Crosley’s C65 Turntable and Speakers Are an Affordable Upgrade

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Crosley’s suitcase record players may not have a reputation for high-fidelity audio, but to the brand’s credit, they have been many music lovers’ gateway to vinyl collecting (this writer included). Crosley’s C65 System looks to establish the brand’s HiFi bona fides.

The C65 System includes a turntable, passive speakers, and most of the bells and whistles you’d look for in a traditional vinyl setup. The kicker is that the entire setup retails for $300, making it far more affordable than most bookshelf speakers.

The C65 hit the US market last year, with a full global release last week. The unit has a stylish walnut finish, in line with Crosley’s reputation for making retro-inspired gear. Whether you’re a budding collector or the type to occasionally throw on Kind of Blue at a dinner party, it’ll be a stylish addition to most living rooms.

But it’s what’s under the hood (or dust cover, as it were) that has our curiosity piqued. The belt-driven turntable features an ATN3600L Audio-Technica cartridge, which is replaceable should you decide to upgrade. The switchable preamp means you can connect it to a traditional stereo system instead.

It’s a mid-tier offering in Crosley’s turntable-and-speaker systems, beneath the $379 Crosley C92 Turntable. The C92 garnered a Rolling Stone Audio Award and features 120-watt speakers, aux and optical inputs, and a built-in preamp.

While setup will admittedly be more complex than Crosley’s plug-and-play offerings, it should still be pretty simple, thanks to the included speaker wire to spare you any trips to the hardware store. And if you want to stream audio instead, the turntable supports Bluetooth.

There are some details you rarely see on turntables at this price, including a cue lever and counterweight. The front of the turntable has knobs for playback speed, volume, power, and even pitch. It’s a promising — and highly affordable — offering from Crosley.