Sample Clips from USB Turntables

Listen to recordings from USB record players before you buy one.

Hearing is believing. While you can spend lots of time reading what makes a good turntable and comparing features in our USB turntable guide, what matters most is how your records will sound.

Now you can listen to actual, unaltered sample recordings from several USB record players. What you hear is what you're going to get. Which vinyl ripping turntable sounds best to your ear?

Also, compare these LP recordings to their CD counterparts. How close can the turntable come to CD quality?

Finally, see some photos and learn about each turntable before you buy. Even if you like the way it sounds, does it do everything you need?

Preview the record player you're considering before you buy it right here in Knowzy's Sample Clips from USB Turntables.

 

Contents

• USB Turntable Samples
• A Closer Look at the USB Turntables
  • Audio-Technica AT-LP2D-USB
  • Ion Audio TTUSB05
  • Crosley CR249
  • Grace Digital Audio Vinylwriter (AVPUSB01S)
• About Similar Sounding Turntables
• Coming Soon: Independent Technical Analysis
• Thanks to Richard Tollerton and Hydrogen Audio
• Talk About It

 

 

USB Turntable Samples

Here they are: Recordings of popular music ripped from USB turntables and the same samples on CD. Just click on the "Play" buttons to hear them or click on the "Play All" buttons at the end of each row and column to hear all of the samples, one after another.

Don't forget to get a closer look at each turntable after the chart. For even more details on these USB turntables and buying a record player in general, see our USB turntable comparison guide.

The music files are all 192Kbps MP3 files. Knowzy also makes FLAC versions available at Hydrogen Audio.

 

 

About Similar Sounding Turntables

Many USB turntables sound alike. There are companies that use the same basic parts over several turntable models. A company may rebrand another company's USB turntable. In situations like these, if you hear one turntable, you've heard the similar turntables as well.

With over 60 vinyl ripping turntables on the market, Knowzy will probably never sample them all. But we can do the next best thing: Whenever a turntable is similar to one for which we have samples, we'll give you a chance to hear the similar recordings.

We are picky about what we consider similar. The main components of the turntable must be identical. In particular, we look for:

• Same cartridge and stylus. Nothing affects sound quality more than the cartridge (the unit that holds the needle). We won't even consider calling it similar if the cartridge is different.
• Same tonearm. A different tonearm can change tonal quality of the sound (hence the name). While the difference in sound isn't as dramatic the cartridge, it's enough that we won't consider two turntables with different tonearms similar.
• Same type of platter. Compared to a plastic platter, a heavier, aluminum platter offers a steadier rotation, playing the record more smoothly. While it may be difficult to hear difference, if the platters aren't the same type, we don't consider turntables similar.

 

Turntables We Consider Similar

The following are turntables for which we have sample recordings and other models that are nearly identical.

 

 

 

A Closer Look at the USB Turntables

Now that you've heard the turntables, it's time to learn a little about them. Are they gentle on your vinyl? Is the software friendly? Are there other useful features?

Each USB record player is unique. Be sure it's right for you before you buy it.

For even more details on the turntables, the four links in the box on the right (Basics, Features, Construction and Specifications) take you directly to the respective comparison chart in our USB turntable guide.

 

The Good

• Not defective on arrival!
• Windows software burns CDs
• Aluminum platter

The Bad

• Excessive needle pressure wears down vinyl faster
• Possibly too loud
• Extra $10 to create MP3s

 

Overview

Every good point about the AT-LP2D-USB is seemingly balanced by a similarly bad one: It features an aluminum platter but the stylus presses down too hard on the vinyl. It includes feature-packed software but won't create MP3s without a $10 upgrade. It has every possible cable you might need but the overly-loud recording volume occasionally clips your music.

In the end, you get a lot for under $100, you just don't get the perfect vinyl ripping system.

 

Complete Package and in Working Order

Ordinarily, "not defective" isn't a plus, it's expected. However, of the three turntables Knowzy purchased, the Audio-Technica was the only one where something didn't need to be fixed before using it. AT's quality control department gets points for that!

The AT-LP2D-USB comes with every imaginable way to connect it: USB, RCA, 1/8" male and female, pre-amp on or off. The Cakewalk software is advanced and full-featured, though notably missing is the ability to create MP3s unless you purchase an upgrade (more about the software below).

 

Is It Too Loud For You?

Audio-Technica's samples are the loudest of the bunch. While it's tempting to equate the loudness to better sound quality, in reality this is not a good thing.

When combined with a loudly recorded LP, such as Gorillaz "Demon Days," you get clipping- the volume exceeds the maximum level. Since the recording volume is not adjustable on any USB turntable reviewed here, you are helpless to prevent the clipping.

