Tea with Lena: A Comparison Review of the Mini Brands and Miniverse Record Players

I've been putting the last few finishing touches on Lena's (and Ian's) house this week, and one of the final decisions that we have to make is whether or not we can fit a record player into the space!  I didn't really have this in my original plans, but then I realized that not only has Zuru come out with a Mini Brands record player and accompanying surprise balls, but MGA has followed suit and done the same exact thing with their Miniverse line.  Sounds familiar.  

However, I think the release date of these two products was exactly the same, so it's not clear what (if any) copycatting was going on.  The companies are very competitive these days, with a lot of parallel products.  I wonder if there are spies or something who try to figure out what the other company is doing all of the time?  Maybe that's too dramatic.  I tend to act as though I'm living in a movie.

Anyway, today Lena's going to help me explore both record player options and see if she'd like to try and fit one (or both?) of them into her home:

Lena with a Zuru Mini Brands Vinyl surprise ball, $9.99.

Each company has a record player set that costs around $20, and individual ~$10 surprise balls that contain different records and other accessories.

The two record player sets are quite different in size and presentation:

MGA's Miniverse Real Music set (back) and Zuru's Mini Brands Vinyl set (front).

The Miniverse set is in a much larger package, and comes with a sample record, speakers, and a cabinet.  The Mini Brands set comes with only the record player and a record.

Both are hard to find right now, but I lucked out and saw the Zuru items at my local Target.  The Miniverse sets were available for preorder at MGA's shop (but are currently sold out).

I think the Zuru presentation is really nice, with the clear case and cool Vinyl logo.  But the MGA box is certainly filled with more stuff, and is visually appealing in that sense:

MGA's Miniverse Real Music set (bottom) and Zuru's Mini Brands Vinyl set (top).

Lena and I were both excited when these sets were released.  She was excited because she wants to have a way to play music in her house, and I was excited because I've always had a fascination with pretend record players.

I had this toy when I was very young:

Except it wasn't the exact version in that picture.  My record player had little grooves in the records and so the music was played mechanically, like a music box:

That little toy was so cool and I loved it.  I think I've probably even mentioned it here on the blog before.

I also used to be obsessed with Rebecca's phonograph set from American Girl.  That accessory alone played a big role in my interest in Rebecca's character:

Julie's record player is also great, but the phonograph has more wow factor for me.  Our Generation had a record player at one point, too, but it was very disappointing.

Anyway, I think you get the idea: I really love toy record players.

With both of us so excited about the record players, Lena and I had a hard time figuring out who should take the reins on this review.

I should be in charge, obviously.

Well, you look very nice, Lena, and I know you're eager to pick a record player for the house.  But I'm so curious about how these things work!

Maybe you can open the boxes and look at the big stuff.

And I'll focus on the records.

And I'll pose with things and make them look good, of course.

Does that sound good?

Yes, of course Lena, that sounds good.

So why don't you get things started by introducing the Zuru record player, and then I'll open up the box.

Here's there Zuru record player.  It costs $19.99.

It's a small box, but I like the design.  The clear lid is classy, and the pink record is so pretty!

I actually don't like the pink record, but I'm glad you do.  I'd prefer a traditional black record.

I will keep the pink record for myself, then.

It was almost a shame to take this set out of the box.  I agree with Lena that it looks really nice on display:

Here's the view from the side where you can see the clear lid of the record player sticking up:

The display isn't as nice from the back, but you can still tell what everything is:

The bottom of the box is all cardboard, and has the branding and copyright information:

"Really Works" is the name of a larger series of Mini Brands toys, all of which have some type of realistic function.  "Vinyl" is the name of this specific subset of record-based toys.

There are a bunch of kitchen-themed Really Works toys that look amazing:

Lena and I are going to be in serious trouble with this collection, especially if all of those things end up being believably 1:6 scale.

MGA has a similar Miniverse series called Appliances, but they're too big for Lena:

I removed the cardboard from the bottom of the box, and noticed that there are some fairly detailed instructions on one flap:

Those are de-boxing instructions!  That's a little intimidating.

The first section of those instructions is re-printed on another pice of cardboard that's tucked into the bottom of the plastic base:

They really don't want me to de-box this toy without help.

Underneath that cardboard, I found the actual mounting mechanism that I had to disengage:

...and all of the help is appreciated.

It's a little scary to look at.

Inside the yellow base, I also found a USB charging cord and some more instructions:

In case I missed the first two versions.

Here's what the display looks like without the clear plastic lid:

All of those instructions paid off.  I followed them to the letter and had an easy time separating the record player and record from their attachments.

