Like I have said numerous times in the past, it's really ez these days to make a cheap turntable that looks expensive. This one, however, appears to be pretty good and should satisfy most casual listeners. It's certainly worth it's price point. One thing the Chinese manufacturers have perfected is packaging. It amazes me how they solidly pack their products into cheap cardboard boxes! Merry Christmas!
I was wondering how good or bad this turntable is, so thanks for the review. It's a big step forward for the Digitnow brand, but that counterweight lacking a separate dial is a pretty stupid design flaw, and they need to work on their quality control, with that misaligned headshell and wobbly platter.
Yes indeed.... and the fact that they include a 'spare' spindle bearing indicates that the one already fitted is going to wear out VERY quickly!! Most decent turntable manufacturers employ a spindle bearing that'll last 20-30+ years at very least; and they have since at least the 60s/70s.... I have several 70's/80s decks that have perfect spindle bearings still - no noise, and perfectly smooth platter rotation. That they provided a 'replacement bearing indicates that they know the one supplied will fail pretty quickly!! NOT a good sign - along with, as was pointed out by VWestlife, the lack of proper tone-arm balancing, the crooked cartridge/tone-arm alignment, and the wobbly platter - which will introduce wow& flutter into the playback of a 'perfectly' flat record, as it will cause it ride up-and-down as it rotates, just goes to show how much care and attention is put into the design and manufacture of many of these lower grade items. These 'OEM' manufacturers don't care what the product is like, as long as they can sell it for cheap, so they have them mass-produced for ridiculously low costs, and then sell them on at much higher prices. At least well known, and reputable brand names like Sony, and Audio Technica, using the same factories , have control over the quality of the product, and dictate certain tolerances that have to be met before the item is released... and if there are issues, then the name-brand companies get them fixed - even if it takes time. "Digitnow" is not a known brand, and are just yet another of those companies that want cheap crap to sell for a high profit; screw Quality Control.... as long as they ship in volume, then that's it for that range, and they'll go back and introduce a new line of equally crap components - with what they'll call 'improvements'..... The likes of Crosley and Victrola are just the same... churn it out cheap, and watch it sell..... We have companies like 'GPO' and 'ION' here in the UK doing the same thing every year.... it's the same crap in a new casing !!
@@stevesstuff1450 Crosley not quite: their higher end stuff is better. (I know, I use a Crosley C8, it's really underrated for what it is) But I do see what you're saying about the others
I went to see Johnny Mathis a few years ago. He was fantastic. When the pianist played the first notes of "Misty" there was thunderous applause from the audience. I'll never forget that night...
Well, you really can’t expect a built in amplifier, that this turntable has, to be as good or superior to stand alone amps. There are some compromises to this system that audiophiles are quick to detect.
Holy chit, the cocked headshell and the "odd" counterweight marking setup would be a turnoff for me, but also I am NOT the target audience here. Enjoy your videos, you are, possibly, the reigning king of CZcams low-fi/mid-fi new product reviews.... which is a good thing. This is about the third time i have seen you "wonder" whether a platter was steel or aluminum.. oughtta have a magnet near you for these reviews... . Thanks for the video.
To have it turn off before the record is over is a deal breaker for me. Yes, you may be able to adjust that, but why should you have to? The crooked cartridge also adds to the deal breaking in this case. Too bad. It looks and sounds good! BTW-that’s the same 45 adapter that’s in the all in ones (Crosley, etc.). Undoubtedly the cheapest, which is why they use it.
Well this is odd, I was looking for something exactly like this for my dad. Great timing!!! (BTW, as soon as I saw that label I thought "Either Dire Straits or Status Quo")
Cool unit. You could probably loosen that tone-arm screw with one of those "off-set" screwdrivers that have the L-shaped tips. Then you could twist it to the correct angle.
2:25 That's great quality "plastic" foam and I like using that stuff in small pieces placed behind my picture frames or art pieces to prevent them from marking or sticking to my walls (latex paint has this issue). That high-end foam has lots of uses. :)
Looks like a chopping board with a platter and tonearm on top. I think the dustcover needs to be lowered at the back hinges as it's sloping upwards from front to back. Very neat that they included a spare belt and bearing! Most companies try to prevent maintenance instead of supporting it, so they can sell a new one.
14:54 One has got to love Johnny Mathis whose voice is like butter (as was the voice of the late great Nat King Cole). It's not Christmas if I don't hear Johnny Mathis' rendition of 'Winter Wonderland' from his 'Merry Christmas' album and every time I see the snow falling, I always think of Johnny Mathis singing that song. :)
Really fantastic machine it has very promising sound quality too.really like it.status quo is always a welcome choice too.we love quo here in uk,one of our best home grown rock outfits ever.