To be sure, most records Knowzy tested did not clip and the loudness is a plus if you just want to record and be done with it. The Crosley turntable records at a much lower volume. You will want to "normalize" the volume after recording with this turntable so the music doesn't sound soft in comparison with your other digital music.

 

Serious Needle Pressure = Accelerated Vinyl Wear

When designing a cartridge (the unit that holds the needle), one of the major goals is to use as little force as possible on the record. This reduces vinyl wear, allowing you enjoy your records longer.

Audio-Technica has a good reputation when it comes to cartridges. The AT440MLa* is a favorite "budget" cartridge among many turntable enthusiasts at around $150. It puts around 1.5 grams of pressure on your record.

The AT3600L cartridge featured on the AT-LP2D-USB would make these same enthusiasts cringe.

At 4.54 grams of tracking force, it presses down hard on your vinyl. In fact, it exerts almost the same amount of pressure as the infamous ceramic cartridge found on Crosley's record player (4.62 grams). The Ion TTUSB05's cartridge is much easier on your records with 3.08 grams of tracking force.

Nonetheless, this turntable features a moving magnet cartridge, which sounds much better than Crosley's ceramic cartridge. You need only listen to the samples to hear the difference.

 

Bass Boost Built-In

Hydrogen Audio's Axon's signal analysis shows a significant bass boost. In fact, he called it "shocking."

Ultimately, it comes down to personal taste. You can judge for yourself whether the extra bass is shocking or pleasing by listening to the samples.

 

Advanced Software Though Not Vinyl Ripping-Centric

You can read a full review of the software in the comparison guide. Briefly, here's what you need to know about Cakewalk's pyro Audio Creator LE.

This software is for Windows only. Mac and Linux users are stuck with Audacity, which is tricky to learn and is missing several key vinyl ripping features, such as CD burning.

pyro teases you when it comes to MP3 creation: You only get this ability for 30 days. After that, you are forced to purchase the $10 "encoder" module to continue creating MP3s.

Two other important vinyl ripping features are missing from pyro: You cannot look up album information on the Internet which saves your fingers from typing in the song titles, album name and artist. There is also no way to automatically split your album side into individual tracks.

These faults aside, pyro Audio Creator is truly feature-packed software suitable for people who like to perfect their recordings. It removes pops, clicks and hiss, it has equalization and volume adjustments, it burns CDs and offers advanced editing features. It goes well beyond simple LP recording.

 

 

 

The Good

• Easy to use software for Windows and Mac
• Treads lightly on your records (for the price)
• Almost no assembly required

The Bad

• Software is barebones and inflexible
• Plastic platter
• Defective on arrival

 

Overview

If you're only willing to part with $100 for a USB turntable, the Ion TTUSB05 offers a lot for your money. It features easy to use (though very limited) software. The needle exerts little pressure on your vinyl compared to the Crosley and Audio-Technica turntables. Take it out of the box and it is nearly ready-to-go (assuming it arrived in one piece, Knowzy's was in three).

Its all-plastic construction reminds you that the Ion Audio TTUS05 is not a high-end turntable by any means. But for less than $100, you could do worse.

 

A Decent, Cheap Cartridge

The TTUSB05 is Ion Audio's next-to-bottom-of-the-line turntable. Only the portable iPTUSB is lowlier in their USB turntable line-up.

Despite its ranking and price, it does feature a moving magnet cartridge, as opposed to a ceramic cartridge featured on the Crosley. The difference in sound quality between these two types of cartridges should be evident when listening to the samples.

The TTUSB05's cartridge also puts little pressure on your records compared to Audio-Technica's moving magnet cartridge- 3.08 grams vs. 4.54 grams. The less "tracking force" a cartridge puts on your vinyl, the longer it will last.

Vinyl enthusiasts like to see that tracking force number under two grams. Closer to one gram is even better. However, cartridges with such low tracking force start at around the price of this turntable and get much more expensive from there. And, unlike the higher-end Ion Audio turntables, the cartridge on the TTUSB05 is not replaceable.

 

What Else is the TTUSB05 Made Of?

While the Audio-Technica turntable features an aluminum platter, the TTUSB05's platter is made of plastic. A heavier platter leads to steadier playback. This is perhaps one reason why Audio-Technica publishes their specifications (particularly Wow and Flutter) where Ion Audio publishes absolutely no specs.

Like the Crosley turntable, the TTUSB05 is semi-automatic. This means the tonearm returns at the end of the album but it's up to you to place the needle on the record at the beginning. The fully automatic Audio-Technica starts playing at the press of a button.

