Are all of the suitcase record players just sh!t + any other recs under 200euro?

PoisonIvyBelle

I got a "Juice Box" suitcase record player as a gift but it was making a lot of surface noise so I exchanged it for another thinking it was broken. But nope, same problem with the new one. Dude in the store said he has one and it's perfect so I dunno, but the sound was annoying as hell. So I got a refund on it but now I need to choose a new one and I'd prefer to put an extra few euro towards it to get one that's half decent.

I'm no connoisseur, just have a few records I'd like to be able to play, so I don't need anything amazing, just something that doesn't screech! I've been looking up a few other suitcase style ones but they seem to have a lot of bad reviews. I think it's actually the size compared to the records + the speakers underneath that created the surface noise I was getting so I don't want to end up with the same thing again. Then I thought the Ion range would be good but it also doesn't get a lot of support online.

Any recommendations for something less than 200e?

ford fiesta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058243100/are-all-of-the-suitcase-record-players-just-sh-t-any-other-recs-under-200euro

Purchase something used but more quality and older, on adverts.ie or donedeal.ie

Deagol

Or you could just play a CD... no extraneous noises on those ;)

Sleepy

The suitcase systems are all rubbish ime.

It's easy enough to put together a decent separates system from adverts though. I was gifted a turn-table a couple of years back and managed to pick up an amp, speakers, CD Player and Radio tuner for under €100. It was the extra cable to connect the Amazon Dot which I already had into the amp that pushed me over the €100 mark! It's a mix of Sony and Pioneer units, mostly mid to late 90's "prosumer" level stuff so nothing a true audiophile would be likely to be interested in but head and shoulders above the sound quality you'll get from a Bluetooth sound bar or the like.

L1011

The basic Audio Technika is the only supermarket/record store budget unit worth buying. All the suitcase ones are junk.

PoisonIvyBelle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118975183#Comment_118975183

It's actual screeching, not just a bit of noise. I have some records I'd like to be able to play, unless you know of a CD player that plays records.

vectra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058243100/are-all-of-the-suitcase-record-players-just-sh-t-any-other-recs-under-200euro

Get a half decent used one from adverts and buy a used amp/speakers as well. You will be glad you did.

basskebab

All the suitcase record players use the same OEM plastic record player body with a pretty crap cartridge/needle. None of them will sound good

Your best bet is a record player with a built in pre-amp and some powered speakers, that way you don't have to worry about getting an amp too.

I know it's over your budget but something like this from Tower Records is a decent setup and reasonably priced for what you're getting. If it was me I'd hang on save a bit more and then get that

That Audio Technica record player will be much better then any suitcase one and the speakers are good too, plus you can Bluetooth music from your phone to them.

https://www.towerrecords.ie/product/BundleAStarterBundle_AudioTechnicaAT_LP60XUSB_EdifierR1700BTBluetoothSpeakers/823402

Alternatively as other people say look for similar stuff second hand on adverts. Just be aware you'll need a record player with a built in phono pre-amp otherwise you'll end up having to get a separate phono-pre amp to feed the record player into the speakers. Record players don't have a high enough output to go straight to amps/speakers without a phono pre-amp to boost the output

PoisonIvyBelle

Looks like adverts is the place to go! Thanks everyone.