I'm amazed by your patience. I've finally thrown in the towel on trying to make these Victrola/Crosley/whatever players work. Even the best of them have bizarre flaws due to cost cutting or bad design. When friends and family ask me for a cheap setup I try to steer them towards an LP60 and Edifer powered speakers.
All of the Crosley C-series turntables are fine. But so far Victrola's turntables have missed the mark. They need to do more testing of their products to work out the bugs before they go on sale.
Almost seems a prototype with no line out working. The cartridge is ridiculous and the thought of reaching around that arm to install a cartridge when the needle wears out is nuts. The speed selection on the back is crazy too. I bet the subwoofer crossover point and balance is wrong as well. Needs some reworking.
I had the same thoughts as you during the sound demonstration, something was for sure off. I really do not know who Victrola is trying to target with this product, it is too expensive for entry-level people but definitely not good enough for serious record collectors. Great job with the review. Would have made more sense if they did not have the speaker attached to the record player as well
I just set up a little system in my office with an Audio-Technica AT-LPW30TK turntable and Edifier 1280T powered speakers. That set me back about $330 (plus tax). It sounds surprisingly good. The tone arm on the Victrola looks cheap to me. As for the cartridge, Victrola could've used the 3600 or even the VM95C (as used on the AT-LPW30TK). For a $500 system, that wouldn't be out of line. This just looks like an almost complete strikeout to me.
$500 is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much for that Victrola. Heck, you could buy a Fluance turntable with an Ortofon 2M Blue stylus and cartridge already attached and aligned for that kind of money or one may be able to assemble a great vintage system for that much money (via thrift stores, eBay, etc.).
I think I'm more interested in "The Kit" than the turntable. Its looking like a half suitcase player with an added subwoofer. Such a shame they went through the effort of designing a cartrige but kept the crappy built in speaker gimmick.
My guess is the distortion you were hearing was caused by having the subwoofer right next to the turntable as it could cause vibration...maybe try again with the sub on the floor?
Well done sir . You gave it your best shot . Sounds no better than my all in one retro . A great honest review as always . I bought the little Bluetooth phonograph player that you tested a while back . Now that is GOOD . Thanks for your genuine comments on all this stuff . You are helping us all to make the right choices . Have a great Christmas . Best regards from Thomas in UK .
The tonearm and its assembly seem to have been inspired by Pro-Ject, and the shape of the cartrdge reminds me of a Goldring. I cannot ignore how the tonearm jerks back everytime you raise it. the lowering is super slow, yet the raising is horrifying!
Am not being funny, but it does not blow me away sound-wise. The dust cover looks as if it does not belong with it. Would I drop £500 or so on this? - think I will stick with my vintage gear. That said it was an interesting review. All the best now.
I would really check the alignment of the cartridge. I was having similar issues with the new Sumiko cartridge on the Project RPM1 and realized after having it almost a year that the cartridge was just ever so misaligned and it made a world of difference. I also agree that the built in speakers of the turntable seem pretty cheap. I’m bummed that it has as many issues as it does because this could have been a slam dunk for them.
@Phillip Jay Fry: Yes, that cartridge looked well out of alignment... Also, the chunky cantilever didn't inspire confidence! I noticed that the tip of the cantilever where the stylus is inserted hadn't been crimped flat either; from the angles shown, the tip of the cantilever may also have been riding the groove along with the diamond...!! Not good! But it would help account for the awful sibilance heard - that sounded too much for just cartridge misalignment...!!
@@stevesstuff1450 How do you tell over a video that a cartridge is out of alignment? I grew up with turntables and worked with them professionally, and the only way I can tell correct or incorrect alignment is with the aid of a protractor. It would take one hell of an error to make it sound that bad.
I think the sub might need to be audibly decoupled with the table. Had a similar issue with my LP120XUSB. I put my speakers on a foam mat and the problem solved
Seems $150-200 overpriced. The turntable itself almost looks just like the one you recently reviewed. I know they all pretty much are made at the same manufacturer, but not quite sure how sustainable that is. Victrola and Crosley are starting to become virtually identical.
Why are all the new turntables belt drive and manual. Is direct drive automatic just too difficult to do? There were plenty of those things 45 to 50 years ago.
Try it with the sub on the floor away from the main unit. It might help reduce some of that distortion. The direct feed did not impress at all so I would be curious if you threw something like an 2M red on there how it would sound. Maybe it would be ok at a $199 price point, but not a $500 player.
You can buy a component system for under $500.00, with a TT, FM, CD and speakers. I really don't know about the subwoofer. With the tinny speakers in the unit (which have no mid-range) I suppose they wanted to give it something that it is not.