The turntable comes almost completely assembled. All you have to do is place the mat on the platter and connect it to your computer.

 

Defective on Arrival but Easy to Fix

It's amazing that the Audio-Technica was the only turntable Knowzy purchased that didn't arrive broken in some way. On the Ion TTUSB05, the cartridge had fallen off the tonearm and the stylus had slipped off the cartridge (see second photo).

This wasn't difficult to fix. Both pieces snapped back together and the TTUSB05 played records just fine.

One concern was that the stereo balance might be off if the needle skewed one direction or the other. However, watching the meters, the channel balance was visibly better than the Audio-Technica, which arrived in perfect condition.

The whole experience makes it tempting to jump to the conclusion that quality control is an issue with some manufacturers of these cheap USB record players.

 

Medium Volume Level, May Need Help

Unfortunately, most USB turntables do not let you set the recording volume. All of the turntables featured here record at a fixed volume.

The recording volume of the TTUSB05 is between the Crosley (quite low) and the Audio-Technica (possibly too loud).

On one record, Gorillaz, the Audio-Technica exceeded peak volume. This wasn't a problem for the Ion Audio turntable.

However, the Ion Audio's lower level means reaching for the volume knob when shuffling your LP music in with your digital music. Your vinyl files will sound much softer in comparison.

You can fix this somewhat by using software to "normalize" the volume after you're done recording. The Audio-Technica's loudness may allow you to skip this step.

 

Easy to Use but Barebones Software

If you don't consider yourself computer savvy, Ion Audio's EZ Vinyl Converter makes recording your LPs simple. The downside is that it may be too simple for your needs.

There's a full review of EZ Vinyl Converter in the USB Turntable Comparison Guide. Briefly, here's what you should know.

It is extremely easy to use: It guides you through the entire LP ripping process, from dropping the needle, to creating tracks to naming the songs to creating MP3s.

Creating new tracks is very imprecise. You need to press a button as each song is ending. It is difficult to get just right and your only recourse is to re-record the entire album.

Mac users rejoice: Both Mac and Windows versions ship with the turntable.

Innovative feature automatically figures out the album name and song titles. Just don't try to use it over a dial-up Internet connection.

There's a lot it doesn't do: Adjusting volume, removing clicks and hiss, exporting to formats other than MP3, trimming silence at beginning and end of the record and most mistakes are only correctable by starting over.

 

 

 

The Good

• Stylish, portable, comes in two colors
• Built-in speakers
• Plays 78 speed records

The Bad

• Poor sound quality
• No easy software
• Seriously defective on arrival

 

Overview

The Crosley CR249, aka the "Keepsake Turntable," is truly a style over substance proposition. Its attractive retro look comes in black and tan and travels in style. But it features an undesirable ceramic cartridge and the difference in sound quality should be obvious listening to the samples. Nonetheless, the CR249 has features not found on the other two turntables: Built-in stereo speakers, a line-in jack, 78 speed and portability.

Buy this turntable because you like the way it looks. Buy this turntable because it stores nicely alongside your luggage. Don't buy this turntable for sound quality- you'll be sorely disappointed.

 

The Infamous Ceramic Cartridge

In the turntable comparison guide, Knowzy profusely warns you about turntables with ceramic cartridges. The Crosley sample clips provide the proof.

The Gorillaz sample is good example of how bad your music could sound through the CR249. You actually hear this "crispy crackling" noise accompanying the music.

It also skipped five times during this song. This is a new record in excellent condition. None of the other turntables skipped on this song.

Low bass and/or loudly recorded albums seem to cause the crispy crackle noise. It is easily noticeable on the Black Eyed Peas and Gorillaz samples but well under control on the albums produced in the 70's.

Beyond the crispy crackle effect, you may notice a lack of low-end tones in general. This hallow sound is another limitation of ceramic cartridges- a poorer frequency response.

 

It Does 78's. Just Get the Proper Needle

The Crosley is the only turntable out of the three that has a 78 speed. However, Crosley doesn't make a stylus suitable for playing 78 records. Luckily, LP Gear sells an aftermarket needle to breathe new life into your 78's without ruining your original stylus.

Any turntable with a 78 speed can play a 78 record. However, it is important to use a stylus made specifically for 78 records for two reasons: First, these old records will damage a needle designed for regular, vinyl records. Second, your 78 record will sound worse when played with a stylus made for vinyl records.

The grooves on 78 records are wider than modern vinyl records. They also respond better to a conical-shaped needle, as opposed to the spherical-shaped needle found on the Crosley.

