When I was a kid, we had two record players. One was my sister’s Fisher Price record player (circa 1978) that served as its own carrying case. While it was capable of playing full-size records, we were only allowed to use it for our 45s. I remember having several of those book-and-record sets (“when you hear this sound—*briiiing*—turn the page!”). For our 33 1/3 records, we had to use the big stereo system in the living room, the one with the big amplifier and the speakers that also doubled as furniture.
Although we mostly stopped using it by the time I was in high school, I still remember the motions and the sounds associated with playing a record: the muffled *whump* the speakers would emit when I clicked the silver button on the amplifier, lifting the clear plastic lid from the turntable, sliding the record out of its sleeve, and (of course) the pop and hiss when the needle lands on the vinyl before the music starts—and for me as a kid, that usually meant the Grease soundtrack. Certainly, listening to cassettes and, later, CDs was a lot more convenient and less fraught with “am I going to damage something?” worries, but starting a record player is a little ritual that’s still embedded in my memory.
A couple months ago, my wife and I went to see High Fidelity at a local movie theater. We had seen it in theaters nearly 25 years ago (!) and really enjoyed it, so it was a fun excuse to revisit the film. In case you haven’t seen it, it stars John Cusack as record store owner Rob Gordon, dealing with his two weird employees (Todd Louiso and Jack Black), and trying to figure out why his relationship with Laura (Iben Hjejle) is imploding. It’s a rom com and has a fantastic cast, and although Rob Gordon seems like a pretty awful boyfriend, the movie still makes you like him, in part because of his relationship to music—and more specifically, to records.
That sparked our conversation about records and record players—could we get one? Are they really expensive? Where would we put it? Will our cat attack it? We didn’t own any records—my parents had long since gotten rid of their record player and, along with it, our modest collection of albums. So when I got an email offering us the chance to try out a record player, I jumped at the opportunity.
The Mixx Revival 55 is a compact record player with a retro look—it closes up into its own little carrying case that reminds me of my mom’s old Samsonite luggage set (particularly in the powder blue color). But despite its classic look, it has some modern features, too, like Bluetooth. Its two built-in speakers are nice (though a little light on the bass), but you can easily connect it to external speakers or headphones. You can also use the Revival 55 as a Bluetooth speaker for your phone (though that seems like an odd use for it). There are also wired ports for stereo output and an auxiliary input if you need those.
It handles 33 1/3, 45, and 78 RPM records (with a built-in adapter for the 45s); the case itself is small enough that full-size albums hang over the edge of the case and into the top lid. There’s a pitch control dial as well, a tone-arm lever that gently sets the needle down onto the record, and an auto-stop switch that will stop the turntable when the record ends. The turntable sits on a cushioned shock-absorbing platform (though I’ll admit I don’t know the specifics of that).
I was pleasantly surprised at the price tag, at $99.99—while it’s not the lowest I’ve seen for a record player, it feels like a good price for the quality, and may be particularly good for somebody who is—like us—just getting started on their journey into vinyl. Since we didn’t have any records already, we’ve been visiting some of the great music stores here in Portland, Oregon, and I have to admit that we’ve already spent well over the price of the record player on a mix of used and new albums. (A few selections from our small collection so far: Who Believes in Angels? from Elton John and Brandi Carlile, Handel’s Water Music, the new re-release of Tracy Chapman’s debut album, Sandra Boynton’s Hog Wild!)
Listening to records is definitely a very different experience than what we’ve gotten accustomed to these days, with endless streaming options and everyone with their own earbuds and headphones on. My kids are used to pulling up just about anything, hitting “play” and then just letting it shuffle (and then automatically picking other suggested music when the playlist runs out). The physical act of putting on a record, lowering the needle, and then listening to an album through feels almost like a meditative act in comparison—not to mention flipping the record over when the first side is done. It’s not for everyone, but we’ve really been enjoying the experience, and I wonder if my kids will build up their own memories and associations with records. (Wishful thinking, maybe?)
As for the other questions I asked earlier: we did manage to clear out a little space in our living room, between the printer and the piano, where we were able to squeeze a little end table that my son had made in woodworking class that was the perfect size for the Revival 55. And so far our cat has left it alone, but I don’t make any guarantees about your own cats or other pets.
We haven’t yet taken it anywhere else, but I still love the idea of just packing it up and taking a couple albums to a friend’s house or if we drove somewhere for a trip. The only thing I wish it had was a place to store the power adapter when it’s packed up, since I wouldn’t want it rattling around inside the case.
If you’ve been contemplating record players, take a look at the Mixx Revival 55—and then save up so you can get some great records, too!
Disclosure: I received a sample of the Mixx Revival 55 for review; opinions are my own.