There was quite a lot of hard plastic garbage left behind, though:

That's a lot of waste for one little record player.

Here's everything that was in the box:

The record player has nice vintage look to it, with a brown plastic woodgrain base:

The front of the player says "Vinyl" with a black section that's textured to look like a built-in speaker:

Next to the turntable, there's a black tonearm and a power switch:

There's not a huge amount of detail in this area, but it's convincing.

The clear lid hinges down to cover the turntable without hiding any of the fun details:

In the back, there's a functioning USB-C port and some smaller molded attachment points that are just for decoration:

On the bottom, there's a coin-sized speaker and some copyright information:

It's nice to have a rechargeable battery in this player.  Like if Lena and Ian have an all-night party or something, nobody will have to scrounge around for the right type of replacement battery at 2AM.

The record that comes with this set is a single by Rosé and Bruno Mars called "APT.:"

Short for "apartment."

The album cover is a decent replica of the real thing, but the color of the record is all wrong:

The real APT. album.

I much prefer the muted rose color of the full-sized record.

However, the mini record is pretty great.  It's a realistic size and thickness, and there's even a white inner jacket:

Here's a closer look at the record itself:

It hurts my eyes.

The front has a sticker with the song name written on it.  There are also little grooves molded into the plastic.  The groove pattern, were it on a real record, would indicate five different songs.

The back of the record also has a sticker in the middle, but it doesn't have any text.  And there's a narrower grooved space with only three "songs:"

Other than the color, this is a great little record.

The way in which the record was mounted in the box caused quite a few creases and bends around the edges of the album cover, though:

A bit worse for wear.

But the album art is faithfully replicated and would look nice in Lena's house.

There's even a bit of decoration on the back of the cover:

I was curious about the tiny text at the bottom, and it's actually readable, with the help of a zoom lens:

But it's just a 2024 copyright statement.  Nothing too exciting.

Now it's time to see how this record player works!

There are two moving parts on the top of the player: a power switch in the lower right corner, and the tonearm.  I turned the switch to the "on" position and moved the arm over the record, like this:

The turntable rotated, but there was no music:

So, I looked at the instructions:

Oh!  So the tonearm has to be pressed down to get it to work.  That makes sense.

What it actually says is that the "headshell" has to be pressed down.  I had to look up what a headshell is.  It's the part with the needle that plays the record.  This part:

If I were in charge of naming record player parts, I would not call this the headshell.  I'd name it after something with teeth or fangs!  Like the headtooth or the viperhead.

This is what the player looks like when the viperhead is depressed:

And this is the sound feature that's triggered:

There are a few moments of static at the beginning, which is a nice touch, and then there's a ~30 second clip of the song.  The clip is fun to listen to, but it ends abruptly and then there's more static.

I'm curious to know if the song is stored in the record, or in the player.  The record would be a better choice because that would allow the player to accommodate an infinite number of future record releases.  But do you remember Courtney's boombox from American Girl?  That had the songs stored in the boombox itself, and each cassette tape had a mechanical trigger for a specific song.

Eager for more information, I peeled back the sticker on the back side of the record.  This is what I found:

My husband Andy said that this looks like a radio frequency identification tag (RFID).  That's basically a coiled antenna that can send a signal.  Andy also said that such a small tag probably can't store enough information for a 30-second sound clip.  Which means that the songs are stored on the record player.

It might also mean that Andy doesn't know what he's talking about.  But he often does.

If the songs are, in fact, in the player already, then how will Zuru handle future releases?  Maybe there won't be any?  Or maybe they planned ahead and have a bunch of songs already loaded into the player?  I wish I had more answers.

Anyway, another detail about the player's functionality is that the record doesn't have to be flat against the turntable in order for it to play.  It can be askew, or even a quarter of an inch away.  So that little antenna has some range!

Still works.

Um, excuse me Emily?

We're supposed to be sharing this review and you keep talking and talking.

Sorry!  My bad.  You're right, Lena.  It's definitely your turn, and you were going to be the one who talks about the records anyway.  Let me get everything set up so that you can inspect the Mini Brands player.

Ooh, this is nice!  The vintage vibe would work well in my living room.

It's really tall, though.  I'm not sure it'll fit in the bookcase.

Yes, I'm worried about that, too.

It's hard to push this viperhead down.

I like the APT. song, but should we see what else is available?

Yes, that's a good idea.  Why don't you open up one of the Vinyl surprise balls?

What, this old thing?

Lol, yes please.

Well, I like the look of this ball.  The black color scheme matches my outfit.

And the capsules are made out of recycled plastic, which is responsible and good.

And look!  There are a lot of wrapped records inside!

I wonder what's in this big mystery bag, though.