The result: Use a stylus designed for modern records on a 78 record and you'll hear mostly the dust in the bottom of the groove, where it has been collecting for a century or more. At the same time, the hard shellac and other materials quickly wear down the tip of your Crosley-supplied needle.

Knowzy located only one company that sells a 78 needle compatible with the Crosley NP4 needle (please write in if you have another source, competition is good). LP Gear sells this stylus for $28.95. The Crosley NP78 stylus is not compatible with this turntable.

 

DOA: Fixing (Would Have) Required Warranty Service

The CR249 Knowzy purchased from RadioShack powered on but the platter refused to spin. In addition, the cover fell off completely upon opening due to bent hinges (see third picture). The kicker: Crosley expects you to pay $20, plus shipping, for their mistakes.

The motor was running but the turntable wasn't spinning. It was clear there was a problem with the turntable's belt. Knowzy opened it up (voiding the warranty) to see if it was fixable. Sure enough, the belt has simply fallen off the platter (see second picture). After re-attaching it, the turntable was spinning properly.

The bent hinges remain. As a result, the dustcover sits to the side of the record player when in use.

Crosley's warranty policy reflects poorly on their level of commitment to and confidence in their workmanship. The warranty is 90 days and, in addition to footing the bill for shipping it back to them, they ask you to include a check for $19.95 "to cover the handling and return postage."

In comparison, Ion Audio offers a 90-day warranty and you pay for one-way shipping. Audio-Technica stands by their product for a full year and, again, only one-way shipping.

 

Other Crosley CR249 Features

In addition to 78 speed, the CR249 has other features not found on the other two turntables. It is portable, it has built-in speakers and has a line-in jack for digitizing a tape player or other audio component.

The Crosley folds up and is secured by a clasp. When closed, it resembles a piece of luggage, complete with a handle. It easy transportable and stores nicely.

The line-in auxiliary connection is 1/8", the same size as a mini-headphone jack. It lets you connect a tape player, 8-track or anything else with a line-out. You can either digitize what you connect or listen to it through the built-in speakers.

The stereo speakers are loud enough to fill a room. They are one-way, so don't expect superb sound quality. The volume and tone controls adjust what comes out of the speaker but doesn't affect the digitization.

 

No Easy to Use Software

Unlike the other two turntables, the Crosley doesn't come with additional software to make digitizing your vinyl easy. It ships with Audacity, a program you can download free on the Internet that is difficult to learn and doesn't burn CDs.

Even experienced computer users struggle to learn how to use Audacity for vinyl ripping. To their credit, Crosley does a pretty thorough job in explaining how to use Audacity in their "Software Installation Guide."

In 22 pages, they cover setup, recording, raising the volume level (you will need to do this), cleaning your audio, dividing LP sides into tracks (manually and automatically) and saving your songs as computer files.

What's missing? They only allude to the fact that saving your songs as MP3s requires you to jump through some hoops. They don't touch the topic of creating a CD from your records other than to suggest using a WAV file format. They also omit how to "tag" your files with song titles and album and artist names.

Audacity accomplishes most vinyl ripping tasks. However, if you're not a computer whiz, you may need to enlist one to get you started.

 

 

 

The Good

• Cheap. Seen as low as $50

The Bad

• Shaved record grooves while playing
• Defective even after warranty repair
• Skipped often. Profusely in one case.

 

Overview

This was the worst of the four USB turntables Knowzy tested. It took four needles and two months before Knowzy had a working turntable. Even then, poor sound quality and constant skipping characterized the playback.

We normally try to find three positive attributes to put in the "Good" section. "Cheap" was the only one that came to mind. We're open to suggestions. Platter rotates clockwise, perhaps?

A ceramic cartridge and stylus pressure we measured at 6.75 grams are reason enough to avoid this record player. The damage it did to our records and the hassle of getting the turntable in working order is beyond what even the most patient and understanding consumer would endure.

 

Carved Out Grooves as It Played

The photos speak for themselves- the record grooves turned from black to whitish-gray as the needle passed through them. The dust of groove scrapings coats the tracks that the Grace turntable played.

The problem turned out to be a bent needle, which is apparently a common problem on these turntables, as evidenced by the following:

• The Grace Digital Audio warranty repair rep instantly knew what the problem was.
• The repaired unit also had a bent needle.
• It's not difficult to find others reporting the same problem, like in this Amazon review.

The sound produced from the record-shaving needle was as bad as it looks: An unbearable amount of surface noise overwhelms the music.

It was a long journey to a working USB turntable. Our "repaired" unit came back with a needle bent in the opposite direction of the first. Grace then sent out a replacement needle that took a month to arrive. Read the whole story at Hydrogen Audio.