Oh Yes,Recognised that Label immediately...What a very nice looking unit and speakers...I guess the issues can be sorted...Certainly would not put me off buying,if i had a mind to.....Very enjoyable review...My goodness,you must have SO many boxes mate !!! Lol.....
Not a bad looking unit, I really like the look of it. The cartridge on that tonearm does look a bit crooked, but I'm sure that could be adjusted in some way. As for the player auto stop feature being activated before the record is over, I don't know. I would guess there may be a screw or something near the back end of the tonearm you can adjust to stop that happening. I know a lot of the auto changers in the 70's such as the BSR's had a screw underneath the tonearm to adjust the set down and auto stop mechanism and you would turn it anti clockwise to move outwards or clockwise to move it inwards. I have also found that some records do have a very tiny, short run out groove which means the tonearm will end up being close to the label before the record ends, so they will often be a bit of an issue with players with auto stop. Great album btw. Status Quo rocks, they are a great band. I love that green Vertigo label just as much as the black and white swirly label. Do you have any of those black and white ones in your collection? Great review.
This doesn’t appear to be a bad setup at that price point considering an Audio Technica AT-LP60X is $99 and then someone has to deal with choosing powered speakers from a plethora of choices which may be overwhelming. I’ve been steering people in that direction but this bundle could be another option for the first timers. (My only peeve is the auto stop but I grew up with fully auto and semi-auto tables like the AT-LP60X that return the delicate arm to the rest.) It would definitely be an improvement over a crappy plastic suitcase record player especially ones where the record scrapes the non-removable lid or falls backwards (not mentioning names). BTW, speaking of Crosley, it looks like they sell a bundle similar to this one for $189. Any chance of taking a look at their “C62” system and comparing it to this bundle?
Record-ology, when unboxing these various sets of stereo equipment, you ooze with enthusiasm like a kid at Christmas! Gotta love it! That turntable is really quite attractive. Like you, however, I, too, am OCD when it comes to my music equipment. It's gotta be perfect.. That uneven rotation of the platter would drive me nuts. And the cartridge being shipped with a crooked shell is pretty much a deal breaker. You would think that the manufacturer would have made absolutely sure that the unit being sent to a reviewer such as yourself would be perfectly flawless. That was a real turn-off to me, although it did sound pretty darned good, but, still, I cringe at what damage the angled cartridge and stylus is doing to your records. I'll be interested to hear what the manufacturer says when he sees this video and hears your review. Do keep us posted!
Great video look at the turntable and speakers. Very interesting to consider buying it. I have a request to also review a turntable, amp, cd, am/fm, usb . It's on Amazon called: Tech play Commander. It was listed in October 2020.
Benja thanks i own the Orbit plus and will upgrade to the fluance RT85 once they make a white version. I would like this turntable in the video for another room.
So is the all in one sound system in a box 📦 no big deal lol 😂 plus the fact I have one of those anyway I live in a apartment I’m lucky that I have one
Did you figure out how to adjust the runout on this unit? I've got the same record player and it is driving me crazy since I cannot listen to any of my records till the end before the autostop turns the player off.
Hello, I bought a turntable with a magnetic cartridge, connected it to the network, there is voltage, the bluetooth works, but when I press "play" the platter does not spin. Tell me what could be the problem?
And you were in Boy Scouts?? I'm an Eagle. What was your highest rank? I believe I've found another reason to love you guys lol (even though I don't agree with what the BSA teaches anymore)
(I promise you that this is it!!!) I was wondering, does the pause switch work on the TT as well as the Bluetooth? I’m asking because that may be part of the problem of turning off before the record is done playing?
I can only conclude that they keep pushing USB and digitizing vinyl as a gimmick to sell more machines. Anyone who has tried doing that using Audacity will tell you that the idea sounded better than the actual execution. It’s just not that practical to do, and is laborious and time consuming.
Re: 45 adapters A metal 45 adapter is an expense that just isn't necessary. It's a simple matter of cost. It would cost a lot more to machine ONE 45 adapter out of metal than it would to mold a few hundred plastic ones - and that's a cost that would have to be passed on to the consumer. As inexpensive as plastic is, it's actually 'overkill' for its function. A 45 adapter has only one purpose, and in that function it's not actually subjected to any mechanical load. You could easily manufacture a 45 adapter out of cardboard and it would perform its function just as well. In fact, I have a few cardboard adapters. I don't mean that someone cut up a cardboard box to make an adapter; I mean that they were stamped out of heavy cardboard in a factory somewhere, and sold in stores, or provided either with a record player or with the records themselves. All that said, I have designed and 3D printed some specialty adapters for friends and even sold a few. Those are actually vanity items. Not that there's anything wrong with 'vanity' items; I'm just saying that if you want something special, it's probably not going to be supplied with the turntable unless you're spending substantially more money.
