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Inexpensive USB Turntable
Los Angeles, CA
Pros: light, plenty of extra features, actually works, cheaper than crosley, can run on batteries, easy to transfer vinyl
Cons: the tone arm doesn't return automatically, not as good looking as crosley
"I finally decided to get this turntable after going through TWO Crosley ones (neither of which worked, but I'll review them separately). Because Urban Outfitters sells both Crosley turntables and this one, I'll focus more on a comparison between the two.
No, this one doesn't look as good as the Crosley. The Crosley is pretty darn gorgeous, while this just looks like...well, a white box, as you can see in the photograph. But looks are about the only category where Crosley trumps Ion.
The sound quality is MUCH better on the Ion, for one. Yes, the speaker is smaller, and there's only one, but the two Crosleys I went through both had TERRIBLE sound quality compared to this baby. Also, this one has a headphone jack (for when you need to hear all of those sweet thumping bass notes or when you need to be quiet), unlike the Crosley, which is a major plus.
To transfer to the computer, I'd say that they're about the same, though I do like the program that this one comes with more than the Crosley (both come with Audacity, but the Ion also comes with another program that is much easier to use; however, I end up using GarageBand either way). Also, you don't have to actually have the volume up on the Ion to transfer the vinyl to digital, while you do on the Crosley.
This unit is much smaller than the Crosley. As in, I can easily pick this up and take it down hallways without smashing up the walls. It's also much lighter as it's mostly made out of plastic while the Crosley has a wood exterior. Unfortunately, the handle on the Ion doesn't have much substance, so I usually carry it from the bottom when I can. This unit is small enough to pack in a suitcase, however, while the Crosley isn't.
Bonus features? The Ion has SO MANY! You can subtly alter the pitch (which also alters the rotation speed, great for beatmatching even though this isn't a DJ setup), the unit has as built-in slipmat, there are RCA outputs for connecting to a stereo system, there are TWO headphone jacks (one for a 1/8'' and one for a 1/4'' plug), there is a gain dial, there is a tone control knob, and there's an audio input. The Crosley had NONE of these features (except for the audio input and the tone control). Also the Ion can run off of batteries for a few hours while the Crosley couldn't. Yes, the Crosley had an automatically returning tone arm while the Ion doesn't, but is that really an issue?
I am VERY satisfied with my purchase. Not only is it cheaper than the Crosley turntables, but this one ACTUALLY WORKS (and it works mighty well!). If you are considering a portable USB turntable but you don't want to shell out the big bucks for a professional DJ setup, then this is definitely the best in the market right now. Crosley turntables are nothing more than expensive doorstops."
| Design: |
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4
out of 5
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| Functionality: |
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5
out of 5
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15 of 15 people found this review helpful.
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