- The Crosley C65 is a turntable and speakers for £289 / $299
- Switchable amp to use as a turntable with external components
- Bluetooth headphones support too
Crosley has unleashed a new record player package, which includes speakers right in the box so you have everything you need to get started – like a more affordable version of the Pro-Ject colorful packages I wrote about a little while back. Despite being cheaper, the new C65 is a stylish-looking package that seems like it could make a good great first system, or a system for smaller spaces.
The C65 is a belt-driven, retro-styled turntable that wouldn’t look out of place in The Fantastic Four: First Steps thanks to its old-school design cues. It’s teamed up with 50W speakers, which connect directly to its built-in amp, and can also stream to the best wireless headphones over Bluetooth.
Crosley C65 Record Player: key features and pricing
The Crosley C65 has a pre-mounted Audio-Technica ATN3600L moving magnet cartridge, an aluminum tonearm, and a full-size steel platter with adjustable pitch control. Its amp is switchable, enabling you to use it with external amplifiers if you want to upgrade later and just keep it as your record player, which is a nice touch of future-proofing.
The C65 is adjustable between 33⅓ RPM and 45RPM, and the package includes a 45-adaptor, slipmat, dust cover, cartridge alignment protractor and a spare NP5 stylus.
The price is £289 / $299, which puts it in the middle of the affordable audio market: that’s about £100 / €100 more than the Lenco or House of Marley turntable and speaker bundle you’re likely to see the C65 racked with at your local audio retailer, but a bit less than you’d expect to spend if you bought, say, an Audio-Technica or Sony Bluetooth turntable and something like Audio-Technica’s new active speakers separately.