So I recieved this for this past Xmas, and my platter wobble is so bad that the needles skips and jumps , is there a way I can try to fix that myself or do I just need to return the system?
Like I have said numerous times in the past, it's really ez these days to make a cheap turntable that looks expensive. This one, however, appears to be pretty good and should satisfy most casual listeners. It's certainly worth it's price point. One thing the Chinese manufacturers have perfected is packaging. It amazes me how they solidly pack their products into cheap cardboard boxes! Merry Christmas!
Well said!
I was wondering how good or bad this turntable is, so thanks for the review. It's a big step forward for the Digitnow brand, but that counterweight lacking a separate dial is a pretty stupid design flaw, and they need to work on their quality control, with that misaligned headshell and wobbly platter.
agreed
Yes indeed.... and the fact that they include a 'spare' spindle bearing indicates that the one already fitted is going to wear out VERY quickly!!
Most decent turntable manufacturers employ a spindle bearing that'll last 20-30+ years at very least; and they have since at least the 60s/70s.... I have several 70's/80s decks that have perfect spindle bearings still - no noise, and perfectly smooth platter rotation.
That they provided a 'replacement bearing indicates that they know the one supplied will fail pretty quickly!!
NOT a good sign - along with, as was pointed out by VWestlife, the lack of proper tone-arm balancing, the crooked cartridge/tone-arm alignment, and the wobbly platter - which will introduce wow& flutter into the playback of a 'perfectly' flat record, as it will cause it ride up-and-down as it rotates, just goes to show how much care and attention is put into the design and manufacture of many of these lower grade items.
These 'OEM' manufacturers don't care what the product is like, as long as they can sell it for cheap, so they have them mass-produced for ridiculously low costs, and then sell them on at much higher prices.
At least well known, and reputable brand names like Sony, and Audio Technica, using the same factories , have control over the quality of the product, and dictate certain tolerances that have to be met before the item is released... and if there are issues, then the name-brand companies get them fixed - even if it takes time.
"Digitnow" is not a known brand, and are just yet another of those companies that want cheap crap to sell for a high profit; screw Quality Control.... as long as they ship in volume, then that's it for that range, and they'll go back and introduce a new line of equally crap components - with what they'll call 'improvements'..... The likes of Crosley and Victrola are just the same... churn it out cheap, and watch it sell..... We have companies like 'GPO' and 'ION' here in the UK doing the same thing every year.... it's the same crap in a new casing !!
@@stevesstuff1450 Crosley not quite: their higher end stuff is better. (I know, I use a Crosley C8, it's really underrated for what it is) But I do see what you're saying about the others
I went to see Johnny Mathis a few years ago. He was fantastic. When the pianist played the first notes of "Misty" there was thunderous applause from the audience. I'll never forget that night...
I don't know how audiophiles might not like how it sounds, but for me, sounds quite decent, and the turntable looks amazingly aesthetic 😊
It's because Audiophiles enjoy excellent sound reproduction.
Well, you really can’t expect a built in amplifier, that this turntable has, to be as good or superior to stand alone amps. There are some compromises to this system that audiophiles are quick to detect.
Holy chit, the cocked headshell and the "odd" counterweight marking setup would be a turnoff for me, but also I am NOT the target audience here.
Enjoy your videos, you are, possibly, the reigning king of CZcams low-fi/mid-fi new product reviews.... which is a good thing.
This is about the third time i have seen you "wonder" whether a platter was steel or aluminum.. oughtta have a magnet near you for these reviews... .
Thanks for the video.
To have it turn off before the record is over is a deal breaker for me. Yes, you may be able to adjust that, but why should you have to? The crooked cartridge also adds to the deal breaking in this case.
Too bad. It looks and sounds good!
BTW-that’s the same 45 adapter that’s in the all in ones (Crosley, etc.). Undoubtedly the cheapest, which is why they use it.
not worth $239 due to quality control issues , platter wobble and cartridge misalignment, too bad because it is a nice looking unit
Well this is odd, I was looking for something exactly like this for my dad. Great timing!!! (BTW, as soon as I saw that label I thought "Either Dire Straits or Status Quo")
Rock on!
Cool unit. You could probably loosen that tone-arm screw with one of those "off-set" screwdrivers that have the L-shaped tips. Then you could twist it to the correct angle.