I'm wondering if that stylus is inserted properly into the cartridge or is pushed in enough. There seems to be a gap between the stylus and the cartridge, so perhaps it's not making full contact and thus is causing that distortion? What a bummer with all of that design and accessories, etc.
The tonearm is very similar to the older Pro-Ject Debut tone arms. The end bit is adjustable (on the Pro-Jects at least), but loosening the top screws, then you can slide that little bit on the top, back and forth. You just cannot see that when it's screws are tightened. So if it's like the Pro-Ject Debut (older) arm, you can adjust for most cartridge types.
You’re an early adopter. Maybe. Just maybe, your video and other input will improve this unit. I know it’s expensive, but if the sound was improved, this would be the perfect system for people that want good quality without piecing together a component system. Think ‘gift’, ‘office’, ‘vacation home’, etc.
Thanks for the review. Agree sound & speed is off. Disappointing and would not buy. Wondering if the sub is to close? Does it still sound terrible with the sub on the floor?
They're liars, they did not engineer this cartridge. It has been available on Wish for a long time; a gray and violet model and a solid black one just like this minus the printed logo.
Yet, the one on Wish blows this one away. I've seen a video demo of the said cartridge on Georgia Currie Vinyl's channel and it sounds absolutely 1000 time better.
i gotta say that i thought it was absolutely brilliant....the indirect feed when you tested the cassette deck was so cool....so cold indeed,i had to turn on the fire to warm up...i thought the sound itself was probably the best i have heard,but i do have an appointment with the audiologist tomorrow for a possible new hearing aid....all in all,have to agree with you mate,not the best product for that kinda price....think i definitely prefer their retro stuff....first vid from you i have seen in yonkers....not that i have been to New York of late....Boy that was some box Btw !! Enjoyed the vid !!
Try the “extra” cartridge. If it’s the same, you have junk. If it’s different, then you might just have a defective cartridge - which seems a little short-sighted on the part of the mfr. I’d expect them to at least make sure everything works on something they are sending out for review…
I was hoping you would review this, and give it a thorough test drive. Well done! Just to let everyone know, that this unit has been available at So Cal Costco's "wholesale?" now, for several weeks, with no discount. I was not impressed by the layout, just from appearance alone. I just could not reconcile the price to value ratio. The dust cover was just precious! Since the V1 will excel as dust collector! You confirmed my suspicion, which was purely visual, I really thought it looked pretentious. Your observations on the mystery Mag Cartridge, was dead on! If you ever nwwd a new stylus? There is only one place to go... Victrola. With planned obsolescence being the world consumer economy's life blood, V1 owners might be better served by just changing to an Audio Technica AT-3600 cartridge, which it should it have been equipped with in the first place.
Great video, 👍 I like how you tried with different records to have a fair judgment and how you gave your honest, unbiased opinion; I concur, I'd stay away from this unit. The concept is great but perhaps too pretentious for a brand in their league. That cartridge is definitely not good, I wonder if the replacement sounds better and this was just a defective cartridge. It may also have to do with that massive cantilever lol. Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Interesting.... Definitely looks a "step in the right direction," yet with some stumbles... was shocked when you said they "engineered" their own cartridge, which is "daring" to say the least (if it really is new and not a repackaged main body). Can't believe they'd put that kinda attention into a unit and THEN add THAT dust cover and make the cartridge non-stylus replaceable and and and just a lot of "shortcomings" not even accounting for the "sound." Great review, enjoyed... thank you.
The cartridge was not engineered by Victrola. It's called the "BUM-M1" cartridge and you can get them on eBay for about $13, shipped from China. I bought one because I was curious, but threw it out because the performance was so much worse than the common AT3600L.
@@vwestlife Audio Therapy compares the BUM M1 with the AT-95e, AT-3600, and a Soviet GZM205 in his video. The BUM has quality control issues. Watch the cantilever alignment. Sound on the BUM is improved by raising the tracking force (Audio Therapy uses a coin on the head shell) and wiring a capacitor and resistor in parallel with the cartridge output (one set for each channel). He doesn't recommend the BUM at all.
3 grams of tracking weight?? Did the manual give a range? Most with MM carts suggest 1.50 - 2.00 for the vertical tracking force. I wonder if the distortion or "weirdness" was because the tracking force was too much??? A too-heavy VTF can also exaggerate the bass making it all sound muddy.
Hi, the cartridge is clearly misaligned. I think it’s probably pants anyway and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a ceramic. I suspect they’ve got a Chinese company to make them on cheaply which is why they haven’t used the normal audio TecNICA movie magnet cartridges. I could tell it was misaligned when you played the direct feed at the end of the video. However this unit did have one really useful function. If you noticed it announced when you went from vinyl to Bluetooth et cetera. That would be really useful for someone who is visually impaired. Thanks for the review, great video!
