I deeply appreciate this. I grew up in the 70's, and had many 70's turntables, a few remarkably similar to today's cheapies. In the 90's, I was a dj, and had high-end equipment. Now, I'm an old guy, and have an at-60. In all cases, I made it the best I could, then I enjoyed the music.I appreciate you trying to get the best out of "the gear you have", rather than immediately suggesting a $300 "alternative".
Glad you enjoyed it! It really bothers me to see young kids ask questions about these cheaper turntables and just get attacked for it - that doesn't do anyone any good. Like you say, too many people lose sight of the music.
Stylus that comes with the banpa is a sapphire stylus. So, if you swap that for a BSR ST17D you'll get even better results from the Banpa cartridge. BUT make sure the ceramic cartridge isn't being fed into a low impedence amp. Ceramic's need high impedence (like guitar amps) which basically provide the necessary RIAA equalisation required otherwise vinyl sounds flat/tinny. Used to be fine in the days of valve amplifiers but hit and miss with cheap ceramic cartridge turntables with solid state amps. I believe they're starting to get to grips with the requirements or ceramic cartridges now and are rectifying their earlier mistakes.
I would recommend adding an external amp. I picked one up at a good price for my Ion Record Player. It made huge difference. Also I grounded/earthed the turntable which eliminated the background hum from the speakers. Plus a few other tweaks, such as a cork slip mat, have improved overall audio quality.
Took that test and got a 5/6. Only song that I got wrong was the Katy Perry one, where I chose 320kbps, so I don't feel particularly humbled by it. Thanks for including the link!
I got 4/6 on the hearing test, but I was able to always pick the 128kbps one out easily, within a couple of seconds. The two that I got wrong were the Neil Young and the Classical Orchestra one, both of which are songs that I am not really familiar with. I am not going to be like some audiophile people who claim to hear the difference between $1000 and $3000 USB cables, but there is a definite difference that is easily discernible.
That's what I got as well, but... That's a set of six examples, and a sample size of one. There is also no control or commonality over what gear people are listening to it on (for me I think it was my Sony MDRZX770BN cans). The testing shows that the vast majority of people might as well just be guessing - www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/06/09/412271433/audio-quality-quiz-results-you-did-slightly-better-than-guessing-randomly
I's suggest plugging a good pair of powered Speakers ( like a computer set ) into the Phone jack. Better, powerfil sound without re wiring, and a lot of folks already have a pair laying around( or can get some cheap)
Hey, nice idea for a video. Did not like the music part of it, I thought it is more hacking the unit or something, but nice tips. My friend gave me a similar unit (Roadstar brand) and it had internal speakers and sounded exactly the same as yours - thin and loads id treble. Then I hooked it up to my harman/kardon HK 980 and when you turn down the treble and up the bass, it really sounded waaaaaaaaay better. If you have the ability to do that, you should try that. I've sold it and I have a Denon DP 300F on my harman/kardon PM 645 now, maybe not the best of the best, but decent turntable and much better than the Roadstar. I chose it because it is automatic and also because it fits my silver system perfectly (most new turntables are black or white but not silver). But I wanted silver, because they look way better in silver with all the details on them and the higher contrast. I have PM 645, EQ 8, TU 910, TD 292 and HD 500, all harman/kardon, paired with the silber DP 300F that really matches the color well.
I got a Crosley Cruiser for $35. After watching this, I think I'd just be throwing good money after bad. I just use it as is and potentially upgrade to another system later.
By and large I agree with you - but it depends on what you consider "good money". The Banpa cartridge is 15 bucks or less depending on where you live, and you can get speakers for next to nothing at thrift stores and garage sales. By all means get a better system when you can though, these things are basically toys.
Well, I was going to say, did you listen to the Crosley in an audio system, but you realized that's not how people will use it. So how many people do you think would modify the table to attach a better, more efficient speaker system? But I have to say your video on a Crosley, outside of someone shooting, burning, or throwing out the window is the best(not that I watch a lot of Crosley videos) entertaining out there. I mean you took it as far as you realistically can. Kudos. The Ion on the other hand sounds like it has much empty space in it and judicious amounts of mortite or similar can reduce a lot of noise from the system(maybe), wrap the arm with Teflon tape and a better flat, heavy mat to increase flywheel effect as I doubt there are any voids in the platter like more expensive cast platters.