2:25 That's great quality "plastic" foam and I like using that stuff in small pieces placed behind my picture frames or art pieces to prevent them from marking or sticking to my walls (latex paint has this issue). That high-end foam has lots of uses. :)
Probably good for model railroading as well?
Looks like a chopping board with a platter and tonearm on top.
I think the dustcover needs to be lowered at the back hinges as it's sloping upwards from front to back.
Very neat that they included a spare belt and bearing!
Most companies try to prevent maintenance instead of supporting it, so they can sell a new one.
14:54 One has got to love Johnny Mathis whose voice is like butter (as was the voice of the late great Nat King Cole). It's not Christmas if I don't hear Johnny Mathis' rendition of 'Winter Wonderland' from his 'Merry Christmas' album and every time I see the snow falling, I always think of Johnny Mathis singing that song. :)
Really fantastic machine it has very promising sound quality too.really like it.status quo is always a welcome choice too.we love quo here in uk,one of our best home grown rock outfits ever.
Oh Yes,Recognised that Label immediately...What a very nice looking unit and speakers...I guess the issues can be sorted...Certainly would not put me off buying,if i had a mind to.....Very enjoyable review...My goodness,you must have SO many boxes mate !!! Lol.....
WAYY to many!
You may be able to level the cartridge by putting spacer or washer under the inside nut. But it does look like a defect.
Not a bad looking unit, I really like the look of it. The cartridge on that tonearm does look a bit crooked, but I'm sure that could be adjusted in some way. As for the player auto stop feature being activated before the record is over, I don't know. I would guess there may be a screw or something near the back end of the tonearm you can adjust to stop that happening. I know a lot of the auto changers in the 70's such as the BSR's had a screw underneath the tonearm to adjust the set down and auto stop mechanism and you would turn it anti clockwise to move outwards or clockwise to move it inwards. I have also found that some records do have a very tiny, short run out groove which means the tonearm will end up being close to the label before the record ends, so they will often be a bit of an issue with players with auto stop. Great album btw. Status Quo rocks, they are a great band. I love that green Vertigo label just as much as the black and white swirly label. Do you have any of those black and white ones in your collection? Great review.
Yay- a metal platter- way to go. Not finished watching yet but looking good so far.
This doesn’t appear to be a bad setup at that price point considering an Audio Technica AT-LP60X is $99 and then someone has to deal with choosing powered speakers from a plethora of choices which may be overwhelming. I’ve been steering people in that direction but this bundle could be another option for the first timers. (My only peeve is the auto stop but I grew up with fully auto and semi-auto tables like the AT-LP60X that return the delicate arm to the rest.) It would definitely be an improvement over a crappy plastic suitcase record player especially ones where the record scrapes the non-removable lid or falls backwards (not mentioning names). BTW, speaking of Crosley, it looks like they sell a bundle similar to this one for $189. Any chance of taking a look at their “C62” system and comparing it to this bundle?
I no longer have it but here is our review of the C62 czcams.com/video/BVthIw6Z1-c/video.html
Good idea though......
Hmm, an analog music player made by "Digitnow." Is there some irony there?
lol
Record-ology, when unboxing these various sets of stereo equipment, you ooze with enthusiasm like a kid at Christmas! Gotta love it! That turntable is really quite attractive. Like you, however, I, too, am OCD when it comes to my music equipment. It's gotta be perfect.. That uneven rotation of the platter would drive me nuts. And the cartridge being shipped with a crooked shell is pretty much a deal breaker. You would think that the manufacturer would have made absolutely sure that the unit being sent to a reviewer such as yourself would be perfectly flawless. That was a real turn-off to me, although it did sound pretty darned good, but, still, I cringe at what damage the angled cartridge and stylus is doing to your records. I'll be interested to hear what the manufacturer says when he sees this video and hears your review. Do keep us posted!
Great video look at the turntable and speakers. Very interesting to consider buying it. I have a request to also review a turntable, amp, cd, am/fm, usb . It's on Amazon called: Tech play Commander. It was listed in October 2020.
the headshel of my philips 222 from 1978 is canted too, no way to adjust it ,i believe its been that way sinds it left the factory.
dang...
I hate that auto stop feature.
If you can get your hand on TEAC TN-180 it would be great. I would want to hear your review about that budget turntable 😊😊😊✨
I'll check it out!
I love your videos, I love retro systems. Greetings from Mexico 🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽
Awesome! Thank you!
Any idea where I would buy a replacement needle for this model? I can’t seem to find one that’s the right size.
Like it. Am going to let friends know that want to get into vinyl.
Great review. I would like the option for a cheaper price without the speakers and use what I have.
