Price at the time of review: $149.99 / £159.99.
Collecting physical music is one of the single most expensive ventures you can get into. Trust me, I know. Especially if vinyl is your jam. Sure, there’s thrift shops and pre-owned online marketplaces, but if you want the latest record from your favorite artist, the cost ends up spiraling over time. That vinyl box in the corner of your room? Yeah, if you buy new, it’s likely worth several hundred bucks.
Don’t get me wrong, vinyl is sexy, but if you want a collection that spans an eclectic mix of genres, mixing vinyl with CDs, and even cassettes if you want to go retro, is the money-savvy way to go. For the price of one record, you can buy four CDs. You may not be as cool as that one guy on Reddit, but you’ll never want for something to listen to.
That’s how I do it, and honestly, I think more people need to consider trying it. In a perfect world, vinyl would be cheap, but it’s not, and I’d rather invest the money I save in good equipment so I can get the most out of every slick beat.
Why do I bring all this up? There is a reason, I promise. If you like to collect multiple formats, your options are either to rip everything on a PC-like device, which takes away the satisfaction of planting a CD or record into a player, or you need to have a separate device for each medium. I don’t know about you, but having space for a tape, CD, and record player just isn’t as feasible when you’re older. I’d love to have wall-to-wall media players, but I just don’t have the space.
That’s where the Victrola Century 6-in-1 comes in. I went with this specific unit because I am very tired of trying to fit multiple players somewhere. If I lived alone, maybe it’s less of an issue, but as an older audiophile who shares his space, having a singular device that plays vinyl, CDs, cassettes, has Bluetooth, and can be hooked up to my high-end speakers, sounds like the answer to mine and many other people’s problems.
Is the Victrola Century the perfect solution? For audiophiles, no, it’s not. But it’s also worth remembering we audiophiles only make up a small percentage of listeners. If you want something low-cost that solves problems, the Victrola Century absolutely justifies its place.
The Sound Quality Is Decent
The Victrola Century isn’t audiophile-grade listening, but that doesn’t mean it’s unpleasant either. Bass has a surprising amount of depth, and while it isn’t anywhere near as punchy as something like the Edifier M60, it carves out a smooth bassline that’s easy to follow.
Mids are there and clear, but they’re not front and center. The width of guitars feels almost contained and as though they’re not ringing out fully. Vocals, however, manage to stay atop of everything with minimal fuss. They are slightly muted compared with more high-end gear, but you can pick them out easily, and that’s what matters.
It’s the same for the higher frequencies. You’ll hear them, but they lack the space to truly ring out.
Now, let’s be real for a second here. I review audio tech for a living, so of course I’m going to find fault with a device that, in its defense, isn’t claiming to be audiophile hardware. It lacks the spread found in the more high-end gear, but, as I mentioned, the overall range isn’t unsatisfying, and it’s only if you own the more higher-end tech that you’ll be able to spot the difference. I’d wager for most, especially those who don’t want to spend loads on tech or delve into jargon like diaphragm sizes, will be more than happy with how the Victrola Century replicates audio.
It’s Easy to Use Thanks to Smart Design Choices
You can’t beat how stylish flat touchpads look, but if you want something that actually reacts instantly, buttons are the way to go. The Victrola Century is controlled via a single dial, and its simplicity is what makes it great.
Hold the dial in for a second to turn the device on and off, twist it to select the volume, and press it in once to pick from the different streams: Vinyl, vinyl stream, Bluetooth, CD, or AUX. So to clarify, you have three movements: Push, hold, twist. It’s simple, reacts quickly, and hearkens back to when things just worked.
To control CDs, you’ve got a row of buttons along the front. Easy stuff. For cassettes, you’ve got a large push-knob on the side that fast-forwards when pushed halfway in, and ejects when pushed all the way in.
The record section of the Victrola Century is, again, easy to use, but it’s the most problematic of the three physical players. Sound quality from the vinyls is fine-but-not-great, but if you’ve already got a good record player, chances are you’ll be sticking to that. Although, compare the Victrola Century with a generic briefcase record player and you’ll no doubt be far more impressed.
My main problem with the record player element is the needle. When I first played some Frank Sinatra, everything worked fine. But when I switched to Roy Orbison, the needle slid over the record. I cleaned the record, checked the anti-skate, made sure the turntable was level, and it still happened.
It turned out, the needle had been jettisoned out of the arm, rendering it useless (I’m assuming it wasn’t a fan of Pretty Woman?). I was able to reattach the thread with some needle pliers, but I don’t recommend trying that as you’ll never get the right angle and could damage the record.
I was able to get some new needles off of Amazon (search “red tip record needle”) and everything works now. But still, it’s an annoyance. And that’s not to say everyone will suffer the same fate as I, but I can only report on what’s in front of me, and what is in front of me broke.
Moving on to something more positive, the Victrola Century is one gorgeous beast. The black wood exterior exudes charm, while the suitably retro clock finishes the overall retro-but-modern vibe. That clock is powered by a battery, too, meaning you don’t need to worry about it needing power when it’s unplugged.
I mentioned the audio quality earlier, and it’s worth keeping in mind the Victrola Century does have both an AUX and RCA port. That means if you ever decide you want a snazzy pair of high-end speakers, they’ll work with the Victrola Century without needing to completely upgrade your setup. It’s perfect for newcomers who don’t want to drop a massive wad of cash on a singular device and would prefer to upgrade as they go.
Use Cases
Person 1 wants something affordable that plays all their CDs, records, cassettes, and can be hooked up wirelessly to their Spotify device.
Person 2 is a newcomer to the space with a smaller collection who wants something that’s easy to use and is looking for something that offers better clarity than playing music from a mobile device, TV, or monitor.
Person 3 is someone who wants something that plays music well to use in a second room, like a bedroom or office. They may already have a preferred setup, and the Victrola Century is being purchased as their secondary device.
Person 4 is an older individual who doesn’t get on well with smaller music players and hates using mobile devices. They are used to old-school hi-fis and wants something that’s easy to use.
Person 5 is someone who wants something that sounds good now with the intention of upgrading the experience through better speakers at a later date.
Verdict
It’s safe to say the Victrola Century 6-in-1 isn’t audiophile gear. If you want true audiophile equipment, go buy some $400 speakers or some high-end headphones for $370. They’ll both sound better than the Victrola Century.
Don’t want to drop $400 on something? Great! Let’s talk about how solid the Victrola Century is for the price. Yes, it has some drawbacks — the needle is cheap, the record player could sound better, text is hard to read in low lighting — but for $149.99, the Victrola Century gets a lot right. It plays multiple formats in vinyl, CD, and cassette, the sound quality is good, you can hook up your audiophile-grade speakers, and it’s super easy to use. What more could you realistically ask for?
For me, it won’t replace my high-end speakers or headphones, but as a way to play differing formats easily in a separate room? That’s where the Victrola Century excels. If you come at it expecting everything in the highest fidelity, you’ll obviously be disappointed. But if you keep your expectations in check, and understand not everything needs to be for audiophiles, the Victrola Century is a solid choice that’s perfect for newcomers.
How I Tested
I’ve been using the Victrola Century for the past week and a half, with it playing some form of music during my regular nine-to-five work hours and occasionally of an evening.
Over that time, I played different music genres to get an idea of how the speakers would respond to lows, mids, and high frequencies, and also tested out different types of audio formats (CDs, tapes, and records). Any issues I found have been listed in the review above.
Disclosure: Review unit provided by PR. | To learn more about my review policy click here. | Alternatively, click here to find out why you can trust me.