It is well possible to connect the subwoofer with cable because sound quality via Bluetooth is in question. Going base via Bluetooth is not always as good as familiar
sub way to close to turntable causing arm vibrations ,swap out the nail for a audio technica cart,ok thats gripes out of the way lol,this has a big thumbs up ,the one peace arm is a winner ,as a tip when handling the arm ,be way more gentle mate arm bearings are very fraglile ..500 is to high 350 more like it ...
The last record sounded very sibilant. Great review and nice looking but the turntable gets a thumbs down from me. Either the preamp has an issue or the cartridge is completely out of alignment, or maybe both.
Hmmmm... I'm thinking maybe the cartridge needs to be broken in. Perhaps get some burner/throwaway records (stuff cheap, easily replaceable, and/or something you don't really care about) and play those the whole way through. Breaking in a cartridge takes a very long time, though
You should be testing this in a living room with wooden furnature whereas you are testing it in a granite kitchen. Mine sounds great in my living room.
Really enjoyed the review! I bought this for 250 and at that price point I took the risk. Really looking forward to checking this out when it comes in this weekend. Any opinions on the 250 price point for something better?
@recordology ty! I tried my best to balance the armbar and everything and still the quality was so bad unfortunately :( at least it was a simple return through Amazon looking forward to trying the one you recommended. Thank you for your channel!
Not being able to replace just the stylus on a low end cartridge is really weird. The only other moving magnet cartridge maker that does this is REGA, with their Bias and Elys, etc. models. I think the target consumer for this product is the baby-boomer who has memories of the 1960s era all in one "mid-fi" systems that were prevalent in living rooms at the time, but these are exactly the folk who no longer have the keen eyesight and finger dexterity to change a phono cartridge!
The distortion is terrible. I can't help but notice that the tonearm and headshell appear canted over in some of the footage, suggesting the stylus was not tracking the groove evenly. It might just be an optical illusion on my TV but at times it looked far from level.
Another great review Mr. ologies I saw this on the Victrola website and was curious as to its parts and quality. In my humble opinion I can do a better job with a $400 budget then this set up right here. As for the cartridge on this it looks awfully familiar, a cartridge that I used to see on Amazon from China that sold for around $25 and came in black and sky blue color about a year and a half ago. It looks like the same cart. And the way it looks like a copy from the Denon 450 USB turntable. And that 7 inch record you're playing sounds awesome
Instead of using that cartridge get an AT3600. They are cheaper than some replacement stylus. My Heyday and my Crosley C6 have the 3600 and sound fine.
The speed is audibly slow on 33. Just compare the Sinatra with a digital stream of the same song, and you'll hear it readily. Either that cartridge is a junky design or it's defective. You should replace it and see if a new one works better. Victrola needs to hire a product manager who understands the basics of vinyl playback, and has some semblance of sound quality discernment. Is that too much to ask?
It's about twice what it should cost. For what they're charging it should have medium sized 3 way speakers and the distortion was too much. Also bass middle and treble controls would have been nice. Also when testing it's important to use the higher fidelity records. As a general rule, nothing older than the mid seventies or so, to know any reduction in frequency response is not due to the recording. Something like the carpenters or swing out sister would be good choices.
The speed is way to slow. You can tweek the speed on the bottom of the motor. All so as the belt ages the speed may be a bit faster. That's why I like Quartz lock direct drive.
$500 USD is almost $640 CAD. For $450 (CAD, after tax) I can get an LP120X. Spending just a little bit more on a real turntable, basic receiver and speakers than this Victorla thing costs would be a FAR better investment
Too bad it stunk. Victrola struck out. Its still on their website for 199$ now as of 10.23.24. Some say put an Audio technica cartridge on it, but i wouldn't fool with it. Crosley did the same thing with a stylus. Had that white one with the C on it. Sucked too. By the way, that motor set up is the same as the latest Crosley you checked out with the full size platter.
That cartridge looks very similar to a cartridge TH-camr Georgia Currie Vinyl bought from Wish for £11 (just a different color scheme), so I question how much involvement Victrola had in its "design," beyond the cosmetics. I would have much rather seen an Audio-Technica AT-VM95 series cartridge installed, both for the fact replacement styli will be readily available for a long time, and for the easy upgradability. (Edit: misspelled Ms. Currie's name)
I just watched Georgia Currie Vinyl's video and it is true, the Wish cartridge is identical to the one on this turntable. Yet the Wish cartridge sounds better than the one on the Victrola. I am beginning to wonder if the use of the headphone output colored the sound quality. Maybe the components in the headphone amp are inferior.
