Califone 1005 Record Player with Built-in Speaker

Comments about Califone 1005 Record Player with Built-in Speaker:

This is a very pleasant looking item with solid body construction. The actual clasps on it are cheap however and would benefit from something a bit beefier like you would see on earlier Califone models from years past.

The tone arm and additional components of the turntable are pretty cheap. The arm lifting lever is delicate and flimsy but completely functional. It does what it's supposed to do but it isn't a terribly solid construction - this can be said for the guts of the player overall.

The sound is a bit lower quality than prior reviews would have led me to believe. I simply had higher expectations - it's a lot to ask for much from a couple of 4" speakers places a few inches apart from each other. You won't find yourself getting any true stereo definition.

The turntable works well with old records as it had a low fidelity sound - if you're looking to play older jazz recordings or country records you'll find a decent nostalgic quality presented. But if you're looking to hear anything that has even the slightest layered complexity you'll be sadly disappointed with what you hear.

The device is suitable for a small room, like a den, office, sunroom or screened porch. If you're specific with what sort of application you want the record player to be used for you can better determine if it's right for you. In hindsight, knowing what I know now, I would have opted for a vintage model if it was in a very good condition over this one.

Just do you your research and determine if this is right for you before you buy. Caveat Emptor

Comments about Califone 1005 Record Player with Built-in Speaker:

Extremely easy to use. Just a basic record player. Nothing fancy. It is like the one your teacher used in class in 3rd grade! Simple no-frills player.

Comments about Califone 1005 Record Player with Built-in Speaker:

and for very cheap, you get a quality record player with 2 loud speakers, and when I say loud, I mean, when I'm home alone and showering I turn it up on full blast and can hear it coming from my room down the hall. Turns off automatically so when I fall asleep listening to Miles Davis it doesn't play forever. Good tone adjustment. ONLY downside and its kind of major is no headphone jack but it says that in the description and reviews and i'm totally okay with that :) Great purchase [...]. Very impressed for a first time user. :)

Comments about Califone 1005 Record Player with Built-in Speaker:

My Califone 1005 Record Player is very user friendly. It is compact, speakers are clear, and it fits in a corner perfectly. It is easy to carry and lightweight. This is a classic.

Comments about Califone 1005 Record Player with Built-in Speaker:

This record player is used by my brother who has Down Syndrome. He lives for his records and love of music. He has 45's and 33 1'3 records and plays them all day long. I couldn't begin to count them all. This record player was easy for him to learn to play. And the most amazing part for me was it sounds sooooo good. Being a self-contained unit, you wouldn't expect this. It has a great sound. It is easy for him to handle also. The fact that it is also portable makes it even that much better. Thank you so much for a super product. God bless....Dorie...Pennsylvanis

Comments about Califone 1005 Record Player with Built-in Speaker:

I caved in and bought this because I have a lot of modern rock vinyls I've been collecting that I wanted to listen to, but I'm on a budget. I'm a bit of a music/sound nerd and I would say sonically this turntable leaves a little to be desired; the sound quality is a bit hazy and comparable to listening to music on AM radio. But it certainly gets the job done and at a really reasonable price. The unit seems really sturdy and is made of good quality material. If you want really good quality sound it may be worth skipping this and saving up for a more expensive turntable that you can hook up to speakers, but if you're just listening to music casually in a small room or apartment, this is pretty good.

Comments about Califone 1005 Record Player with Built-in Speaker:

i had a collection of lps from my earlier days of garage and goodwill shopping with my dad. i used to have this old record player that ran off an amplified stereo system (old school). it died a long, long time ago. when i was looking for a new record player, i was hesitant, yet drawn, to this product due to its compact-ability and built in speakers. i like the the volume to be up. im happy to report that, as long as ur in the same room, it does the trick!

I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THIS PRODUCT OUT OF THE BOX

Comments about Califone 1005 Record Player with Built-in Speaker:

A decent record player!
I have a nice little record collection, with access to many dusty record shops in the neighbourhood.

This is a perfect low cost choice.
Plays 33⅓, 45 and 78s!
Provides good sound, plug and play enjoyment!
Perfect for someone who wants a basic machine to enjoy their music with.
Happy hunting.

Comments about Califone 1005 Record Player with Built-in Speaker:

I bought this player for my parents to replace a Crosley that didn't function correctly. This has better sound quality than the Crosley and seems to be made better. It's getting difficult to find a player designed to be played regularly. Most are USB players now, designed to record to CD and they don't hold up to regular use. Others, such as the Crosley are designed for looks rather than performance. I don't know how long it will last, but it's better than the Crosley that malfunctioned right out of the box.

Comments about Califone 1005 Record Player with Built-in Speaker:

I bought this for my daughter, who is in college, and wanted a compact unit to listen to our vinyl collection. It is easy to operate and store when not in use, which is important because she lives in a small apartment. As a former first grade teacher, I was familiar with the durability and quality of Califone products. It has been 22 years since I taught first grade and I am pleased to report the Califone quality is just as good as I remember.

Comments about Califone 1005 Record Player with Built-in Speaker:

I purchased this record player for my mom, who wanted to listen to the many old LPs that she hasn't played in years. I saw a number of other record players online, some with CD and cassette players included, but I questioned their quality after reading many reviews about them. On the other hand, this simple Califone product is designed for schools and is obviously built to last. It does just what it's supposed to do: Play records. The sound quality from the two built-in speakers is surprisingly good. It closes up nicely for safe and easy storage. My mom has given it a pretty good workout thus far with no complaints. If you're looking for something to play the old vinyl, if you want it to last, and if you don't need a lot of bells and whistles, you can't go wrong with record player.

Comments about Califone 1005 Record Player with Built-in Speaker:

I needed a simple record player for my apartment, and I wanted it to be cheap and good. Well, it is cheap and excellent, and I couldn't be happier. I can't believe how good it sounds.

Comments about Califone 1005 Record Player with Built-in Speaker:

I spent about two months online reviewing different record players. I finally discovered the Califone 1005. It is meant to be used in classrooms, so I was a little worried about playing my 33 rock records on it. I finally decided to go with the Califone, and I couldn't be more pleased. It is a great product, and the sound quality is superb as well.

Comments about Califone 1005 Record Player with Built-in Speaker:

Not everyone is in the 21st century technologically and the elderly can find the 'new-fangled' equipment mind boggling.

My dad has a wonderful old collection of records from the 40's and on. He loves to listen to them in his apartment. The CD 'versions' were not his comfort zone.

He absolutely LOVES this record player and has told me that he plays his records every day - Big Bands, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, etc.

I am delighted that it is a simple and easy to use record player and has a great built-in speaker system. It is small enough to be out without getting in the way.

The price is very reasonable. It is portable making it additionally useful.

I don't have any 'cons' concerning this record player.

Comments about Califone 1005 Record Player with Built-in Speaker:

Our daughter, a music major who plans a career in teaching music, wanted a record player. We searched all the options for something that would play records well, not just one time to convert them to CD's or MP3's, did not have to be part of a stereo system, and was affordable.

She loves the Califone. The case is sturdy enough for a dorm room and easy to transport. The speaker is loud enough and the sound quality is very good. The stabilization feature works well. It even plays records with the top closed! The price was fair for the quality of the product.

Instead of trying to be everything, Califone makes a very good record player that plays records well, exactly what we wanted.The only thing that could possibly make it better would be the ability to interface with other electronics.

It was very hard to find reviews about the product on-line, so we weren't quite sure if it would live up to the advertisement. I am taking time to write this review to say that it does!