If, like me, you're of a certain age and grew up in the American educational system, you'll probably recognize this beast: A Califone 1403k "stereo compatible" portable phonograph.

Built from the 1960s until the early 1990s, this massive beast was the joy of every elementary school age kid in the US and Canada who wanted a chance to get away from spelling and arithmetic to listen to the dulcet tones of The Letter People.

While audiophiles may look at this thing and cringe, I actually love this particular unit for several reasons: First, it has a lovely retro aesthetic--beige with a dark leather veneer--that just screams late 70s/early 80s (yeah, I'm one of those weird kids that appreciates that ugly brown 70s look). It can also play just about any piece of vinyl that you throw at it--from a 78 all the way up to 16RPM (it also has a really cool built-in adapter which is extremely convenient for 7" singles).

Now, besides just looking cool and being able to play anything you put on it, this thing is extremely cool because it was designed for the educational market meaning that it has ultra-solid construction: the Califone record players are built of steel and lumber, making them heavy and virtually bulletproof. The 1400 series was designed for kindergartners to climb on or throw across a classroom and keep working--you'll never see that kind of build quality from consumer electronics again! Of course, the downside to being designed for educational use is that it is built to a price. Califone was never known for their sound quality, and the 1430k is not the most high-end, high-fidelity vinyl playback system that you'll find. It is monaural, and it does have a pretty heavy tracking weight that can prematurely wear out some records, but it's not a bad sound and it is entirely adequate for playing the occasional vinyl records at home.