This system is an absolute dud relying way too much on the subwoofer to fill out the sound. I too think the distortion comes down to the cartridge. I'd try that replacement unit that it came with. If that doesn't work, then their cartridge is flawed. If you were to try a completely different model of cartridge all together and it still sounded muffled and distorted then there's something wrong with the amplifier. This is not worth 500 bucks let alone 100 bucks. I 1000% agree with you they should've just stuck a name brand cartridge on it and it and that would've made it so much better.
Well I have to say I like the way it looks it is a very attractive system and i believe that this is a very great design and the accessories are cool but not impressed with sound It sounds to me like it is the cartridge the tracking force could be too light ,on one of my shure cartridges I bought a newv stylus from Kyowa a co. in japan now the tracking force for cart was supposed to be 1.5 to 2 grams but had the same prob that this TT is sounding like I went over the 2 gram stting and it cleared up the distortion that I had just like this sounds I noticed the cantelever on the stylus was thicker than the original stylus the cantelever on the victrola cart looked more rigid and thicker ,looks like the counterwieght on this TT is fixed if you could raise the counter weight to 3 or 3.5 grams it might improve ,like I said some records sounded great others I played sounded just like this one but this was a great review and again after a HECTIC day at work I get rewarded with a Record-O-Logy review this made my day much BETTER !!!!! thanks again JRo also I would like to add that even if the turntable is moving faster or slower the amount of tracking force will not slow if it is faster ,I have tried this with a belt drive and idler drive the speed stays the same cause of the light tracking I have seen some change just slightly with a heavy tracking cart like the ceramic type which tracks at 5 to 6 grams but just slightly JRo
I don't think the cartridge is the issue, it sounded exactly the same when you transmitted that CD audio. And what a disappointment, bizarrely the Revolution Go from your previous review sounded better than this.
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I'm amazed by your patience. I've finally thrown in the towel on trying to make these Victrola/Crosley/whatever players work. Even the best of them have bizarre flaws due to cost cutting or bad design. When friends and family ask me for a cheap setup I try to steer them towards an LP60 and Edifer powered speakers.
All of the Crosley C-series turntables are fine. But so far Victrola's turntables have missed the mark. They need to do more testing of their products to work out the bugs before they go on sale.
100% driver8sk
Almost seems a prototype with no line out working. The cartridge is ridiculous and the thought of reaching around that arm to install a cartridge when the needle wears out is nuts. The speed selection on the back is crazy too. I bet the subwoofer crossover point and balance is wrong as well. Needs some reworking.
@@vwestlife That can be said for a large number of things made today also,
I was just gonna say the same thing I will stick with my cheap LP60 & some good speakers
I had the same thoughts as you during the sound demonstration, something was for sure off. I really do not know who Victrola is trying to target with this product, it is too expensive for entry-level people but definitely not good enough for serious record collectors. Great job with the review. Would have made more sense if they did not have the speaker attached to the record player as well
I just set up a little system in my office with an Audio-Technica AT-LPW30TK turntable and Edifier 1280T powered speakers. That set me back about $330 (plus tax). It sounds surprisingly good.
The tone arm on the Victrola looks cheap to me. As for the cartridge, Victrola could've used the 3600 or even the VM95C (as used on the AT-LPW30TK). For a $500 system, that wouldn't be out of line.
This just looks like an almost complete strikeout to me.
$500 is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much for that Victrola.
Heck, you could buy a Fluance turntable with an Ortofon 2M Blue stylus and cartridge already attached and aligned for that kind of money or one may be able to assemble a great vintage system for that much money (via thrift stores, eBay, etc.).
That’s exactly what I have.
With that distortion it's not worth $10.
I wanted to believe in Victrola this time out but just no man. Something is definitely off on this player. I love the Frank Sinatra record though.
I think I'm more interested in "The Kit" than the turntable. Its looking like a half suitcase player with an added subwoofer. Such a shame they went through the effort of designing a cartrige but kept the crappy built in speaker gimmick.
My guess is the distortion you were hearing was caused by having the subwoofer right next to the turntable as it could cause vibration...maybe try again with the sub on the floor?
Thank you for this review. You save a lot of us from making a bad purchase.
Why is it 500 bucks?
Well done sir . You gave it your best shot . Sounds no better than my all in one retro . A great honest review as always . I bought the little Bluetooth phonograph player that you tested a while back . Now that is GOOD . Thanks for your genuine comments on all this stuff . You are helping us all to make the right choices . Have a great Christmas . Best regards from Thomas in UK .
