Can anyone recommend any of the portable record players currently on the market? I've had a vestax handytrax for a few years and am looking to replace that with a portable player which shares the same features, preferably with headphone socket, in built speaker, pitch control, usb, mains & battery.

One of the ones I've seen in record bars is the Ion iPTUSB, what's that like, decent sound quality ?

I appreciate they're not like the old 70's models (and certain 60's ones too) which were fab for sound, but the prices they fetch are big by comparison (unless anybody has one for sale reasonable?) tbh I'd rather buy a record for £250 than a Sound Burger

(if this isn't the correct location for this thread can a mod please move, but I thought it was of interest to most collectors, so started it here)

Soundburger is pretty cool and very portable.

Ian D

  On 04/11/2011 at 00:19, Ian Dewhirst said:

Soundburger is pretty cool and very portable.

Ian D

Cone of paper & a pin are cheaper though, and also very portable...

Edited November 4, 201113 yr by Mace

https://waxidermy.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=38226

Thanks for the help - after reading the link I've now been looking at the Crosley which comes with an american 120volt mains adaptor, which begs the question can this be used with some sort of adaptor on our voltage?

  On 08/11/2011 at 22:37, purist said:

Thanks for the help - after reading the link I've now been looking at the Crosley which comes with an american 120volt mains adaptor, which begs the question can this be used with some sort of adaptor on our voltage?

I've heard the crosley is crappy. They made it look like a soundburger but i heard it was built poorly and doesn't handle much abuse.

  On 08/11/2011 at 23:50, boba said:

I've heard the crosley is crappy. They made it look like a soundburger but i heard it was built poorly and doesn't handle much abuse.

It's OK, but nowhere near the Soundburger.

The Columbia GP-3 would be my recommendation if you can find one - I've had mine for over 10 years, still going strong. Much better made and more robust than the Numark, Vestax, Ion....

Aren't you all missing a salient point? It doesn't matter how robust, small, well built it is - most of these have poor quality needles and you will probably be plonking it on an a wonky table and then listening to a record. Isn't there a fair chance that you are doing a lot of harm to something you might be about to buy?

  On 10/11/2011 at 03:43, phillyDaveG said:

Aren't you all missing a salient point? It doesn't matter how robust, small, well built it is - most of these have poor quality needles and you will probably be plonking it on an a wonky table and then listening to a record. Isn't there a fair chance that you are doing a lot of harm to something you might be about to buy?

This isn't really true, these portable turntables are modern turntables that have normal tracking force and replaceable needles. If you use an old fisher price then you would have this problem.

  On 10/11/2011 at 03:55, boba said:

This isn't really true, these portable turntables are modern turntables that have normal tracking force and replaceable needles. If you use an old fisher price then you would have this problem.

I think audiophiles might disagree there, but I suppose it doesn't make much odds when most old 45s have already been through the mill a bit I guess.

PS. Fisher Price lol, are they still going, or did they go out with Ronco? >

  On 10/11/2011 at 04:23, phillyDaveG said:

I think audiophiles might disagree there, but I suppose it doesn't make much odds when most old 45s have already been through the mill a bit I guess.

PS. Fisher Price lol, are they still going, or did they go out with Ronco? >

lots of collectors (including famous people like DJ shadow) use the old fisher price battery powered kids turntables. there is the generic red kind but I actually have seen a lot of people using the sesame street model with big bird's head at the end of the tonearm

  On 10/11/2011 at 04:37, boba said:

lots of collectors (including famous people like DJ shadow) use the old fisher price battery powered kids turntables. there is the generic red kind but I actually have seen a lot of people using the sesame street model with big bird's head at the end of the tonearm

LMAO, I genuinely thought you were pulling my leg...until....

>

  On 10/11/2011 at 04:44, phillyDaveG said:

LMAO, I genuinely thought you were pulling my leg...until....

>

Dave, Fisher Price portables are the finest - rewire the dc power socket on the side as headphones (same socket size) and they sound better than a soundburger - really, i've had both. Never had any issues with any record ever played on it and the batteries last forever.

But really, get on my level and get the accessory as well!

))))))) Sutty

The one positive thing about the fisher price portables is that they're loud. There's no headphone jack though. I have one at home, I actually use it to fix skips -- the heavy tracking force will play through records that skip on regular turntables and playing a record through a few times will often fix the groove enough to play on a regular turntable.

  On 10/11/2011 at 04:37, boba said:

lots of collectors (including famous people like DJ shadow) use the old fisher price battery powered kids turntables. there is the generic red kind but I actually have seen a lot of people using the sesame street model with big bird's head at the end of the tonearm

......what's not to like about having a big birds head on the end of your tonearm

I've got possibly the smallest portable record player ever made (if you don't include those VW toy van vinyl killers and the like)

It's called the Super Midget and is approx 220mm x 90mm x 50mm in size, battery operated and includes a radio!

The record is not rotated by the turntable, but a verticle rubber wheel mounted about 50 mm from the centre spindle.

It's cool as fcuk!

I'll post a pic later........

  On 10/11/2011 at 17:43, Mace said:

......what's not to like about having a big birds head on the end of your tonearm

I've got possibly the smallest portable record player ever made (if you don't include those VW toy van vinyl killers and the like)

It's called the Super Midget and is approx 220mm x 90mm x 50mm in size, battery operated and includes a radio!

The record is not rotated by the turntable, but a verticle rubber wheel mounted about 50 mm from the centre spindle.

It's cool as fcuk!

I'll post a pic later........

there actually is one that's probably smaller (but not really usable), it's just like a tiny piece of paper that folds into two pieces with a needle on one end, and you have to rotate the record yourself. I'll try to find a link.

  On 10/11/2011 at 17:52, boba said:

there actually is one that's probably smaller (but not really usable), it's just like a tiny piece of paper that folds into two pieces with a needle on one end, and you have to rotate the record yourself. I'll try to find a link.

A bit like my post # 3 on here with the cone and pin?

You can see the Super midget on Youtube link below.....you can see later in the video that you have to physically move the centre spindle further away from the rotating vertical wheel to change from 45rpm to 33 rpm.....

Edited November 10, 201113 yr by Mace

  On 10/11/2011 at 17:59, Mace said:

You can see the Super midget on Youtube link below.....you can see that you have to physically move the centre spindle further away from the rotating vertical wheel to change from 45rpm to 33 rpm.....

that definitely is the tiniest "real" record player I've seen

I did see one that was possibly smaller once on ebay.

It was one of those 'snap shut' type with the stylus built into the underside of the lid.....looked more of a toy than a genuine player, and wasn't too sure how effectively they track on the grooves so resisted the temptation to bid on it.

Edited November 10, 201113 yr by Mace