Also: I picked a copy of "My Aim Is True" on blue vinyl the other day. It was made in 1977, and shows it's age, with lots of noise and even a couple of scratches (the pressing is so phenomenal it sounds good even when it skips). So I was thinking, this record has been around close to 50 years. How many turntables has it seen? How many different needles, some unaligned, some damaged, etc. And still, it sounds absolutely amazing, so I don't know about all this "vinyl destroying" stuff.
Thanks for watching - I appreciate your comments! I agree %100 - in all my years of collecting vinyl, I have only come across a few albums that I think I could conclusively say were "worn out" - Zepplin II, and a Dave Clarke Five album being the two worst. There were very few visible surface scratches, but they were unlistenable even with a good elliptical stylus, so I'm pretty sure someone really got their money's worth out of those two albums - and good for them, music is meant to be played and enjoyed.
I really appreciate this video, well explained, I've got one of this (victrola) because my wife gifted it to me, i wouldn't like to change it because it was a gift with love so I will follow your recommendations bro, i have some questions, 1. There is some stylus better than the one you shown in the video? I could buy a good and more expensive stylus if it could improve the quality 2. It's necessary to deactivate the current speakers to use another external speakers? I was thinking to buy a good external speaker or a bose speaker and connect it with an aux-bluetooth connector, what do you recommend to me? 3. Do you recommend something for the stabilization of the vinyl and for the weight of the stylus arm? Thanks again, greetings from Colombia 🇨🇴☕️
Thanks Ricardo! Glad I could be of some small help regarding your wife's very thoughtful gift. Your questions were so good, you reminded me that I was working on a part II to that video that answers all of your questions, but I will answer them here as well. 1. Yes, there are better stylii for that cartridge - the Pfanstiehl 274-DS77 is a double-sided diamond stylus that is better quality, and does not have the largely useless 78rpm sapphire stylus like the one the Banpa ships with. These were very common in the 70s-80s and are fairly easy to find. 2. No - your turntable should have RCA outs as well, which will bypass the internal speakers. IMO, plugging into an actual audio receiver and some decent speakers will make a massive difference in how this sounds, and you can get a bluetooth adapter for that as well. But literally anything is going to sound better that the internal speakers, so use what works best with your other equipment. 3. Yes! There is a limit to how much you can improve this turntable - it's a handful of molded plastic - but anything you can do to isolate the stylus from vibration will help. You can make a cork platter yourself, but a silicone mat and some vibration isolation feet will be better to clean up the signal. The good thing is that if you ever upgrade to a more expensive turntable, you can re-use these things. People have replaced the tone arm and cartridge, but it's not worth it - it's almost as much work as building a turntable from scratch, and is never going to compete with a higher-end turntable anyway. Improve it as much as is prudent and enjoy it for what it is. Hope that helps - cheers!
Interesting video. I just acquired a Victrola 6-in-1. I absolutely love the retro styling but I do understand it's not the best record player. One thing I'm unclear on is knowing what cartridges are compatible. Are all cartridges universal or do I have to look for a specific kind of cartridge?
Short answer, no - If it has the same red plastic cartridge as this one, there are only two compatible cartridges and some various generic versions of those two. The Banpa is be far the better one, and the best of the readily available versions. Magnetic cartridges are much more universal, but cheaper turntables like Victrolas and Croselys can't mount them, you are stuck with the ceramic cartridges.
@@makertype Hey, thanks for the answer! The manual does say it's a ceramic cartridge. Does that mean any ceramic cartridge should work? And does that mean the Banpa will definitely work? While I have your attention let me ask you one other question: I have noticed that some of my records produce a pretty clean sound with relatively little hiss and crackle. On those, when the music is playing, essentially no hiss or other background noise is discernible. But I have a couple of other records, which are brand new, that have a lot of background hiss even when the record is playing. In the case of the latter, do you think it's the player that's the problem or the records?
Hi! Interesting upgrades to improve the sound quality of that cheap turntable. But let me say I notice at 4:04 and 7:32 your voice seems to start being out of phase before the head cartridges demos and the sound that comes out of them also seem to have phase problems. How did this happen? Cheers!
