table itself.

I have the platinum needle replaced with a Dimond one and I use a higher end external speaker instead of the built in pair. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

I honestly would not advise anyone to buy or use any Crosley equipment.

Luigi499
I honestly would not advise anyone to buy ore use any Crosley equipment.

Nah I totally get that, Ive seen the reviews online and know its subpar and wouldn't own one by choice.I received the Crosley off my girlfriend as a surprise so sorta just working with what I've got at the moment. the speaker is my own(Sony) I'm more so wondering if theres anything else I can buy to use with it until I get around to replacing it with a turn table(preferably something that will benefit the turntable too).
Sorry, I didn't describe my question properly

I would just stick to albums of ten dollars or less and consider them disposable, and after a year or so if you wanna upgrade then get into the higher priced items. theres tons of great records that can be had for a dollar or three, and youll get at least 10-20 listens on a crosley out of them, so I say DIG IN

My personal experience, had good stuff inherited from my dad 80-90s sounded good worked good
sold it all when i needed a car,

Got back in in the early 2010s got a crosley did fine for two years, then got better equipment and realized that mean you needed to be on the constant search for "true near mint" or they sounded like crap and really annoying the ticks and pops. I ended up keeping two setups with most purchases VG or lower sounding BETTER on the crosley

. after a few more years of worsening product quality (warps, skips on new records, digital to vinyl releases) I decided my money was better spent, and went WAY farther, on the many superb deals to be found on CD

The_Vinyl_Minimalist
youll get at least 10-20 listens on a crosley out of them

You'll get literally hundreds of listens with the Crosley. It's just not going to sound all that great and it will eat up your vinyl. Once upon a time most households had the equivalent of a Crosley because LPs were a new thing and there wasn't much of a choice on the market unless you were way ahead of the audio curve. And we played our records over and over and over and most of us didn't fetishize the object, we just played the music. So, yeah, your records will play. Just be aware of the downside. Oh, and I wouldn't try to "upgrade" it. Just use it and learn and if you still like the idea of vinyl, break down and buy a decent rig.

mickefinn909
I'm more so wondering if theres anything else I can buy to use with it until I get around to replacing it with a turn table(preferably something that will benefit the turntable too).

Crosleys do have a very cheap built-in pre-amp.
Even if you could add the best needle and/or cardridge to the device, the signal would still be ruined by the pre-amp.
Besides, there's no way to adjust the needle pressure, as The_Vinyl_Minimalist already stated the needle will grind through the grooves.

If the Crosley is good enough for your current needs by all means go with it.
But if you're willing to invest in your Crosley, well... I would suggest to just buy something else.

As a crosley fan, I agree with those about the pre amp, crosley was made to play through the small built in speakers, that compare decently with the common 2-3 inch speakers people use to stream from their phone, if you want HIFI, youll need to set aside 3 or 4 car payments to get into it properly

dolphyfan
You'll get literally hundreds of listens with the Crosley. It's just not going to sound all that great and it will eat up your vinyl. . . . Just use it and learn and if you still like the idea of vinyl, break down and buy a decent rig.

I agree completely with dolphyfan, use what you have and enjoy listening to it. Records were made to be played! I have records I bought 30+ years ago that I played on poor equipment. They still play, I still listen to them. Could they be in better shape, sure. Do I wish I never heard them on a cheap system? Of course not, that's what I had then, and it did the job. I don't advise getting expensive records to play on your Crosley, but when I play a pricey record I worry if my current set up is good enough, that never stops. You'll be somewhere, hear a better stereo, be amazed, then upgrade. A few years later you'll do it again -- at least, a lot of us have done it that way.
Enjoy the gift, enjoy your records.

I'm no technical genius but it seems like the hard play would be hard on the records. You can always upgrade and tell your girlfriend she inspired you to explore and collect different systems... just keep the Crosley in a very visible location and use it when she's around.

Scott_Satellite
use it when she's around

Cheating the wife, eh?

"As a crosley fan, ..."

Jesus H. Christ in a hand basket.

cooterlee
"As a crosley fan, ..."

Jesus H. Christ in a hand basket.

Yeah, this guy comes up with all sorts of nonsense. I would take his "advice" with a grain of salt.