That's a good idea!
I’d say go for a base model U-Turn Orbit. Around $180, made in the US, and everything is upgradable for the future!
Benja thanks i own the Orbit plus and will upgrade to the fluance RT85 once they make a white version. I would like this turntable in the video for another room.
So it has auto stop , it did on the 45. , Looks great to me though
So is the all in one sound system in a box 📦 no big deal lol 😂 plus the fact I have one of those anyway I live in a apartment I’m lucky that I have one
Would you say this turntable is better than crosley c10?
No, the c10 is made by Pro-Ject and is WAAAAAAYYYYYYY higher quality......that being said this isnt bad.
@@Recordology Thank you
Hey. How do you set up the speed. My turntable is playing the vinyles very slow!
PS-I first thought that this might be the Crosley box from your prior video!!!
Why mine doesn’t play through speaker?
Did you figure out how to adjust the runout on this unit?
I've got the same record player and it is driving me crazy since I cannot listen to any of my records till the end before the autostop turns the player off.
I think I have seen this video about 5 times so far, all that changes is the branding, but the product remains the same.
Hello, I bought a turntable with a magnetic cartridge, connected it to the network, there is voltage, the bluetooth works, but when I press "play" the platter does not spin. Tell me what could be the problem?
will this come through a computer wirelessly?
Negative...it will receive BT audio from a phone or computer and act like a BT speaker.
just received this as a christmas gift! any tips on how to readjust where the record runout is?
Hmm I didnt see how myself....
@@Recordology dang :/ i noticed it’s only doing that with some records but not others. thanks for the review it was really helpful!
And you were in Boy Scouts?? I'm an Eagle. What was your highest rank? I believe I've found another reason to love you guys lol (even though I don't agree with what the BSA teaches anymore)
DYB DYB DYB, DOB DOB DOB
I made it to 1st class and Order of the Arrow.
Looks pretty cool but I will strick with a set that i have in mind. Haha.
(I promise you that this is it!!!) I was wondering, does the pause switch work on the TT as well as the Bluetooth? I’m asking because that may be part of the problem of turning off before the record is done playing?
Always love your comments!! That's a great question about the pause button - didn't try that!
The speakers are 4 ohms?
Johnny Mathis. Oh. Yeah 👍👍👍👍😎
I cannot for the life of me balance the arm. Either that or there’s another issue cause I can get anything but static
My subplatter is sinking 😞 the aluminium scrapes the plinth - any tips on why…reoil? How?? Any help appreciated
Mine doesn't bounce up and down like yours - please can you assist Recordology?
I can only conclude that they keep pushing USB and digitizing vinyl as a gimmick to sell more machines. Anyone who has tried doing that using Audacity will tell you that the idea sounded better than the actual execution. It’s just not that practical to do, and is laborious and time consuming.
100% agree.......i never digitize vinyl.....
Re: 45 adapters
A metal 45 adapter is an expense that just isn't necessary. It's a simple matter of cost. It would cost a lot more to machine ONE 45 adapter out of metal than it would to mold a few hundred plastic ones - and that's a cost that would have to be passed on to the consumer.
As inexpensive as plastic is, it's actually 'overkill' for its function. A 45 adapter has only one purpose, and in that function it's not actually subjected to any mechanical load. You could easily manufacture a 45 adapter out of cardboard and it would perform its function just as well.
In fact, I have a few cardboard adapters. I don't mean that someone cut up a cardboard box to make an adapter; I mean that they were stamped out of heavy cardboard in a factory somewhere, and sold in stores, or provided either with a record player or with the records themselves.
All that said, I have designed and 3D printed some specialty adapters for friends and even sold a few. Those are actually vanity items. Not that there's anything wrong with 'vanity' items; I'm just saying that if you want something special, it's probably not going to be supplied with the turntable unless you're spending substantially more money.
Can you shoot me an email - I have a question for you. recordology1938@gmail.com
@@Recordology done!
Hi. It has the adjusting screws in the bottom if it is too slow or too fast? Thanks and besr regards
That is correct
This record player is currently 18.00 brand new on Amazon lol
So I recieved this for this past Xmas, and my platter wobble is so bad that the needles skips and jumps , is there a way I can try to fix that myself or do I just need to return the system?
Sorry to hear this - I would return this one.
Just got one. Mine does too! Were you able to figure it out?
Very nice 👍
Fireman chit
Whittling chip
ah yes
Cut towards your buddy, not your body :)
Instructions unclear: I cut myself and my buddy.
I would not buy this. absolute garbage.
A audiophile snob then
Better than a suitcase 🧳 phonograph