The tonearm and its assembly seem to have been inspired by Pro-Ject, and the shape of the cartrdge reminds me of a Goldring.
I cannot ignore how the tonearm jerks back everytime you raise it. the lowering is super slow, yet the raising is horrifying!
Lolol
Am not being funny, but it does not blow me away sound-wise. The dust cover looks as if it does not belong with it. Would I drop £500 or so on this? - think I will stick with my vintage gear. That said it was an interesting review. All the best now.
I would really check the alignment of the cartridge. I was having similar issues with the new Sumiko cartridge on the Project RPM1 and realized after having it almost a year that the cartridge was just ever so misaligned and it made a world of difference. I also agree that the built in speakers of the turntable seem pretty cheap. I’m bummed that it has as many issues as it does because this could have been a slam dunk for them.
@Phillip Jay Fry: Yes, that cartridge looked well out of alignment... Also, the chunky cantilever didn't inspire confidence! I noticed that the tip of the cantilever where the stylus is inserted hadn't been crimped flat either; from the angles shown, the tip of the cantilever may also have been riding the groove along with the diamond...!! Not good! But it would help account for the awful sibilance heard - that sounded too much for just cartridge misalignment...!!
@@stevesstuff1450 How do you tell over a video that a cartridge is out of alignment? I grew up with turntables and worked with them professionally, and the only way I can tell correct or incorrect alignment is with the aid of a protractor. It would take one hell of an error to make it sound that bad.
@@johnstone7697 from the sibilance and the very muffled quality of sound.
I think the sub might need to be audibly decoupled with the table. Had a similar issue with my LP120XUSB. I put my speakers on a foam mat and the problem solved
That sounds horrible - I have a Victoria suitcase I bought for $10.00 at Goodwill and it sounds better that that. Almost sounds like it’s broken ?
Seems $150-200 overpriced. The turntable itself almost looks just like the one you recently reviewed. I know they all pretty much are made at the same manufacturer, but not quite sure how sustainable that is. Victrola and Crosley are starting to become virtually identical.
I have that record cleaning kit with the album stand. Got it on sale at Walmart for $10. Pretty good value IMO.
Why are all the new turntables belt drive and manual. Is direct drive automatic just too difficult to do? There were plenty of those things 45 to 50 years ago.
Strange, why would they put the speed control on the back?
Try it with the sub on the floor away from the main unit. It might help reduce some of that distortion. The direct feed did not impress at all so I would be curious if you threw something like an 2M red on there how it would sound. Maybe it would be ok at a $199 price point, but not a $500 player.
You can buy a component system for under $500.00, with a TT, FM, CD and speakers. I really don't know about the subwoofer. With the tinny speakers in the unit (which have no mid-range) I suppose they wanted to give it something that it is not.
Boy you wanted to love this. Almost like a kid at Christmas. Sadly it was mediocre. Thanks for the good and impartial review.
Move the sub away from the player and test again. I think the needle is acting like a mic and picking up the bass from the sub (feeding back a bit).
Audio Technica LP60 & Edifier powered speakers, $230 All in, blows this junk away. Stop trying to re-invent the wheel.
I'm wondering if that stylus is inserted properly into the cartridge or is pushed in enough. There seems to be a gap between the stylus and the cartridge, so perhaps it's not making full contact and thus is causing that distortion?
What a bummer with all of that design and accessories, etc.
The tonearm is very similar to the older Pro-Ject Debut tone arms. The end bit is adjustable (on the Pro-Jects at least), but loosening the top screws, then you can slide that little bit on the top, back and forth. You just cannot see that when it's screws are tightened. So if it's like the Pro-Ject Debut (older) arm, you can adjust for most cartridge types.
You really shouldn't have that sub right next to the turntable. I don't know if that's the cause of the distortion, but it's certainly not helping.
You’re an early adopter. Maybe. Just maybe, your video and other input will improve this unit. I know it’s expensive, but if the sound was improved, this would be the perfect system for people that want good quality without piecing together a component system. Think ‘gift’, ‘office’, ‘vacation home’, etc.
Do you think its worth it to purchase one of those needle weight scale things you have? Do you have a link?
Wow, perhaps all of the money went into the look and none into the tech.. Sad and great review man
Thanks for the review. Agree sound & speed is off. Disappointing and would not buy. Wondering if the sub is to close? Does it still sound terrible with the sub on the floor?
Where can I get a replacement cartridge? I can't find one anywhere.
They're liars, they did not engineer this cartridge. It has been available on Wish for a long time; a gray and violet model and a solid black one just like this minus the printed logo.
