Product Reviews

Crosley’s Spinerrette USB Turntable hits most of my pleasure centers. It’s totally portable, folds up into a convenient carrying case, has great sound (especially for such a small player) and mine’s a nice burnt orange, so it matches all my autumn decor. The recording software—basically just an open-source version of Audacity—is decent as well. Though it took me a good 45 minutes to figure out, the recorded output sounds basically the same as the record, making it a great resource for collector scum/blog foragers like me. My major complaints come from the construction of the product: While it looks nice, it’s hard to get over how damn plasticky it feels. The needle/arm feels a bit flimsy, and I definitely foresee having to replace it in the future. Still, it doesn’t claim to be a full-on stereo system or a centerpiece for your living room, so pretentious audiophiles would best look elsewhere. Ultimately, I’d recommend it for its recording capabilities alone. The portability is a nice touch, though. –Dylan Chadwick

Whoever’s abandoned all hope for fanny packs has clearly never had a Jammy. The thing feels durable, has multiple divider pockets on the inside and you can detach the speaker so it can be used for virtually anything sound-related. The rechargeable battery pack (that can be purchased for an additional fee) rules, too, because it stays juiced for unreal amounts of time and it can charge anything compatible with a USB cable—I utilized its charge for my phone. I noticed that power seems to be a big factor with sound quality when using audio-related devices. The Jammy plays perfectly off of the battery pack, but when you power it off of something like a computer, the white noise is noticeable. That being said, it’s not really built to be a heavy-duty amplifier, but it serves the intended purpose well and can help out when you need to improvise. The last plus is that Jammypacks come in a huge variety of colorways. I definitely won’t be going on adventures without one of these this winter. –Tim Kronenberg