I'm looking for a record player (probably -0) price range just to play records with good sound quality and a classy look, I was looking at the Sony PS LX300USB - turntable and the ION IPTUSB Portable Turntable, any suggestions? Im new at this and don't care too much if they convert into mp3's or not, thanks!

I have been set a college assignment: I have to write a letter, fictionally, to the BBC, stating my opinion regarding development in music technology. The thing is, my tutor says it's too long! Help! Here it is...

Letter to The BBC

Dear Editor

I am writing to share my opinions regarding the development of portable music technology throughout the second half of the 20th century, and so far throughout the 21st. It would be of great interest to me, to discover whether any of your other readers share my views.

We have, as a nation, witnessed the development of numerous portable audio players, and it seems that each new concept is much more complex than the one before it. It is only when we compare the ideas which were developed in the 1980’s and 1990’s, to the devices which are available in the modern day, that we can truly appreciate the process of utilising new technology to produce devices of a higher sound quality and durability than the devices developed in these earlier times.

The personal stereo, which was introduced in 1979, was the first portable audio system available for purchase. The personal stereo enabled an individual to listen to a cassette tape via a pair of headphones. This meant that music could be listened to in a public place, supposedly without disturbing others. (I say supposedly because, should the music be playing at a very high volume through the headphones, complete isolation of the sound would be lost.) The individual could create compilations of cassette tapes to listen to, by recording tracks from a record, or another cassette, according to his own personal preference.

The portable cassette player was criticised by some, owing to the fact that it was not compatible with 8-track tapes. However, it was argued that cassette tapes were much more suitable for a device such as this, as they were much smaller and compact.

Portable CD players became predominant during the 1990’s. These devices enabled the user to listen to CD’s while on the move. CD’s were preferred by many, as cassette tapes had a tendency to snap, or become otherwise damaged, while they were being transported from place to place. As CD’s are more durable than cassette tapes, the possibility of damage was reduced.

However, unlike cassette tapes, CD’s could be easily scratched, which would affect the sound quality of the music. Furthermore, vigorous movement, such as jogging, running for a bus, or even a bumpy car journey, would cause the CD to “jump”- something which would not occur with a cassette tape. For this reason, personal cassette players remained popular during the 1990’s/

Manufacturers offered a solution to the limitations of the CD in the form of the MiniDisc player. This digital device used recordable CD’s and had various advantages to the personal CD player, including the fact that it was more compact, and the user could move around without the sound quality being affected. The Minidisc could not be easily damaged, due to the fact that it was contained in a protective plastic case.

Obtaining pre-recorded albums on Minidisc format, however, was very difficult. Therefore, if the user did not own a MiniDics recorder, his choice of music was limited. For this reason, although this format received some interest, it was never very popular.

The first Digital Audio Players, also known as DAP’s, became available in 1998. These devices contained a miniature hard-drive in which music tracks could be stored. Solid state storage enables the device to hold much more information than a CD or a cassette, and as a result, the hard drive can store many albums, and sometimes thousands of tracks.

These devices are extremely light and durable. They can be transported inside a pocket or the smallest of bags. It is possible for the owner to create playlists according to his own personal preference- not unlike the cassette player, but much more convenient. The shuffle, skip, search and random features of a personal CD player are available on this device, and there are no CD’s or cassettes to become scratched or damage.

The main disadvantage of these devices is that, to transfer music to the device, the individual requires access to a computer. Even in these modern times, not everyone owns a computer, and the procedure itself can seem complicated to those who are not confident on a computer. Also, the device runs the risk of becoming damaged by things such as magnets, water, sunlight, etc- just the same as earlier devices. Also, as the device is so small, it is more easily lost than its larger, more prominent ancestors.

So there we have it; a brief history in the development of portable audio devices. Every individual has his preference. Personally, I am the proud owner of an Ipod Nano- and a Sony personal cassette player! For this reason, the following comments may seem strange, if not total nonsense. So here goes…

Cast your mind back to a

Help, I am looking for a portable mp3 player to play in my car, since all I have in my car right now is a cassette player, and considering it s a new car and all, I dont really want to be messing with its wiring and stuff.I have tried to record my mp3s to cassettes, but its just too cumbersome and time consuming these days,not to mention the additional costs of having to buy batteries, recording cassetes, and my cassette recorder suddenly started playing everything I recorded twice as fast , it stopped recording properly and I dont know why.
I am currently looking for a player that can play mp3s from my computer in my car. Any suggestions ?
I m really clueless about these things, do i get an mp3 player, an Ipod, or a handphone with alll the mp3 and camera features inside ?
How much issit gonna cost and how effective will the sound quality be produced ?
plus, issit safe to be having the player on while driving, and can i create playlists like you do with winamp or a thumb drive ?
thx

I want to study and work out at the same time. I've tried recording my voice with an old tape deck on cassette, but the sound quality sucks and old tape walkmans are heavy and cumbersome. I tried recording my voice on my laptop with wave files, but the sound quality sucks again and I haven't found away to burn the files to a CD that a portable CD player could play. ARGH! I really want to study and work out. Any other ideas?

