At the risk of sounding like an advertisement, this record player really does it all: it plays CDs, cassettes, and vinyl records. You can also connect Bluetooth or an auxiliary device. Last but not least, it has an FM tuner for radio. The impressive thing about this Victrola is that the turntable enables all three speeds (33 1/3, 45, 78 RPM).

I love the sound quality of the player. The first song I played on it, using Bluetooth with my phone, was “The Gift” by Angels and Airwaves. It brought out the drumbeat that underlies the song and made it richer and fuller in a way I hadn’t heard before. After that I put on “Sabotage” by The Beastie Boys, also with Bluetooth, because I wanted something to turn up loud and see if the sound quality changed there. The song itself is fuzzy but the grinding thickness of the guitar came out nice and strong.

I primarily use this for streaming music but I look forward to starting a record collection. Fittingly for my blog name, I also have a bunch of cassettes. I haven’t been able to play those in years so I’m excited to dust them off! All in all, the Victrola just expands my options and supports my relationship with music in a new and better way.