You're the second person who has said this turntable (and any other cheap turntable) will destroy vinyl, perhaps as soon as the first play. So I looked into this as I found this alarming and I also wondered how on earth these companies get away with it.

First up I checked a Youtube video entitled 'Will cheap turntables ruin your records'at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K3XcD46Wk0&ab_channel=RecordRaid , where the guy played two identical records one on an audiophile setup and the other on a cheap Crosley, after 40 plays or so he compared the waveform patterns from both on a computer and the difference was negligible. The result: no noticeable damage from the cheap player, although naturally it didn't sound as good.

Another audiophile video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPc5frU8IQQ&ab_channel=VWestlife titled "Will a cheap record player DESTROY your vinyl?" The answer was NO. He was rather disparaging of what he called keyboard warriors who go onto comments sections and say any non audiophile approved equipment will "destroy your records."

So whilst it can be argued cheap record players may not sound particularly good, there seems to be no actual evidence that they will actually ruin/destroy records, I suspect some of the warning posts are snobbery with a heavy dose of exaggeration and hyperbole.

Therefore although I know it won't sound a great as an audiophile setup the evidence from the debunking videos I have watched on Youtube has convinced me that my records will not be ripped up within a few plays on this turntable.

Below are the comments the second audiophile added to his video regarding cheap turntables:

* I am in no way advocating the purchase of Crosley Cruiser record players. They sound terrible and better choices are available in the same price range. I'm just disproving the claim that they will "destroy" or "chew up" records. In normal use and with proper care, your records will be fine.

* BSR record changers were the Crosleys of their day; they were lambasted by audiophiles as "record grinders", because many of them had tracking forces similar to the cheap record players of today -- but yet, if you've ever listened to a used record from the '60s through '80s, chances are it was played on a BSR or similarly crude record player at some point in its life, and yet was not "destroyed".

* I take "destroyed" or "chewed up" to mean a record that has become unplayable and unlistenable due to skipping or extreme distortion; not merely to mean the scratchiness typical of "well-loved" records. When faced with a scratchy record, most people just turn down the tone control and continue to play it.

* The elliptical styli favored by audiophiles will cause excessive record wear at tracking forces much above 3 grams, so 3 to 3.5 grams is frequently cited as the maximum safe tracking force for all turntables. However, the conical or spherical styli used by inexpensive record players and "DJ" cartridges can apply higher tracking forces without any significant risk of excessive wear. When stereo LPs first came out, 5 to 6 grams was cited as the maximum safe tracking force, as compared to the 10 to 12 grams that was typical of older monaural record players!

* As I mentioned in the video, the LP I used for my test has very low groove modulation, causing surface noise to be much more audible. Modern LPs and 12-inch singles are cut much louder, enough to drown out the surface noise of all but the most extreme tracking forces I used during my test.

* Some audiophiles have defended their overblown claims by saying that the damage caused by a cheap record player will only be audible on a "good" turntable, because on a Crosley the fidelity is so low that you wouldn't be able to hear it. But other tests have disproven this

There are certain tracks that were never released on CD for some weird reason - biggest for me was the SINGLE version of Belladonna Moonshine by early 70s band Audience. The LP was fabulous (Friends Friends Friend - look for it on YouTube) but THAT version wasn't quite as good as the single. Ive got the single, but no turntable. I may get this for that

Dad's Crimbo box sorted, thanks OP!

Dad's Crimbo box sorted, thanks OP!

This is only any use if you have a sound system to connect it to. No headphone aux connection on this product.

Bit of palaver is it not.

Not really, the thing's designed to be connected to a computer via a USB cable, once connected you then plug your headphones into your PC/Laptop. You don't even need a power cable. Even best-selling budget turntables costing over £100 such as the Sony PSLX300 don't have a headphone socket.

Much prefer this one and it's portable, in a choice of 3 colours and has a headphone socket. http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4369431.htm?cmpid=APP003

Everyone to their own I would just prefer to put it on with my headphones on.

There are certain tracks that were never released on CD for some weird reason - biggest for me was the SINGLE version of Belladonna Moonshine by early 70s band Audience. The LP was fabulous (Friends Friends Friend - look for it on YouTube) but THAT version wasn't quite as good as the single. Ive got the single, but no turntable. I may get this for that

Very true. In last few years the original Audience got back together (with some new younger members helping out needless to say) with Howard Werth singing again locally around Southern area love to have seen them but I live up other end of the country - ditto with Gentle Giant. They did too. Called themselves Three Friends or somesuch doing concertsa in the South doing old GG numbers and some new stuff. Even had a couple of original members there too Not unfortunately the wonderful Shulman brothers. One of whom - the superb singer Derek is now one of the top dogs in music producers and talent spotters in USA. Another wonderful band that deserved to be 100 times bigger than they were.
Listen to "Nothing At All" - it STILL sends shivers down my spine so many plays and so many years later