Yet, the one on Wish blows this one away. I've seen a video demo of the said cartridge on Georgia Currie Vinyl's channel and it sounds absolutely 1000 time better.
You should not place the subwoofer near the turntable. for vibrations from subwoofer can be transferred to turntable
I have a seven plus one stereo. Will present day turntables send information to the stereo so all my speakers work or just it two channel stereo?
i gotta say that i thought it was absolutely brilliant....the indirect feed when you tested the cassette deck was so cool....so cold indeed,i had to turn on the fire to warm up...i thought the sound itself was probably the best i have heard,but i do have an appointment with the audiologist tomorrow for a possible new hearing aid....all in all,have to agree with you mate,not the best product for that kinda price....think i definitely prefer their retro stuff....first vid from you i have seen in yonkers....not that i have been to New York of late....Boy that was some box Btw !! Enjoyed the vid !!
Try the “extra” cartridge. If it’s the same, you have junk. If it’s different, then you might just have a defective cartridge - which seems a little short-sighted on the part of the mfr. I’d expect them to at least make sure everything works on something they are sending out for review…
I got a used LP120, a small amplifier, some Polk tower speakers, and a Monoprice sub for $400~
I'd be incredibly disappointed with this for $500
Even this turntable with Logitech Z625 computer speakers sound better than these systems.
I was hoping you would review this, and give it a thorough test drive. Well done! Just to let everyone know, that this unit has been available at So Cal Costco's "wholesale?" now, for several weeks, with no discount. I was not impressed by the layout, just from appearance alone. I just could not reconcile the price to value ratio. The dust cover was just precious! Since the V1 will excel as dust collector! You confirmed my suspicion, which was purely visual, I really thought it looked pretentious. Your observations on the mystery Mag Cartridge, was dead on! If you ever nwwd a new stylus? There is only one place to go... Victrola. With planned obsolescence being the world consumer economy's life blood, V1 owners might be better served by just changing to an Audio Technica AT-3600 cartridge, which it should it have been equipped with in the first place.
Great video, 👍 I like how you tried with different records to have a fair judgment and how you gave your honest, unbiased opinion; I concur, I'd stay away from this unit. The concept is great but perhaps too pretentious for a brand in their league. That cartridge is definitely not good, I wonder if the replacement sounds better and this was just a defective cartridge. It may also have to do with that massive cantilever lol. Happy Holidays to you and your family!
oh dear, Victrola definitely need to go back to the drawing board for that cartridge!
What kind of "Jesus, Joy Of Man's Desiring" is that played at 30:39??
Curious, does it sound any better with the “spare” cartridge? Also, curious what would happen if you checked it with an alignment gauge.
My favorite record channel‼️
Interesting.... Definitely looks a "step in the right direction," yet with some stumbles... was shocked when you said they "engineered" their own cartridge, which is "daring" to say the least (if it really is new and not a repackaged main body). Can't believe they'd put that kinda attention into a unit and THEN add THAT dust cover and make the cartridge non-stylus replaceable and and and just a lot of "shortcomings" not even accounting for the "sound."
Great review, enjoyed... thank you.
The cartridge was not engineered by Victrola. It's called the "BUM-M1" cartridge and you can get them on eBay for about $13, shipped from China. I bought one because I was curious, but threw it out because the performance was so much worse than the common AT3600L.
@@vwestlife Audio Therapy compares the BUM M1 with the AT-95e, AT-3600, and a Soviet GZM205 in his video. The BUM has quality control issues. Watch the cantilever alignment. Sound on the BUM is improved by raising the tracking force (Audio Therapy uses a coin on the head shell) and wiring a capacitor and resistor in parallel with the cartridge output (one set for each channel). He doesn't recommend the BUM at all.
@@vwestlife Thanks for the clarification, that makes WAY more sense than "Victrola engineering" a cartridge. Kinda sounds oxymoronic.
3 grams of tracking weight?? Did the manual give a range? Most with MM carts suggest 1.50 - 2.00 for the vertical tracking force. I wonder if the distortion or "weirdness" was because the tracking force was too much??? A too-heavy VTF can also exaggerate the bass making it all sound muddy.
I think it is shameful that the name "Victrola" is being used for these horrible awful crap-o-phone products.
I like your opinion. Your awesome 👌 and your honest. Please keep being truthful. "AND THANKS!
Hi, the cartridge is clearly misaligned. I think it’s probably pants anyway and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a ceramic. I suspect they’ve got a Chinese company to make them on cheaply which is why they haven’t used the normal audio TecNICA movie magnet cartridges. I could tell it was misaligned when you played the direct feed at the end of the video. However this unit did have one really useful function. If you noticed it announced when you went from vinyl to Bluetooth et cetera. That would be really useful for someone who is visually impaired. Thanks for the review, great video!
