Crosley C6 Review: Is It Actually a Good Turntable?

Crosley might be the easiest turntable brand in the world to dismiss.

You know the one. Cheap suitcase player. Built-in speakers. Plastic everything. Fine for a dorm room, probably not something you would build a serious vinyl setup around.

But then you get to the C6. And I had a surprisingly hard time figuring out what to make of this one.

At first, I figured it was probably just Crosley trying to dress up the same thing in a nicer package. But if you actually take a closer look at the C6, spend just a little bit more time with it…that explanation falls apart quick.

This really isn’t the Crosley most people are thinking of when they talk about Crosley. It feels more like somebody took a perfectly legit budget turntable from another factory and slapped a Crosley logo on the front. Which, funny enough, is pretty much what happened.

But it still has the Crosley price tag. So now you’re asking yourself: Is this the best budget Crosley record player?

That’s what we’re getting into today. How good is the C6 actually and how does it stack up against the other turntables you could buy for around the same money?

Table of Contents

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the Crosley C6, broken down into the following sections:

1. What Makes the Crosley C6 Different From Other Crosleys?
2. Crosley C6 Overview: What You Get for the Money
3. Is the Crosley C6 a Good First Turntable?
4. Crosley C6 vs. Other Budget Turntables
5. Conclusion: Is the Crosley C6 Worth It?

Affiliate Disclosure: We’re a small team of vinyl enthusiasts, if you get value from our insights, using our affiliate links (including Amazon Associates) helps us earn a commission and keep the lights on at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Recordbuilds.com!

What Makes the Crosley C6 Different From Other Crosleys?

The biggest difference is pretty simple: the C6 is not an all-in-one record player.

There are no built-in speakers, no suitcase case, and none of the plug-it-in-and-you’re-done appeal that made Crosley famous in the first place.

The C6 is in that next tier of record players, the ones people usually recommend once you decide to build an actual setup.

All-in-ones are great for casual listening every once in a while, but if you have an actual decent collection going, 10+ records or so, you are eventually going to want a “real” turntable. And the C6 is just that.

The biggest difference is that these have more solid builds. A distinct plinth, a cartridge, and the speakers are not built into the turntable itself, which the C6 all has. The built-in preamp is pretty convenient too. You can connect it straight to powered speakers, or switch the preamp off and run it through a receiver or external phono preamp later.

With something like the Cruiser, what you buy is pretty much what you are stuck with. The C6, as well as other traditional turntables, gives you somewhere to go. Better speakers, a different cartridge, an external preamp, a bigger system later on.

And that is why I would not really compare the C6 to most of Crosley’s suitcase players at all.

The more interesting question is how it holds up against the other budget turntables sitting around the same price.

Crosley C6 Overview: What You Get for the Money

Don’t throw anything at me, but $200 is actually pretty cheap for a real record player.

Especially a “real” component turntable, which is definitely the category the C6 is in. Here’s a quick table of the important stuff:

The first thing to know is the C6 has a really nice, solid build.

The MDF plinth gives it some weight, and you can get it in these nice wood veneer finishes that almost give it a vintage look. Then there is the Audio-Technica cartridge, which is a huge step up from the little red needles you see on most all-in-one players and is almost worth the jump in price by itself.

The adjustable counterweight and anti-skate are also pretty incredible features to see on a turntable at this price. A lot of the more basic Audio-Technica models do not even give you that much control.

And of course there is the built-in preamp, which is kind of a necessity on a budget turntable if you want to keep things simple. You can plug the C6 straight into a pair of powered speakers and be done. More on the best speaker pairings for the C6 later.

Crosley uses a pretty legit outside manufacturer for the C6, one that also makes turntables for other well-known audio brands, which we might get to later.

So while it says Crosley on the front, underneath it is much closer to the kind of budget turntable you would normally expect from a dedicated audio brand.

For someone trying to put together a decent first vinyl setup without spending $300 or $400 on the turntable alone, that makes the C6 a pretty interesting deal.

Is the Crosley C6 a Good First Turntable?

Not only is it a good pick for your first turntable, we actually think it is one of the most underrated options out there.

It is simple enough to start with. Sure, there is a little more work than some of the entry-level Audio-Technicas in terms of setup because you are dealing with a better, more adjustable tonearm instead of basically taking it out of the box and pressing play. We will compare that more in the next section.

The budget is the main thing. Do not be fooled by the fact that it is one of the cheaper options. You are still getting a really solid turntable with good-quality parts.

We would say the C6 makes the most sense if you are going to stick with vinyl for a while, plan to listen more than a few times a month, and, most importantly, like that more manual feel.

The one caveat is that I probably would not recommend it to someone who just wants the easiest possible way to play a few records. If that is you, an automatic turntable or even an all-in-one might honestly make more sense.

Crosley C6 vs. Other Budget Turntables

This is where the C6 gets really interesting, because once you stop comparing it to other Crosleys, the competition gets a lot tougher.

Looking at all four together, I think the choice gets pretty simple.

The LP60XBT and Sony PS-LX3BT are the convenience picks. Both are fully automatic and built around making vinyl as easy as possible. The Sony is the nicer version of that idea, but you are also getting pretty close to $400.

The C6 and Victrola T1 are the more hands-on options. Both give you the adjustable counterweight and anti-skate, manual operation, Bluetooth, and a built-in preamp.

And at these prices, the C6 is pretty hard to beat. It gives you most of what we actually want in a beginner turntable for $199. Unless you really want automatic playback, the C6 would still be our pick out of all four, but we totally see the argument for the Audio Technica or Sony for some people.

Conclusion: Is the Crosley C6 Worth It?

Well, here is the important place to start.

The Crosley name means a lot of different things. It is probably still best known for its suitcase players, but Crosley actually has a whole line of turntables beyond those, and some of them are really good products and really good deals.

The C6 is a perfect example. You get a bunch of the same things you would find on the kind of “real” turntable an audiophile would recommend: a solid plinth, Audio-Technica cartridge, adjustable counterweight and anti-skate, a built-in preamp, and room to build a better system around it. You are still paying more than you would for an all-in-one, but compared with a lot of traditional turntables, $200 is pretty cheap.

And that is probably the biggest takeaway from this whole review. Do not judge the C6 by the Crosley suitcase players sitting next to it. This is a proper beginner turntable, and for the money, we think it is one of the better ones out there.

For your first vinyl setup, the next question is what you actually connect it to. You can plug the C6 straight into powered speakers, or build it into a bigger system with an amp and passive speakers later.

We see a lot of beginner setups using speakers like the Edifier R1280T or MR4, but there are a ton of good powered-speaker options for the C6. You can sort them by budget, style, what is on sale, and what actually works with the rest of your setup in our Recordbuilds Builder.

It is just a free tool we put together to make building a vinyl setup a little easier and more intuitive, especially if you are still learning what all of this stuff does.

Super simple. Easy. Effective. Keeps the budget reasonable.