im planing to buy one ... and was wondering if you guys had any recommendations .... id love a vintage mix with modern look (or just any kind of look really as long as it's good) and of course good sound quality
i already have an ipod you narrow minded dumbasses .... i want a record player

I recently scored a great deal on a full stereo set, it included a 5 cd changed, a dual cassette player (with high speed dubbing), AM/FM tuner, the amplified for it all, and of course, to put the cherry on the top; a very nice Sony Turn table with 2 speeds; the common 33 1/3 and then the other common, 45. Sadly, I ran a test (after noticing bad sound quality) on it and realized it spun at approximately 29 /12 RPM, causing bad distortion in the record. I checked the motor and belt and neither of them looked damage - not that I know for sure since I am not completely familiar with Record Players.
I just assumed the Motor was not functioning right, and I was told getting my turn table fixed would cost as much as buying a new one, so, I have been on the search for a somewhat cheap turntable.
It needs to have RCA cables to connect into my amplifier, and needs to be thin to be able to fit in stereo case that all the equipment came in. (not like laptop-thin, but you know, nothing humongous). Aside from that, I only use 12" vinyls, and don't plan on owning and 45s, so so long as it can play 12" vinyls - at the correct speed - I am fine with that.

Hello, I would like to hear from some people as what their thoughts are on this. Everynight, and I do mean everynight, as I lay down to go to sleep at night, I hear music. When I get up to locate the source, I can find none. I have been having this go on for two months, this time. I have had it happen before around the time my mom passed away. I can hear music and singing, however I cannot make out any words whatsoever. Last night I gave myself a headache trying to concentrate on it. My partner who was in the bed next to me, could not hear a thing. It reminds me of an antique radio as far as sound quality goes. It almost sounds like I am listening to it through a tin can...it has a "tinny" sound. It is starting to drive me nuts as I get up every night trying to locate where the sound could be coming from, but as soon as I start searching, it's gone. Any thoughts on this?? Serious answers only please
I have thought about the brain issue however it's not that. And to Fireball....dont judge me and my lifestyle, you have no clue what I have been thru in my life. Apparently you cannot read well as I stated it starts as soon as I lay down...so unless I dream awake, its not that I'm dreaming. And which god would you have me repent to??? the one that died on the cross for ALL of US not just you. that response had nothing to do with my question so keep your comments to yourself.
Thanks for the serious answers. As far as the mental aspect goes, most schizophrenics dont question the voices they hear. They think it's normal..this was told to me by a doctor. And the fact that I thought I was crazy, pretty much means I'm not as I wouldnt be sane enough to question it. I appreciate the responses. I have looked into heating vents...mine are up high but nothing. I dont know if I mentioned this, but I have had this happen before in a different house around the time my mother passed away. I will continue to look into it.thanks again

I heard it was legal to download songs off of limewire (or any of the big file sharing programs) if you own the CD that they are on. Since vinyl records have superior sound quality over MP3 music files I was wondering if i could buy a vinyl record then dl the songs on it off of limewire for portable MP3 player use legally. If it is legal, that rocks. If not, oh well.

I recently got a record player that transfers music to my computer via USB cable. The first few days I had it, it sounded great and I picked up great recordings on my computer. But shortly thereafter, the sound quality became very poor. I normally leave it plugged into my stereo (It had great sound there too at first) and through both the stereo and computer the sound is bright, it echoes a little and the balance between different vocal lines and instrumental lines is terrible!
Could this be a problem with the needle? (Like I say, it's very new and doesn't get played A LOT.)
Are my records in bad shape?

So i've been wanting a record player for a while now and i have currently found two different ones from urban outfitters that i like that are in my price range. Both have USB connection (though that isn't that big of a deal in me deciding). The reviews say that the ion one has better sound quality and it's smaller but i like the way the crosley one looks better. I was wondering if anyone knew if the sound quality on crosley was that much worse than the ion one.

here's a link to the crosley:
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&navAction=jump&id=16215501&search=true&isProduct=true&parentid=SEARCH+RESULTS&color=01

and the ion:
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&navAction=jump&id=15695570&search=true&isProduct=true&parentid=SEARCH+RESULTS&color=00

and if anyone knows of any other turntables that are good (but i would like either a black, red, or white one)

Ok, My Current Vinyl Record Player Is an old one That's sound Quality is Terrible. I Just want some suggestions on any Specific Record Player That has a good Sound Quality and is at least 0 or More cause I want it to be Good Quality.
Any Suggestions???

(If You Can Be Specific of what it is) : )

I have a record player with a dual needle system... its old and i know i need a new needle for my LP's (because the one specified for LPs just slides right to the center of the album)

The needle for the 78 plays the records (the sound quality isnt amazing, im assuming its because its not the right needle). My question is:

Is it safe to use the 78 needle on my 33's and 45's?
also... by doing so would i have damaged the albums i did play with the 78 needle?

I've been thinking about getting a record player because I've heard the sound quality is amazing (at least better than CDs). I just want to use the record player to listen to music (no dj-ing). How much should I be paying for it? Any recommendations on what to get? Also, is it true the sound quality of vinyls gets worse as you play them more. Should there be a limit to how many times you play a vinyl (before you wreck it at least)?