The Crosley CR704C-PA Musician Turntable is the lowest cost vintage-style turntable on the market. At least among those that are any good.
With a magnificent hardwood cabinet finished with a gorgeous veneer and a smooth coat of paprika, this turntable exudes a classic mood that fits perfectly with your old record collection. A player like this evokes the good old days of the 1950s and 60s.
But there’s nothing old fashioned about the technology inside the CR704C-PA’s classic cabinet.
It plays all three sizes and speeds of vinyl records (45 adapter included) and it includes a CD player, a cassette deck and an AM/FM radio. You can also connect to any portable MP3 player using the auxiliary input plug.
The musician turntable comes equipped with a set of dynamic full-range speakers that emit a warm and clear sound. They are excellent for the price, but obviously can’t match a pair of larger speakers.
And that brings our review to the Crosley Musician Turntable’s biggest weakness: the lack of headphone and RCA jacks. This means you can not hook this record player up to external speakers and are limited to the internal ones. Most turntables allow you to connect to headphones or speakers, so this is a big oversight.
Crosley CR704C-PA Features
- 17 by 12.5 by 10 inches — one of the larger players
- Weighs 16 pounds — the heaviest player on this list
- Crafted of hardwoods and veneers and smoothly finished in Paprika — looks great anywhere
- Diamond-tipped ceramic needle — sounds better and protects your valuable records
- Built-in dynamic full-range stereo speakers — warm, rich, clear sound
- Plays vinyl, CDs, MP3s, cassettes and AM/FM radio — any format you might have
- Plays 7, 10 and 12-inch vinyl discs at speeds of 33 1/3, 45 and 78 RPM — plays any record
- Plays audio files from smartphones, tablets, etc — enjoy your whole music collection
Pros
- Upscale and elegant, reminiscent of the players from the 1950s and 60s
- High-quality, durable materials
- Great sound quality
- Plays all record sizes at any speed
- Plays CDs, MP3 files, cassettes and AM/FM radio
- Connects to external devices (iPhones, iPads, other tablets and smartphones, etc)
Cons
- No RCA output to connect external speakers
- No Bluetooth connectivity or USB port
- No headphone jack
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Crosley CR704C-PA Review Summary
The Crosley CR704C-PA Musician Turntable is priced incredibly low considering all the features. In addition to 3 sizes and 3 speeds of vinyl, it plays CDs, MP3, cassettes and AM/FM radio.
The dynamic stereo speakers sound great, especially considering the price range. The only drawback is the lack of RCA ports or a headphone jack. You can not hook this player up to external speakers or enjoy your music privately.
If that’s not something you need and you’re looking for an all-in-one record player with a vintage look, the Crosley CR704C-PA is the best option. All other similar models cost more and that is the reason it received a Top Record Players rating of 4.1 out of 5 and was one of my top turntables under $200.
Comparison
The two most popular alternatives to the Crosley Musician Turntable are the Electrohome Wellington and the Pyle PTCD4BT Classic Style Record Player.
Both of these players cost a bit more than the Crosley, but they also offer a few additional features. Apart from that, they are very similar, in that they all play music from a number of sources and have a retro-inspired design.
The Wellington actually comes in two versions: one that includes a USB port and another that doesn’t. The USB port allows you to record your vinyl collection to an external drive. You can then transfer it to a portable music player and take your vinyl sounds with you everywhere you go. Naturally, the USB version costs more.
The Wellington plays most of the same sources as the Crosley (3 speeds and sizes of vinyl, CD, radio, portable device), but it does not have a cassette deck. It does come equipped with a headphone jack, but it does not have RCA ports either. You are stuck with the built-in speakers, but luckily they are quite good (about the same quality as the Crosley).
The Pyle is the most functional of all. It plays all sources, including cassettes. It has a headphone jack and also RCA ports, so you can connect to external speakers (you even get the RCA cable). In addition, it has Bluetooth connectivity. The only thing it is missing is a USB port.
Crosley Musician Turntable Review: Final Verdict
If you don’t need USB or Bluetooth and you don’t plan on using external speakers or headphones to listen to your music, the Crosley CR704C-PA is your best option. It costs less than the other two and if you’re not going to use the additional features, why pay for them.
If you want the ability to record your vinyl music to a digital format, then the Electrohome Wellington is the best option. If you want to stream music via Bluetooth, go with the Pyle PTCD4BT. The Pyle is also the best choice if you already have a stereo system with quality external speakers. All three units have good internal speakers, but they are no match for a good set of real speakers.