I wouldn’t recommend using the Crosley. They have poor quality control. Try to look at Goodwill, your local record shop, or an estate sale for reasonable players that won’t damage the records.

Take a big hammer and smash it to pieces, thats all a pos crosley is good for.

You could install it in a PT Cruiser.

You're between a rock and a hard place. Which will be around longer ? Your girlfriend or your vinyl ? Choose wisely and good luck.

viandy
dolphyfanYou'll get literally hundreds of listens with the Crosley. It's just not going to sound all that great and it will eat up your vinyl. . . . Just use it and learn and if you still like the idea of vinyl, break down and buy a decent rig.

I agree completely with dolphyfan, use what you have and enjoy listening to it. Records were made to be played! I have records I bought 30+ years ago that I played on poor equipment. They still play, I still listen to them. Could they be in better shape, sure. Do I wish I never heard them on a cheap system? Of course not, that's what I had then, and it did the job. I don't advise getting expensive records to play on your Crosley, but when I play a pricey record I worry if my current set up is good enough, that never stops. You'll be somewhere, hear a better stereo, be amazed, then upgrade. A few years later you'll do it again -- at least, a lot of us have done it that way.
Enjoy the gift, enjoy your records.

+2
I used a Cruiser as my first TT. Is it the best...far from. Realized that when I got my better TT. Will it do till you can work up the money to buy a better player...Yes. Contrary to what others have said in the past, the records I played on my Cruiser sound no different on my new TT than ones that weren't played on it. Like said above it's no different than the cruddy cheap players from back in the 60s and 70s, with which most of our records from that period have all but guaranteed to have been played on at some point.

Camaro68396
vian Contrary to what others have said in the past, the records I played on my Cruiser sound no different on my new TT than ones that weren't played on it.

But have you played on your current turntable a new copy of a record that you played many times on the Crosley? Otherwise you're not really comparing anything.

cooterlee
Camaro68396vian Contrary to what others have said in the past, the records I played on my Cruiser sound no different on my new TT than ones that weren't played on it.

But have you played on your current turntable a new copy of a record that you played many times on the Crosley? Otherwise you're not really comparing anything.

Yeah, still nothing. 2012 copy of Janis Jopin's Pearl. Unless you play the same record multiple times a day every day of the week, I don't see the Crosley doing much to the record that makes it destroyed. There's videos on YouTube where people have experimented with Cruisers and even they say that there's no immediate damage imparted on a record after a normal amount playtime on a Cruiser. We can't forget that even the best TT will damage a record with every play. It's unfortunately part of the format.

Don't really want to fight about it, just showing what I've observed. Seems there's too much fighting about this subject on this forum. We should be glad that people are even into records again.

Yeah, well, you lost me at Janis Joplin.

There is a lot of misinformation about Crosley products. First, false information is that Crosley eat up, chew up and spit out your vinyl...Far from it. What destroys vinyl is lack of care and misuse. KEEP YOUR RECORDS AND PLAYER CLEAN! KEEP YOUR NEEDLE CLEAN! The only recommendation is to replace the sapphire needle with diamond right away. Sure you can use it for about a 100 hours but no more!

So where is this info that Crosleys destroy records? From Fermer. I shake my head. The white paper for "new" vinyl medium, which came in the mid 50's had recommended needle force to be between 5 and 6 grams!
The number one factor for chewed up vinyl, is first, DIRTY vinyl, second, badly setup cartridge!

You can download a record protractor, print it out and test your cartridge alignment. If it is slightly off, it shouldn't be a concern. But if it is off a lot, this can really impact the longevity of your vinyl. Unfortunately, there is not a lot you can do about this. I have have been able to move the cartridge/headshell on a Crosley in and out a wee bit which was good, but you can't do this on all of them. The other upgrade is to purchase a GOOD TT belt. The only saving grace about this is that ALL ceramic cartridges of this level come with a conical needle. What you can do is to get a small scale and measure the tracking force of the tonearm. Just make sure that you measure it at the exact height that the needle rests on the vinyl. They typically measure between 4.5 and 5.5 grams. You can lessen this force by adding a touch of weight to the back of the tone arm. That is the easy way. You can also stretch the spring which will pull the tonearm up slightly which in effect lowers the tracking force(when I say stretch, I mean move the spring on the mount to the next coil and so on). Just don't go below 3.5 grams as this setup is not designed to go below that and ceramic cartridges need a little more force than the typical moving magnetic setup. You can damage your vinyl with not enough tracking force, and possibly do more damage! Just be aware of that.