When I compare suitcase record players they are made now, and suitcase record players made in 70s and 80s here by us in the former Czechoslovakia, then I come to a result I can’t compare them. Even cheap suitcase turntables from 70s and 80s were much better, and had an option to join another better speaker, or to be joined to a better stereo amplifier.
As far as I know, there are no aftermarket headshells for this type of cartridge. You can 3d print an adapter that fits a standard headshell and accepts these carts though.
You certainly can. Str8 to the bin... those dreadfully cheap inserted non balanced turntables are a waste of productivity. I do have a crosley automatic changer. Its ok but certainly not my primary player.
No, this turntable actually does sound that thin and reedy. Using the same binaural rig on my good system - or on live musical instruments - sounds the way it should.
What a hunk of junk. You shouldn't be buying vinyl if your going to abuse them on crap like this. Any half decent bluetooth speaker sounds much better.
“So I providing link in a description below to a hearing test” - instant upvote. Thank you!
You're welcome! I wonder how many people clicked the link? :)
I deeply appreciate this. I grew up in the 70's, and had many 70's turntables, a few remarkably similar to today's cheapies. In the 90's, I was a dj, and had high-end equipment. Now, I'm an old guy, and have an at-60. In all cases, I made it the best I could, then I enjoyed the music.I appreciate you trying to get the best out of "the gear you have", rather than immediately suggesting a $300 "alternative".
Glad you enjoyed it! It really bothers me to see young kids ask questions about these cheaper turntables and just get attacked for it - that doesn't do anyone any good. Like you say, too many people lose sight of the music.
Stylus that comes with the banpa is a sapphire stylus. So, if you swap that for a BSR ST17D you'll get even better results from the Banpa cartridge. BUT make sure the ceramic cartridge isn't being fed into a low impedence amp. Ceramic's need high impedence (like guitar amps) which basically provide the necessary RIAA equalisation required otherwise vinyl sounds flat/tinny. Used to be fine in the days of valve amplifiers but hit and miss with cheap ceramic cartridge turntables with solid state amps. I believe they're starting to get to grips with the requirements or ceramic cartridges now and are rectifying their earlier mistakes.
I gotta be honest, I had no idea so much went into having a decent vinyl system. Learned lots! Nice work sir.
Thanks bro - maybe someday I can be playing one of your records on one of these reviews!
I would recommend adding an external amp. I picked one up at a good price for my Ion Record Player. It made huge difference. Also I grounded/earthed the turntable which eliminated the background hum from the speakers. Plus a few other tweaks, such as a cork slip mat, have improved overall audio quality.
I have just been given an amp and was thinking of connecting to me cheap set up. Will it make a difference?
@@dunkhooper I have a budget Douk Audio Tube-T4C mini amp hooked up to a cheap turntable. It makes a big difference. Giving a fuller warmer sound.
@nickc9092 been given a kenwood ka v3700 will give it a try. Just need a new rca cable. Thanks
@@nickc9092 just set it up. Works very well . Much better sound. Thanks
That's great. I'm always trying to tweak things on a budget for a better sound. Once you start you can't stop. Good luck 👍
Took that test and got a 5/6. Only song that I got wrong was the Katy Perry one, where I chose 320kbps, so I don't feel particularly humbled by it. Thanks for including the link!
Awesome break down. It's awesome 🎉😂❤
I got 4/6 on the hearing test, but I was able to always pick the 128kbps one out easily, within a couple of seconds. The two that I got wrong were the Neil Young and the Classical Orchestra one, both of which are songs that I am not really familiar with.
I am not going to be like some audiophile people who claim to hear the difference between $1000 and $3000 USB cables, but there is a definite difference that is easily discernible.
That's what I got as well, but... That's a set of six examples, and a sample size of one. There is also no control or commonality over what gear people are listening to it on (for me I think it was my Sony MDRZX770BN cans). The testing shows that the vast majority of people might as well just be guessing - www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/06/09/412271433/audio-quality-quiz-results-you-did-slightly-better-than-guessing-randomly
I's suggest plugging a good pair of powered Speakers ( like a computer set
) into the Phone jack. Better, powerfil sound without re wiring, and a lot of folks already have a pair laying around( or can get some cheap)
Also, good headphones help a lot.
