They say you can’t judge a book by the cover, but if the author is Califone, I reckon you can.
This Rheem Califone was dragged home from a swap meet, covered in leaves and rat droppings.
I replaced the needle and recapped the amp, and now the record player has been my go-to for months. I usually play it through a pair of Cerwin-Vega AT-10 speakers. It is loud and I don't turn it up past 3. I have it tracking at around 4 grams, but it has a sliding doodad on the head that can vary the tracking from about 3.5 to 8 grams. It's perfect for playing ancient records and can even play 16" transcription records. For newer LPs, I use an Audio Technica ATLP120 that also has a USB for digitizing to the computer. The Califone has a monitor out with a regular jack output that I have used with a Behringer UFO 202 to digitize, but the sound is thinner.
I've noticed that the Califone tracks older records better than the Audio Technica, even when the stylus tracking pressure is less than that of the AT. I wonder if it's because of the unusual layout of the tone arm on the Califone, where the arm is rigid and it's just the head that has vertical movement.
It is my favorite player, and I love how it looks. Battered and faded! Only minor complaint is that the bass response is on the low side.
The top picture shows the player as it is today, clean but showing its age. The second picture shows how it was when I initially brought it home ... I wish I had photographed it before I brushed off all the leaves and debris.
コメント