Another thing is 78 RPM...THE NEEDLE IS NOT DESIGNED TO PLAY ON 78'S! If you plan on getting 78's, and there are some pretty awesome music to be had out there, get a 78 RPM needle...You could get the whole cartridge with the needle, but it is a pain because you would have to disconnect 4 wires all the time and I don't recommend it. I purchased a switchable BSR type cartridge and stylus that is switchable by flipping the needle from one side to the other. By the way, the reason for the 78 RPM needle is, one, the LP needls don't sound good on 78's and, 2, THEY WEAR OUT THE NEEDLE EXTREMELY FAST! 78 needles are much bigger and will last longer.

I have been an audiophile since the late 70's and my setup is vintage. I have a Sony STR-V4 receiver, Pioneer PL-540 turntable, and a Sony TC-K5 tape deck. And the speakers are Tandy Nova 6, which are pretty awesome!

I am not here to raise Crosley's and the like up on a pedistal, but they do get a bad rap. And it is true, you get what you pay for. Now I may get a lot of flac here, but I am comfortable in my knowledge and intelligence when it comes to doing my due diligence when it comes to research. First I DO NOT go by what people say good or bad. I WANT PROOF! This design, when it comes down to the mechanics of Crosleys lower line, it has been around for decades! At least since the 70's. When this TT is hooked up to a half decent amplifier, it sounds very good! But you still get what you pay for, and that is mostly in the cheap cabinet, cheap TT structure and cheap amplifation stage. But it does the job. I have a Crosley CR-49A which in my opinion is probably the lowest of the low when it comes to Crosleys. My biggest pet peave with mine is the cuing mechanism. It is virtually useless. I can use it to raise the tonearm but not lower it. It has 0 damping!

So, long and short, with common sense and a little knowledge, these turntables are ok. Myself, if I was going to purchase a turntable for the first time, it would be something like the Audio Technica LP60. It uses the same technology, only upgraded quality with a MM cartridge instead of a ceramic cartridge. But...being a product of the 70's(me), I would go with the AT LP120 becasuse it is the next step up and has a weighted counter balance with antiskate AND Direct drive! So...

I usually comes down to money with many people and believe me, I understand that and I DON'T JUDGE!. So enjoy your system and if you want try the upgrades I mentioned. BE AWARE I am in no way responsible for any mishaps that may happen on the way. It is totally up to you if you want to go down that road. The reason I say this is because sometimes people may misconstrue or not follow steps that need to be, make mistakes and damage something. DO YOUR RESEARCH!

Good luck my friend!

excellent post.

Even with the excellent post above, "upgrading" the Crosley in those ways will cost as much rime and money as just buying something half decent from a Flea Market or junk dealer. Do yourself a favor and go to a turntable supply website and buy a strobe disc (to use on TTs that don't have a strobe/platter feature) so you can test used stuff for accurate speed. So long as the tonearm isn't bent and mangled and the table turns at the correct speed pretty much anything old you buy for ~$100 is going to be leaps and bounds better than the Crosley. If you buy a belt from LP Gear they send it to you with a little business card protractor which is good for quick alignment of carts and you are you are on the ground running.
All that said there is no need to trash the Crosley or never use it. Buy a vintage 12" record storage box, and/or one for 45s, load it up with dollar bin scores and take it around to parties or friends houses or to visit gramps in the old folks home to play him that sweet Tommy Dorsey record he loved so much back in the day while you play cribbage. BE that jukebox hero....

Replace your sweetpies turntable with this: Oreo record player the playable media is about as good as vinyl pressings today

Any setup can sound like crap, and any pressing can sound like crap - a huge portion of what was pressed in the 70s sounds like crap no matter the setup.