The best upgrade for a suitcase player is to sell it and then save up for a "real" turntable.
Hey, nice idea for a video. Did not like the music part of it, I thought it is more hacking the unit or something, but nice tips. My friend gave me a similar unit (Roadstar brand) and it had internal speakers and sounded exactly the same as yours - thin and loads id treble. Then I hooked it up to my harman/kardon HK 980 and when you turn down the treble and up the bass, it really sounded waaaaaaaaay better. If you have the ability to do that, you should try that.
I've sold it and I have a Denon DP 300F on my harman/kardon PM 645 now, maybe not the best of the best, but decent turntable and much better than the Roadstar. I chose it because it is automatic and also because it fits my silver system perfectly (most new turntables are black or white but not silver). But I wanted silver, because they look way better in silver with all the details on them and the higher contrast. I have PM 645, EQ 8, TU 910, TD 292 and HD 500, all harman/kardon, paired with the silber DP 300F that really matches the color well.
Thanks for watching!
I got a Crosley Cruiser for $35. After watching this, I think I'd just be throwing good money after bad. I just use it as is and potentially upgrade to another system later.
By and large I agree with you - but it depends on what you consider "good money". The Banpa cartridge is 15 bucks or less depending on where you live, and you can get speakers for next to nothing at thrift stores and garage sales. By all means get a better system when you can though, these things are basically toys.
Well, I was going to say, did you listen to the Crosley in an audio system, but you realized that's not how people will use it. So how many people do you think would modify the table to attach a better, more efficient speaker system? But I have to say your video on a Crosley, outside of someone shooting, burning, or throwing out the window is the best(not that I watch a lot of Crosley videos) entertaining out there. I mean you took it as far as you realistically can. Kudos. The Ion on the other hand sounds like it has much empty space in it and judicious amounts of mortite or similar can reduce a lot of noise from the system(maybe), wrap the arm with Teflon tape and a better flat, heavy mat to increase flywheel effect as I doubt there are any voids in the platter like more expensive cast platters.
I think I came up with a very novel approach to dampening the platter on that Ion - stay tuned, video in the works!
Also: I picked a copy of "My Aim Is True" on blue vinyl the other day. It was made in 1977, and shows it's age, with lots of noise and even a couple of scratches (the pressing is so phenomenal it sounds good even when it skips). So I was thinking, this record has been around close to 50 years. How many turntables has it seen? How many different needles, some unaligned, some damaged, etc. And still, it sounds absolutely amazing, so I don't know about all this "vinyl destroying" stuff.
Thanks for watching - I appreciate your comments! I agree %100 - in all my years of collecting vinyl, I have only come across a few albums that I think I could conclusively say were "worn out" - Zepplin II, and a Dave Clarke Five album being the two worst. There were very few visible surface scratches, but they were unlistenable even with a good elliptical stylus, so I'm pretty sure someone really got their money's worth out of those two albums - and good for them, music is meant to be played and enjoyed.
6/6 on the quality test. woot. i am a music snob though. mea culpa.
I really appreciate this video, well explained, I've got one of this (victrola) because my wife gifted it to me, i wouldn't like to change it because it was a gift with love so I will follow your recommendations bro, i have some questions,
1. There is some stylus better than the one you shown in the video? I could buy a good and more expensive stylus if it could improve the quality
2. It's necessary to deactivate the current speakers to use another external speakers? I was thinking to buy a good external speaker or a bose speaker and connect it with an aux-bluetooth connector, what do you recommend to me?
3. Do you recommend something for the stabilization of the vinyl and for the weight of the stylus arm?
Thanks again, greetings from Colombia 🇨🇴☕️
Thanks Ricardo! Glad I could be of some small help regarding your wife's very thoughtful gift. Your questions were so good, you reminded me that I was working on a part II to that video that answers all of your questions, but I will answer them here as well.
1. Yes, there are better stylii for that cartridge - the Pfanstiehl 274-DS77 is a double-sided diamond stylus that is better quality, and does not have the largely useless 78rpm sapphire stylus like the one the Banpa ships with. These were very common in the 70s-80s and are fairly easy to find.
