CR704B Musician

I decided to write this review because the only other one available really didn't do this product justice. As of July 3rd 2010 the only customer review on this product is that of Andres Roura titled "idiotic designer." Here he complains that the lettering on the buttons that identify each feature "CD, Tape, Power, etc" are hard to read because they are the same copper color as the background they are raised on. First of all, its not that big of a deal. Unless your eye sight is greatly diminished, you should really have no problem reading each button. Besides, after the first 3 or 4 uses, you should have each button/option memorized. Second, to write such a negative review just because of this aspect is really unfair to the product and misleading to the people who are considering buying it. I understand that everyone is entitled to their opinions and that maybe this "shortcoming" is enough to make some people dislike the product but I just don't like it being the sole interpretation of the it on Amazon because some people use those reviews to make their minds up on certain purchases. Personally, I very much enjoyed my turntable. I bought it about a month ago and was really worried it wouldn't be good enough or I wouldn't like it. When I got it (quite fast shipping actually), I was pleasantly surprised. It is a very good size product. Quite sturdy, doesn't feel cheap. I tried the radio first. The sound was awesome. That was what I was worried about the most but I was not disappointed at all. It provides a very rich a full sound. The adapter for ipod's or other mp3's on the back was equally great. Same great sound quality. Probably my favorite feature of the whole jukebox. The CD player is good too and even plays mp3 CD's. The record player has a slightly softer sound but I'm guessing that is normal. (I'm not really an audiophile and don't have much experience with record players.) That said, there is something so cool about playing vintage records and seeing them spin under the needle, just awesome! (To be fair)... The lettering is a little faint and requires a little bending down or squinting to make out the options (at least the first couple of times.) Like I said before, though, this is not that big of a deal and doesn't detract enough from the product to really be a factor (in my opinion). Besides the overall rating, Amazon asks for ratings on two specific aspects: Portability and Sound Quality. Portability: Well this isn't really what this is designed or intended for so its not something you take out to every party or carry around everywhere. I assume most people will find a place for it and leave it there most of the time (bedroom, living room, etc.) That said, it is pretty lightweight so its very easy to move around if you want to. I gave it a two for portability not because you can't take it places, but because I don't think you'll really want to. Sound Quality: Great. Its no state of the art, home theater system, but its very satisfying. It goes quite loud, louder than I expected and the sound is very rich and full. Sound is especially good with CD's, ipods, and FM/AM radio. Slightly less quality sound for records but I discussed that already (plus you can just turn the sound up a little extra). As for cassettes, I don't have any anymore (or don't know where) so I haven't tried that yet. Overall quite happy with the purchase. I highly recommend it if you want a system that has a nice aesthetic value and is a little out of the ordinary by today's standards. (Who plays records anymore? its totally cool) The sound is really good but if that's all you're concerned with and don't care much about the unconventional musical features, you might try something else.

I decided to weigh in on this topic to set the record straight (no pun intended). I'll begin with why I wanted this- First I love history, so anything that brings a look of 40's nostalgia to my home I'll probably want it. 1. Looks-- this thing will create conversation for whoever comes to visit. It truly stands out with it's unique look, and it really accents a home that has an older feel to it. The box is sturdy and doesn't feel cheap. It's made of real wood and looks to be a quality build. While the dials and front piece are all made of plastic, it looks and actually feels a bit like metal. The record player arm is made of metal, and the door lid arm is one you have to push in a bit before you close it. This is mentioned CLEARLY in the manual so people complaining about that is just nonsense. 2. The sound. Ok this thing ranges in price between $110-$140. I don't know what kind of sound people expect out of something cheap in price with no subwoofers or large speakers but to complain about the sound quality in that regard is just asinine. There are speaker vents on the front and side, but sound only comes out the front. The vents on the side are purely cosmetic. Yeah it could use a little more bass to it, and it'd be great if it had the ability to be hooked to something bigger, but I'll definitely sacrifice that for the classic look it brings to my home. Bottom line, the sound is fine. To give you the best idea of what it sounds like, imagine the amount of sound you can get from an iPad or Macbook and you have an idea. 3. The functions. It has an auxiliary port for various mp3 players. The switch to activate it is located in the back, along with the port. This unit also comes supplied with a cord for that very use. The tape player I won't comment on because I don't own any tapes, don't plan on getting any or ever using that thing. The cd player tray is located in front. The one thing I hate about this part is the large red track number display front and center when in CD mode. It takes away from the nostalgia and could definitely be a little more incognito. Same goes for the traditional "compact disc logo" on the cd tray. It looks out of place considering the classic look, and it's unnecessary. It's 2015. I think people know what that little slot is by now. The radio stays true to form of the old days by way of a manual tuner. It makes it a bit difficult to get precision tuning, but hey that was life back then. Either way, it doesn't really bother me because I listen to the radio basically never. Last but not least there's the meat and potatoes to this unit-- The record player. First and foremost READ. THE. MANUAL. If you've never used a record player before, don't write a nonsensical review about how crappy it is when you didn't take the time to learn how to use it properly. The record player works fine and sounds wonderful. I don't know if people younger than 30 know what records are all about and what they're supposed to sound like, but the lure bringing them back to the forefront of music, is precisely the "grainy" warm, imperfect sound. CDs and MP3s are too clean now days. Almost cold and clinical. This especially is annoying when listening to older jazz or WWII era music. That's where the record player shines. It truly transforms the sound space into something from another time. So all in all, this unit is incredible for it's price. It looks great, sounds wonderful and is a safe, safe buy IF you do your research. Yes there will be times when you order something and it broke in transit or was just a defective item. But people stop, stop, STOP blanketing the quality of the item over one isolated defected. These things happen. So my advice to anyone on the fence about this product. It's quality, and like I said, if you know what you're looking for, know what to expect and have patience to read the manual and troubleshoot, then I promise you won't be dissapointed.