Figure out how to have fun - every time you drive by a Salvation Army, stop in and you may find really nice Zeppelin and Doors and rare psych-prog and bouncy disco and Rodgers and Hammerstein and Billy Joel for cheap. Go through shops' budget bins, buy $1 albums with scratches. If you were serious about records, you would have had a turntable already. Buy what you like, get it for cheap in a decent condition, play the hell out of it without worry while dancing around with a t-shirt sleeve as a bandana, and rest-assured it will sound better than hooking your iPhone to your car stereo.

I could have a helluva good time with a $300 car (running) and a field of mud. I could have a helluva good time with a $100 car (non-running) and a sledgehammer.

If you get more serious, then upgrade at that time. Kinda like, you start with Mad Dog and Nighttrain, at some point drink Willamette Valley and know there is a difference between the chalky, toasty minerality of Champagne and the youthful flimsiness of Prosecco.

I like to buy really old vinyl, and trust me: Those old TTs were much harder on records than a Crosley.

Buy what you like. Listen to it on what you want. I started listening to my records on my mom's 1950s portable.

I was 12 when I got my first record player from a dumpster. It was a Crosley and it wore out every Beach Boys record I put on it. Ah... the bad old days. I think you would be better off picking up an vintage Technics. I just picked one the other day for 40 bucks. New cart for 40 and it sounds OK to me.

The best way to improve a Crosley Cruiser turntable setup is to throw it away and buy a decent one instead. Crosley can be ok for getting into vinyl (as long as you don't play expensive records on it), but if you want to experience what vinyl can really offer for you, you should buy something else.
I recommend Audio Technica turntables, they are very valuable for their price.

Saw a plie of Crosleys at Target last week for between $39-59...almost bought one just for the sheer Hell of it...but didn't. Christmas is coming--they will have plenty.

The best sound a Crosley make, is when they hit a concrete floor real hard.

People seem to forget that a portable player isn't meant to be used in a hifi environment. It is meant to be used outside, at your friend's place or, for whatever reason, when on the road. Top of the bill sound quality is not to be expected.
All this bad press about Crosley sounds a bit like a Bentley or Rolls Royce owner telling people not to buy a Fiat Punto because it's crap. Well, it's an OK car for the right people. You're just not the intended customer.

chilli1327
The only recommendation is to replace the sapphire needle with diamond right away. Sure you can use it for about a 100 hours but no more!

Amidst all the hyperbole, this is the best single piece of advice in this thread. As long as you upgrade to a decent stylus, the Crosley won't destroy your records after just a few plays. It would take dozens -- perhaps hundreds -- of plays before the groove wear from the tracking weight becomes audibly noticeable.

Having said that, if you have records that are highly collectible, don't play them TOO much until you decide to take the plunge and get a better system.

jweijde
All this bad press about Crosley sounds a bit like a Bentley or Rolls Royce owner telling people not to buy a Fiat Punto because it's crap.

At least a Fiat Punto does its job (getting the occupants from point A to point B).

A Crosley can't even play a record without skipping.

GeoffTrowbridge
chilli1327The only recommendation is to replace the sapphire needle with diamond right away. Sure you can use it for about a 100 hours but no more!
Amidst all the hyperbole, this is the best single piece of advice in this thread. As long as you upgrade to a decent stylus, the Crosley won't destroy your records after just a few plays. It would take dozens -- perhaps hundreds -- of plays before the groove wear from the tracking weight becomes audibly noticeable.

Having said that, if you have records that are highly collectible, don't play them TOO much until you decide to take the plunge and get a better system.

It comes down to buy what you can afford. I don't dump on people for buying these types of Crosleys(there are good ones by the way). I have one that I use for 78's with a stylus for 78's. I reduced the tracking and lubed everything that could/should be lubed. I added an output for Aux. on my receiver. When you think of the cost, it was so minimal as I couldn't say no to the upgrades. It was my step daughters, and I purchased a AT LP60 for her as she is very into vinyl. I am going to get a better one for her down the road as time and funds permit.
All I am saying is be kind to people who buy these types of TTs. It is what the can afford, or what the knowledge they have permits. Educate people, don't harass and badger them. "The best turntable is the one you have.".....