2. No - your turntable should have RCA outs as well, which will bypass the internal speakers. IMO, plugging into an actual audio receiver and some decent speakers will make a massive difference in how this sounds, and you can get a bluetooth adapter for that as well. But literally anything is going to sound better that the internal speakers, so use what works best with your other equipment.
3. Yes! There is a limit to how much you can improve this turntable - it's a handful of molded plastic - but anything you can do to isolate the stylus from vibration will help. You can make a cork platter yourself, but a silicone mat and some vibration isolation feet will be better to clean up the signal. The good thing is that if you ever upgrade to a more expensive turntable, you can re-use these things. People have replaced the tone arm and cartridge, but it's not worth it - it's almost as much work as building a turntable from scratch, and is never going to compete with a higher-end turntable anyway. Improve it as much as is prudent and enjoy it for what it is.
Hope that helps - cheers!
Interesting video. I just acquired a Victrola 6-in-1. I absolutely love the retro styling but I do understand it's not the best record player. One thing I'm unclear on is knowing what cartridges are compatible. Are all cartridges universal or do I have to look for a specific kind of cartridge?
Short answer, no - If it has the same red plastic cartridge as this one, there are only two compatible cartridges and some various generic versions of those two. The Banpa is be far the better one, and the best of the readily available versions. Magnetic cartridges are much more universal, but cheaper turntables like Victrolas and Croselys can't mount them, you are stuck with the ceramic cartridges.
@@makertype Hey, thanks for the answer! The manual does say it's a ceramic cartridge. Does that mean any ceramic cartridge should work? And does that mean the Banpa will definitely work?
While I have your attention let me ask you one other question: I have noticed that some of my records produce a pretty clean sound with relatively little hiss and crackle. On those, when the music is playing, essentially no hiss or other background noise is discernible. But I have a couple of other records, which are brand new, that have a lot of background hiss even when the record is playing. In the case of the latter, do you think it's the player that's the problem or the records?
add a pair of bookshelf speakers and it will sound much better. You're really listening to the terrible built in speakers.
Good headphones work as well.
Or getting a genuine chuo denshi cartridge!
Hi! Interesting upgrades to improve the sound quality of that cheap turntable. But let me say I notice at 4:04 and 7:32 your voice seems to start being out of phase before the head cartridges demos and the sound that comes out of them also seem to have phase problems. How did this happen? Cheers!
When I compare suitcase record players they are made now, and suitcase record players made in 70s and 80s here by us in the former Czechoslovakia, then I come to a result I can’t compare them. Even cheap suitcase turntables from 70s and 80s were much better, and had an option to join another better speaker, or to be joined to a better stereo amplifier.
Agreed %100 - I would take any old BSR turntable over one of these new ones.
There is just no bass even to the improved version.
That record player is pretty, though.
Can't figure out what cartridge I could use on a Crosely CR1719A.
I can't find anything with that model # online... Do you have a link?
@@makertype CR7019A sorry wrong number. I was getting frustrated when I wrote this. Thanks for such a quick response!!!
@@makertype Help..?
Where is headshell available for this cartridge?
As far as I know, there are no aftermarket headshells for this type of cartridge. You can 3d print an adapter that fits a standard headshell and accepts these carts though.
@@makertype thank you 🙏
The bodge on the speakers..you seem to have one of them out of phase.
Do record players still use genuine chuo denshi cz800 cartridges and not Chinese clones do you know any in mind
I haven't seen one, the only genuine CD cartridges I have seen have been installed on vintage turntables at thrift stores.
@makertype can u take it off you and see if it is a real chuo denshi cz800 you don't have to pull the wires
i know that the numark pt01 usb uses a real chuo denshi cz800 cartridge
you know what they say about lipstick & a pig?
i notice both channels are grounded together, NOT good!
It's quicker to find the garbage can
You certainly can. Str8 to the bin... those dreadfully cheap inserted non balanced turntables are a waste of productivity. I do have a crosley automatic changer. Its ok but certainly not my primary player.
You have the microphones out of phase. Impossible to listen to this video.
No, this turntable actually does sound that thin and reedy. Using the same binaural rig on my good system - or on live musical instruments - sounds the way it should.
What a hunk of junk. You shouldn't be buying vinyl if your going to abuse them on crap like this. Any half decent bluetooth speaker sounds much better.