Why You Can Trust CNET Get a natural wood turntable and free LP carrying case for $119.99
Electrohome's top-rated Winston record player includes built-in speakers, AM/FM radio and a CD player. And the case is a $70 value!
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I hereby dub this the Week Everything Sells Out!
Seriously. No sooner do I fall all over myself trying to explain what happened with the previous day's deal than the current deal expires as well. Like yesterday's uber-cool Lightning cables, which lasted all of a couple hours. (FYI, the vendor has promised to let me know when the shelves have been restocked, so to speak. And of course I'll let you know as well.)
Anyway, I don't expect today's deal will sell out, because not everyone is into things flat, black and circular -- by which I mean vinyl records. They've made a comeback in recent years, offering audiophiles the "warmer" analog sound they tend to covet. And don't forget nostalgia: If you're old enough to remember dropping a needle on an album and listening from start to finish -- no shuffle-play here -- there's something very comforting to it.
All this is to say that Electrohome has the Winston EANOS501 wood turntable for $119.99 shipped, a price that includes this heavy-duty LP carrying case (which can hold up to 30 records and normally sells for $69.99 itself). The latter will automatically appear in your shopping cart when you add the former.
As you can see from the photo, the Winston has a decidedly retro "suitcase" design. But that's a real wood cabinet, with built-in speakers, a diamond-tipped ceramic needle and, because this isn't 1930, slightly more modern amenities: an AM/FM radio, a CD player and an aux-in jack for connecting a phone or tablet.
OK, but how does it sound? I can't share any ears-on experience, but over at Amazon (where it sells for the same price, but without the free case), some 430 users rated it 4.4 stars. It also pulled a 4-star average from about 100 reviewers on Electrohome's own product page.
I can't say this is the deal of the century, because the price isn't any lower than normal, but a $70 case for your albums is a pretty nice spiff. Now it'll be that much easier to tote your Journey albums to your friend's house after school!
Bonus deal: As we all know from "This is Spinal Tap," there's a fine line between clever and stupid. I honestly can't decide which side this falls on, so let's open it up for debate. Woot has a two-pack of BlueDotSound wall-outlet Bluetooth speakers for $29.99, plus $5 for shipping. Clever, because no charging, no batteries -- just plug it in! Stupid, because do you really want your music to emanate from wherever your wall outlet is located? Discuss.