Rockosurf
Even with the excellent post above, "upgrading" the Crosley in those ways will cost as much rime and money as just buying something half decent from a Flea Market or junk dealer. Do yourself a favor and go to a turntable supply website and buy a strobe disc (to use on TTs that don't have a strobe/platter feature) so you can test used stuff for accurate speed. So long as the tonearm isn't bent and mangled and the table turns at the correct speed pretty much anything old you buy for ~$100 is going to be leaps and bounds better than the Crosley. If you buy a belt from LP Gear they send it to you with a little business card protractor which is good for quick alignment of carts and you are you are on the ground running.
All that said there is no need to trash the Crosley or never use it. Buy a vintage 12" record storage box, and/or one for 45s, load it up with dollar bin scores and take it around to parties or friends houses or to visit gramps in the old folks home to play him that sweet Tommy Dorsey record he loved so much back in the day while you play cribbage. BE that jukebox hero....

Time: I love working on and fixing things. It is very much worth it to me...
Money: Between $15 and $20 bucks! hardly anything to sneeze at and the knowledge and experience gained is PRICELESS!!!

chilli1327
RockosurfEven with the excellent post above, "upgrading" the Crosley in those ways will cost as much rime and money as just buying something half decent from a Flea Market or junk dealer. Do yourself a favor and go to a turntable supply website and buy a strobe disc (to use on TTs that don't have a strobe/platter feature) so you can test used stuff for accurate speed. So long as the tonearm isn't bent and mangled and the table turns at the correct speed pretty much anything old you buy for ~$100 is going to be leaps and bounds better than the Crosley. If you buy a belt from LP Gear they send it to you with a little business card protractor which is good for quick alignment of carts and you are you are on the ground running.
All that said there is no need to trash the Crosley or never use it. Buy a vintage 12" record storage box, and/or one for 45s, load it up with dollar bin scores and take it around to parties or friends houses or to visit gramps in the old folks home to play him that sweet Tommy Dorsey record he loved so much back in the day while you play cribbage. BE that jukebox hero....

Time: I love working on and fixing things. It is very much worth it to me...
Money: Between $15 and $20 bucks! hardly anything to sneeze at and the knowledge and experience gained is PRICELESS!!!

I agree. Therefore you should work on something worth fixing. I fix turntables all the time, just not Crosleys.

Rockosurf
chilli1327RockosurfEven with the excellent post above, "upgrading" the Crosley in those ways will cost as much rime and money as just buying something half decent from a Flea Market or junk dealer. Do yourself a favor and go to a turntable supply website and buy a strobe disc (to use on TTs that don't have a strobe/platter feature) so you can test used stuff for accurate speed. So long as the tonearm isn't bent and mangled and the table turns at the correct speed pretty much anything old you buy for ~$100 is going to be leaps and bounds better than the Crosley. If you buy a belt from LP Gear they send it to you with a little business card protractor which is good for quick alignment of carts and you are you are on the ground running.
All that said there is no need to trash the Crosley or never use it. Buy a vintage 12" record storage box, and/or one for 45s, load it up with dollar bin scores and take it around to parties or friends houses or to visit gramps in the old folks home to play him that sweet Tommy Dorsey record he loved so much back in the day while you play cribbage. BE that jukebox hero....

Time: I love working on and fixing things. It is very much worth it to me...
Money: Between $15 and $20 bucks! hardly anything to sneeze at and the knowledge and experience gained is PRICELESS!!!

I agree. Therefore you should work on something worth fixing. I fix turntables all the time, just not Crosleys.

Then don't work on Crosleys and keep your childish opinion to yourself!

mickefinn909
I received the Crosley off my girlfriend as a surprise

I see so many females buying those, and so many sales clerks willing to sell them one rather than educating them on the difference between it and a much better but still low cost Audio Technica. sure they're not the best, but for a couple $20s more you can have much better. It's like they don't consider that these women would be interested in a better turntable until they can invest in a life-time deck. But if a man approaches them asking what turntable to buy, they seem to never go over the Crossly options.
This is at the same record shop that seems willing to file any post-90s album with a black man on the cover under hip hop, even if a completely different genre, so, not too surprised at their attitude :/

Very carefuly place it on the bottom of an empty garbage container...

it will give your Cruiser a bigger sound.
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