It is well possible to connect the subwoofer with cable because sound quality via Bluetooth is in question. Going base via Bluetooth is not always as good as familiar
That Frank “Nothing But The Best” blue & clear record from Walmart is awesome 👏 I just had it on tonight
sub way to close to turntable causing arm vibrations ,swap out the nail for a audio technica cart,ok thats gripes out of the way lol,this has a big thumbs up ,the one peace arm is a winner ,as a tip when handling the arm ,be way more gentle mate arm bearings are very fraglile ..500 is to high 350 more like it ...
They should have fitted this turntable with with the same cartridge that the Audio Technicia ATLP120 uses.
i would love to see you review the voctrola stream onyx or carbon!!!
I must admit, that it does sound better than, my original 1897 Berliner Trademark phono.
Maybe the Left/Right jacks on the back are INPUTS and not OUTPUTS?
What about swapping out the magnetic cartridge for the DS Audio DS002+DS Audio power interface.
You would get even a better sound if you would move that speaker further away from the cartridge, you're getting some level of feedback.
I just got one myself for a gift but I'm having major issues with pairing...not sure if I'm stupid or it just sucks. Subwoofer only streaming bass
The sub is not a full range speaker…only bass rumble. All other sound comes from the built in speakers.
mid frecuencies are most notable in distortion
The last record sounded very sibilant. Great review and nice looking but the turntable gets a thumbs down from me. Either the preamp has an issue or the cartridge is completely out of alignment, or maybe both.
Mugs eyeful?
Another saying for your merchandise. ‘This is sick’ :-)
At 20:28s is that rust around the pins of the spare cartridge??
Hmmmm... I'm thinking maybe the cartridge needs to be broken in. Perhaps get some burner/throwaway records (stuff cheap, easily replaceable, and/or something you don't really care about) and play those the whole way through. Breaking in a cartridge takes a very long time, though
Reading the manual the vtf is in 3 but antiskate says must be 1.5, just why?
Ive given up trying to make sense on this unit.....
You should be testing this in a living room with wooden furnature whereas you are testing it in a granite kitchen. Mine sounds great in my living room.
Moving coils tend to look like that and not have replaceable styli, but I doubt very much that the cartridge is a moving coil!
"More matter, with less art" (Hamlet, William Shakespeare)
Really enjoyed the review! I bought this for 250 and at that price point I took the risk. Really looking forward to checking this out when it comes in this weekend. Any opinions on the 250 price point for something better?
I would highly recommend the Audio Technica LP3
@recordology ty! I tried my best to balance the armbar and everything and still the quality was so bad unfortunately :( at least it was a simple return through Amazon looking forward to trying the one you recommended. Thank you for your channel!
I have had only one turntable that had an aluminum adapter and that was a Thorens.
Audio-Technica for 100 dollars or less sounds better.
Not being able to replace just the stylus on a low end cartridge is really weird. The only other moving magnet cartridge maker that does this is REGA, with their Bias and Elys, etc. models. I think the target consumer for this product is the baby-boomer who has memories of the 1960s era all in one "mid-fi" systems that were prevalent in living rooms at the time, but these are exactly the folk who no longer have the keen eyesight and finger dexterity to change a phono cartridge!
The cartridge is a cheap generic Chinese one .I bought just the cartridge online for 20 bucks its in the trash after trying it for an hour
I wonder what that cart/stylus sounds like on a different table?
36:55 "where's perry?"
They don't make them like they use to in the 1980's or 1990's.....Very Good Try Record-Ology!
The distortion is terrible. I can't help but notice that the tonearm and headshell appear canted over in some of the footage, suggesting the stylus was not tracking the groove evenly. It might just be an optical illusion on my TV but at times it looked far from level.
Did somebody win all ready?????
Not yet!!! Have you been following Vlogmas over there?
Your review seems to have shown a botched product, which is unfortunate especially at the price of $500, which is hard for many to swallow.
Another great review Mr. ologies I saw this on the Victrola website and was curious as to its parts and quality. In my humble opinion I can do a better job with a $400 budget then this set up right here. As for the cartridge on this it looks awfully familiar, a cartridge that I used to see on Amazon from China that sold for around $25 and came in black and sky blue color about a year and a half ago. It looks like the same cart. And the way it looks like a copy from the Denon 450 USB turntable. And that 7 inch record you're playing sounds awesome
Instead of using that cartridge get an AT3600. They are cheaper than some replacement stylus. My Heyday and my Crosley C6 have the 3600 and sound fine.
