The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

The Victrola model VTA-800B
Equipped with a reproduction (pre-Orthophonic) Victrola style tonearm... ...and a rather flimsy looking portable Victrola style record storage compartment... and... it costs what you'd expect to pay for a good condition table or floor model REAL Victrola.
See -- https://www.bestbuy.com/site/victrola-b ... Id=6287495

If it's built like most of the Crosley Victrola models produced today, the turntable speed will be off by about 20%, the record will slow down and speed up randomly, and it will last about a year before something burns out. I'd guess the tonearm and faux sound-box are made out of chrome-colored plastic?

OrthoFan

Even though it uses an electric cartridge to actually play the record, that big fake mechanical sound-box it's attached to looks like it would wreak havoc on any vinyl record. I wonder how much record pressure that thing has.

The "bad execution of a worse idea" phrase fits nicely here.
-bill

I hope when they engineered this record player they put in counter weights to offset the weight. It looks like it would play your record the first and only time you put it on. They must have taken this into account in the design otherwise they may be subject to some litigation on this. I am sure Jacoby and Meyers would help out Tom

I’d buy it for the novelty. I’ll just play Ken Griffin organ solos on it.

But it doesn't play cylinders , tapes or 8 tracks

"no expense spent"

AmberolaAndy wrote:I’d buy it for the novelty. I’ll just play Ken Griffin organ solos on it.

Ken Griffin? Meh...but mess with Jesse Crawford at the Mighty Wurlitzer and we're going to have to take this outside!

Back on topic, I don't see how people who have the slightest idea of a phonograph's mechanical workings could convince themselves that this...THING is a good idea to play vinyl on.

VanEpsFan1914 wrote:

AmberolaAndy wrote:I’d buy it for the novelty. I’ll just play Ken Griffin organ solos on it.

Ken Griffin? Meh...but mess with Jesse Crawford at the Mighty Wurlitzer and we're going to have to take this outside!

I prefer Collins H Driggs and his Novachord.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7gtptlyFLD4

Player-Tone wrote:Even though it uses an electric cartridge to actually play the record, that big fake mechanical sound-box it's attached to looks like it would wreak havoc on any vinyl record. I wonder how much record pressure that thing has.

A ceramic cartridge, according to the owners manual, which is also lacking much of anything regarding real specs, like wow and flutter, etc. Tuantable drive system is belt, 33/45/78. Doesn't state what the tonearm tracking force is or if it's adjustable.

Probably safe to spin 78's on, if you have the right stylus.