Want to know how to fix your Crosley record player? Well, keep on reading my hard-rocking amigo. What I really like about Crosley is that they are great if you are someone who is just new to the world of collecting vinyl. You can get a really affordable budget priced Crosley Record player like this one here which is great if you want to just dip your toes in the world of vinyl collecting. You can spend a bit more and get one a little more fancy like this cool looking Crosley Record Player.
Crosley specializes in making turntables affordable for everyone, but there can be problems. To be fair, the issues we are looking at today are not exclusive to Crosley record players. Actually, I did look at muffled sounding Audio-Technica record players in this guide here. So, this is a problem other brands can have too, but there is nothing more annoying than having some free time to kick back and listen to a favorite album only for it to sound rather strange and muffled.
Check Your Vinyl!
Before we start putting the blame on Crosley, I highly suggest that you check out your vinyl records! I am a bit anal when it comes to my vinyl collection and treat them as well as I do my wife, kids, and pets! Ok so maybe not that much, but I like to take really good care of them. Keeping your vinyl in good shape is something I have written about before I highly recommend that you check that out! Anyway, my point here is that if you find that it is a couple of records in particular that sound bad, perhaps it could be the actual record?
Look over your records and make sure that they are as free from dust as possible so that the connection between the needle and vinyl is as solid as can be. Dust can cause havoc with your sound and really cause it to be kind of muffled. Any other kind of imperfection on your vinyl record can also have a negative effect on the sound quality. So, before we get to the actual Crosley record player, let’s take a closer look at your vinyl collection first!
Check The Needle/Stylus!
The next step in our quest to get your records sounding as good as possible is the needle. I really do not think you can put a specific lifespan on a needle as there is so much that can go into what causes it to wear down. What I can tell you is that if your needle is worn down then your sound is going to suffer. I actually wrote a similar article a short while back about my Audio-Technica record player and speak about the issues a worn down needle can have there.
If you are someone who is new to this hobby, which if you have purchased a lower cost Crosley record player, I would say the chances you are is quite high. That is not meant as a dig or negative by the way! Thankfully, changing a stylus is nice and easy and the good folks at Crosley even have a guide on how to change a Crosley needle which is worth checking out.
Check Your Phono Preamp
This is something that had I not dug around on places like Sonos I would have not given much thought to. However, your muffled sound could perhaps be because your phono preamp is not properly connected or if you have a lower cost model then it may not even have one! This can cause the sound you are hearing to really lack that kind of punch, oomph or whatever you want to call it.
If you do not have a phono preamp and are just using built in speakers like many Crosley record players have. You may want to get a set of speakers and a phono preamp to give the sound more kick and personality. If you do have a phono preamp and the sound is muffled all hope is not lost. Before you throw your phono preamp in the trash and look on Amazon for a new phono preamp let’s try some stuff! In an ideal world, you could try using a different turntable to see if the sound is still muffled. Also, make sure that the connections are right and things are plugged in properly.
Have You Tried Unplugging It And Plugging It Back In?
You know when you ring a technical support number that they always and I mean always tell you to unplug and plug it back in before you try anything else? Well, that is exactly what I am going to tell you to do here. I did kind of just touch on this a little before, but I am being dead serious here. If the sound is muffled or off in any way or if your Crosley record player is not functioning the way you want.
Before you turn into the Hulk and smash it up. Trying unplugging it all, give it a good clean and then carefully reconnect it nice and securely so that things are connected as they should be. I know this is a very simple and obvious kind of “tip” however, I am always amazed at how when dealing with audio equipment a simple unplug and re-plug can help.
I know firsthand how annoying it can be when you want to listen to your favorite records and there is something off with the sound. It has happened to me more than I would like to admit and it is always very frustrating. I would strongly suggest you try these methods we have looked at today and see if that makes a difference. In all fairness, I have found Crosley to be a pretty good company as far as their customer service goes. So in a worst-case scenario, get in touch directly with Crosley and see what they can do to help you out.