 

Poor Sound Quality and Serious Skipping

Predictably, the ceramic cartridge produced poor sound. Its tendency to skip, however, earned it the honor of worst USB turntable we've tested.

The Grace turntable skipped on several songs. These are practically new albums that the other turntables had no trouble playing (with the exception of the Crosley turntable, which also has ceramic cartridge).

The skipping was comically bad when we tested the Gorillaz album.

This is an album record "hot" (louder than the average record) and features pounding bass. It seemed to be the perfect recipe for getting the Grace turntable to skip.

Every beat produced a skip in Gorillaz's Dare. It finished the four-minute song in a minute and eight seconds.

After the horrendous skipping, we played the same Gorillaz track on the Audio-Technica turntable. It played through without a single skip.

From a sound quality standpoint, the whooshy-crackle noise that seems to define the ceramic cartridge sound was easily noticeable on the Black Eyed Peas track. You can also hear it on the Crosley turntable.

While we were expecting poor sound quality from this record player, the frequency of skipping was simply unacceptable.

 

Only Freely Downloadable Software Included

Like so many other USB turntables, the only software included is a free, a general-purpose audio editor called Audacity. While it performs many of the tasks required to digitize your albums, it doesn't do them all and it's not easy to use.

Even if you get past the fairly steep learning curve, you will need to rely on other programs to create CDs and to automatically populate your MP3s with album information.

Moreover, Audacity simply isn't designed for the process of recording your LPs, making certain tasks more cumbersome than they need to be.

For example, a program called VinylStudio automatically pulls down album information from the Internet, including track names, song times and album art. It then splits the album into tracks and organizes the recordings based on what it learns about the album from the Internet.

Grace and other USB turntable makers could create a much better vinyl ripping experience for their customers if they included specialized software such as VinylStudio or its chief competitor Acoustica's Spin It Again.

If nothing else, companies like Grace owe a debt of gratitude to the volunteers behind Audacity for creating and freely offering software that keeps the cost of their turntables down. By donating to the Audacity project, these companies could reward the Audacity team's efforts and encourage the developers to consider the needs of vinyl digitizers in future improvements.

 

A Turntable that Goes by Many Brand Names

Grace Digital Audio didn't make this turntable. This is an "OEM" USB turntable, where a company slaps their logo on a complete product made by someone else.

In this case, the turntable comes from a Chinese company called Leetac Electronics. Knowzy found five different companies hawking this same turntable: Memorex, firstStreet, Technical Pro, Innovative Technology and Grace Digital Audio.

JC Penny, Kohl's, Macy's and even Bed, Bath and Beyond, sell the Innovative Technology version. Knowzy first noticed the Memorex version as an insert to a Chevron credit card bill.

$100 is the going price at these outlets. You can find this turntable online much cheaper, as low as $50.

There is no need to settle for this cheap, cookie-cutter record player, though. For $100, you can find many better USB turntables with moving magnet cartridges. And that's exactly what we recommend when asked.

 

 

 

Coming Soon: Independent Technical Analysis

Richard Tollerton, publisher of the audio engineering blog Audiamorous, is doing some in-depth technical analysis on the samples Knowzy is producing. He is less interested in the music files presented here and more interested in test tones recorded from two LPs: The Ultimate Analogue Test LP* and the Hi-Fi News Analogue Test LP (HFN002).

These two test LPs contain a variety of test signals to determine proper stereo balance and anti-skate adjustment, offer a sense of the turntable's wow and flutter, RIAA equalization, rumble and more.

With the right tools (some of which Richard is developing) and a great deal of know-how, these test tones reveal a lot about how accurately a turntable is able to reproduce the sound etched into the vinyl.

Work on wow and flutter analysis in underway. Once some solid results are in, Knowzy will report them.

 

 

Thanks to Richard Tollerton and Hydrogen Audio

Knowzy extends thanks to Hydrogen Audio and, in particular, Richard Tollerton (HA member Axon) for their invaluable help in producing these sample clips.

Several threads on Hydrogen Audio show the selection of the clips, nailing down the process and discussion of the results. You can also find lossless FLAC versions of these clips, as well as complete test LP recordings from each of these turntables.

Read more in the following Hydrogen Audio threads:

 

 

 

Talk About It

Tell us what you think or ask a question. We are all ears on the Audio Feedback page.

Is there a turntable you'd like us to test? Do you have an experience about USB turntables to share? Do you have questions about how the samples were produced? Is there something you want to know about any of the turntables featured here?

Let us know!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Originally Published:  Friday, April 17, 2009

Last Updated:  Sunday, March 07, 2010