The speed is audibly slow on 33. Just compare the Sinatra with a digital stream of the same song, and you'll hear it readily. Either that cartridge is a junky design or it's defective. You should replace it and see if a new one works better. Victrola needs to hire a product manager who understands the basics of vinyl playback, and has some semblance of sound quality discernment. Is that too much to ask?
It's about twice what it should cost. For what they're charging it should have medium sized 3 way speakers and the distortion was too much. Also bass middle and treble controls would have been nice. Also when testing it's important to use the higher fidelity records. As a general rule, nothing older than the mid seventies or so, to know any reduction in frequency response is not due to the recording. Something like the carpenters or swing out sister would be good choices.
The speed is way to slow. You can tweek the speed on the bottom of the motor. All so as the belt ages the speed may be a bit faster. That's why I like Quartz lock direct drive.
$500 USD is almost $640 CAD. For $450 (CAD, after tax) I can get an LP120X. Spending just a little bit more on a real turntable, basic receiver and speakers than this Victorla thing costs would be a FAR better investment
Too bad it stunk. Victrola struck out. Its still on their website for 199$ now as of 10.23.24. Some say put an Audio technica cartridge on it, but i wouldn't fool with it. Crosley did the same thing with a stylus. Had that white one with the C on it. Sucked too. By the way, that motor set up is the same as the latest Crosley you checked out with the full size platter.
I think I'm all set with having to buy a whole new cartridge every thousand hours no ty, although I did notice it is down to 269$ on Amazon
Shame it didn't have Linear Tracking Tonearm like the REVOX B975.
The stylus looks like it's on an angle, try the other stylus and see if it's better.
That cartridge looks very similar to a cartridge TH-camr Georgia Currie Vinyl bought from Wish for £11 (just a different color scheme), so I question how much involvement Victrola had in its "design," beyond the cosmetics. I would have much rather seen an Audio-Technica AT-VM95 series cartridge installed, both for the fact replacement styli will be readily available for a long time, and for the easy upgradability. (Edit: misspelled Ms. Currie's name)
I just watched Georgia Currie Vinyl's video and it is true, the Wish cartridge is identical to the one on this turntable. Yet the Wish cartridge sounds better than the one on the Victrola. I am beginning to wonder if the use of the headphone output colored the sound quality. Maybe the components in the headphone amp are inferior.
Review one of the current Duals in a future video, no? Peace.
I doubt that they developed the cartridge.
It seems like a rebadged BUM M1 cartridge.
I’m afraid to me,except for the sub woofer,the rest of it looked cheap and nasty and that dust cover less said the better.
Maybe wrong tracking force?
This system is an absolute dud relying way too much on the subwoofer to fill out the sound. I too think the distortion comes down to the cartridge. I'd try that replacement unit that it came with. If that doesn't work, then their cartridge is flawed. If you were to try a completely different model of cartridge all together and it still sounded muffled and distorted then there's something wrong with the amplifier. This is not worth 500 bucks let alone 100 bucks. I 1000% agree with you they should've just stuck a name brand cartridge on it and it and that would've made it so much better.
Funny…I thought the Revolution Go sounded much better.
Sub next to TT is never good idea.
Well I have to say I like the way it looks it is a very attractive system and i believe that this is a very great design and the accessories are cool but not impressed with sound It sounds to me like it is the cartridge the tracking force could be too light ,on one of my shure cartridges I bought a newv stylus from Kyowa a co. in japan now the tracking force for cart was supposed to be 1.5 to 2 grams but had the same prob that this TT is sounding like I went over the 2 gram stting and it cleared up the distortion that I had just like this sounds I noticed the cantelever on the stylus was thicker than the original stylus the cantelever on the victrola cart looked more rigid and thicker ,looks like the counterwieght on this TT is fixed if you could raise the counter weight to 3 or 3.5 grams it might improve ,like I said some records sounded great others I played sounded just like this one but this was a great review and again after a HECTIC day at work I get rewarded with a Record-O-Logy review this made my day much BETTER !!!!! thanks again JRo also I would like to add that even if the turntable is moving faster or slower the amount of tracking force will not slow if it is faster ,I have tried this with a belt drive and idler drive the speed stays the same cause of the light tracking I have seen some change just slightly with a heavy tracking cart like the ceramic type which tracks at 5 to 6 grams but just slightly JRo
I don't think the cartridge is the issue, it sounded exactly the same when you transmitted that CD audio.
And what a disappointment, bizarrely the Revolution Go from your previous review sounded better than this.
A teac Maybe been better. And that brand probably also has a better reputation.