This is a solid player. Not too of the line but had good sound

Great looking cabinet - fits our decor wonderfully! Sound quality is moderate - about the same as a Alexa Echo. I wish it had an equalizer- or, at least bass/ treble adjustments... Volume is not great, but fine for a single room (same as an Echo...) Have only used CD and cassette players a little - controls are ‘clunky’ for both, and components seem cheap. (But I did not buy this player to listen to CDs or cassettes...) Radio reception is decent, and old analog knob is kind of cool! Bluetooth connection is very simple and easy to use! Turntable is not full size (platter is smaller than standard 10” album; 45’s fit great. My albums are all 35-45 years old and have been in storage for 25+ years, so they have some warping/ damage issues... Some albums sound better than others... Needle is very light (I need to place a dime on top to keep from skipping... but that’s OK - part of the nostalgia! The lever to raise/lower the needle should be larger, and I wish the player would have an auto return after the last track (instead, the turntable simply stops - this protects the needle just fine, but is not as cool as an auto return would be... For the price, this is a great little system! I’m enjoying old albums that have not been played in 25-30 years! I could stream the same music ( with better sound quality), but it’s just not the same as watching the vinyl spin!

Excelente producto y muy agradable a la vista. La música se escucha con buena calidad. Lo compramos principalmente para los discos de acetato pero lo usamos para todo!

Great for what you pay. I know a lot of reviews state that this is made cheaply, and some aspects are but it plays records flawlessly, radio is great and tape deck and CD are functional (not using it for anything other than Vinyl and radio) Looks great and antique, and is very compact and does not take up a lot of room by any means, Speakers are very good for internal. Overall for my second turntable (1st being a 1970's classic with receiver and separate speakers ) this little machine is pretty awesome. Have nothing bad to say about it at all. Also Amazon shipped this fast and very secure. Lots of packaging around it to keep it safe!!!!!

ALL THE SCREWS WERE LOOSE. I TIGHTENED THEM AFTER PUTTING A DROP OF FEVICOLE ON EACH. THE TURN TABLE ARM IS STOPPING MUCH BEFORE THE END OF THE TRACK. I OPENED THE TURN TABLE AND ADJUSTED THE MICRO SWITCH PROPERLY.THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN CALIBRATED PROPERLY IN THE FACTORY. OTHERWISE GOOD, INCLUDING THE AUDIO FREQUENCY RESPONSE. RAMARAO

Love it. I wanted a vintage look and it looks great. It looks old with new technology. The sound is good. The tape player is basic, but functional. The CD player is good. The radio is really cool with the yellow light, it looks retro. The bluetooth gets recognized right away and works really well. I didn't try the vinyl yet but I really like this box. It looks solid. It was a present to myself for my man cave and I'm really happy with it.

The unit looks great and plays at the price point. We had trouble with the tuntable speed - spinning at 38rpm while on the 33 setting. YouTube resolution showed that there is an adjustment plate inside the back- all you need is a mini flathead driver and you can fine tune each of the RPM settings. We just played another recording of the same song on vinyl to align the tempo. Bought it for the turntable. The rest is gravy!