I'm going to open this up first.  I have no idea what it could be...

It's an award!  Kind of ugly, but oh well.

There's also this crumpled collector's sheet that you can have, Emily.

Okay, I'll take a look at that in a sec.

The records are what I really want to see!

These paper packages look good and are easy to open...

Oh!  It's a Sting album!  Ian loves Sting.

I think I'll open this one next.

Hmmm...

It's more Sting!

I guess Ian will have a nice record collection.

I have a good feeling about this one, though.

Oh, huh.  I don't recognize it.

Do you know this one, Emily?

I think that's an Alex Warren album.  He sings Ordinary.

Okay, well there's only one left.  I hope it's good.

Oh!  I know this!

It's Fall Out Boy.  I like them.

I hope it's Sugar We're Goin' Down.  That's my favorite song from them.

Yeah, I like that song, too.  Is there any way to tell what the song is?

No, the back of the album lists all of the songs.

And the record sticker says Fall Out Boy.

I guess we have to play the record to find out what song it is!

This is suspenseful!

Here we go...

It's Dance, Dance!  That's a good song, too.

Now I want to look at the collector's sheet to see what all of the other options are.

There's a section with all of the rare songs:

That's like the one Sting album we didn't get.

These are the uncommon ones:

Dance, Dance is uncommon!

There's a lot of Sting and Fall Out Boy.  This section has another one of each: 

And then there are a lot of common songs:

Pretty much everything we got.

But look, Lena, they have Sugar We're Goin' Down!  We should try for that:

I get why they use the same album cover for different songs on that album, but it makes the collection less visually diverse.  And it's confusing.

A little too much of Shawn Mendes' face.

I like the Chapell Roan cover:

Yes, she's cool.

There are also three different music awards.  I think the gold record is the best by far:

And there are other accessories, too:

All of those look fun.  I'd love to get the headphones and the storage rack, in particular.

I really like all of the Zuru stuff.  Shall we see how it compares to MGA?

Absolutely.  I'll get the record player opened up:

Miniverse Real Music record player by MGA Entertainment, $21.99.

This set is slightly more expensive than the Mini Brands record player, but it includes more.

It comes in a cardboard box with a big plastic window.  The window on my box is really scuffed, so the presentation is not as crisp as it was with the Zuru set.

One side of the cardboard is decorated with some of the different record albums:

And the back has more album covers and a picture of the record player:

The advertising is very loud about how this record player PLAYS REAL MUSIC!

I took off the scuffed plastic window so that I could get a better look at the contents:

There's a black plastic entertainment cabinet, with cardboard decorations to make the shelves look full:

There's a WORKING record, with what looks like Beethoven on the cover:

The record player itself has a cardboard record (with a sound symbol, in case you forgot that it PLAYS REAL MUSIC):

There are also two plastic speakers, which is a nice touch:

I didn't need any instructions to de-box this set, I just had to cut a lot of plastic ties.

Here's everything that was in the box:

The record player barely fits onto the cabinet, which is odd.   It hangs over about an eighth of an inch on both sides: 

The speakers are hollow plastic, with some painted details:

There's no decoration on the back:

The speakers also fit into the bottom of the cabinet, and I think this looks good:

Other than the record player being too big for the cabinet, this is a cute set.  Unfortunately, there's nowhere near enough room in Lena's house to accommodate everything!

I was surprised and impressed that MGA chose to feature classical music here.  And it doesn't say anywhere which of Beethoven's works is on the album, so there's an element of mystery:

Let's assume it's his 5th symphony.

This album cover also came out of the package a bit crumpled around the edges:

And there's no inner sleeve with these records, which detracts a bit from the realism:

The Miniverse records are also smaller and thicker than the Mini Brands records.  Here they are side-by-side:

Zuru Mini Brands record (left) and MGA Miniverse record (right).

The extra thickness makes the Miniverse records feel more like toys than accurate miniatures.

The construction of the Miniverse album covers is all wrong, too.  It's folded like a box, not like a real record cover:

Zuru Mini Brands record (left) and MGA Miniverse record (right).

In contrast to the records, the Miniverse record player is thinner than the Mini Brands player:

It has a more modern style, without a built-in speaker.

I like the sleek look of the Miniverse player.

It has a clear lid that hinges back to expose the turntable:

There's a bit more detail here than there is on the Zuru player.  But the only functioning elements are the power switch on the lower right and the tonearm:

The tonearm can swivel over the turntable, but it doesn't push down:

The bottom of the player has a traditional battery pack and a small speaker:

It takes two AAA batteries, which are included.

I turned the player on to see what would happen with no record:

There's background static on this one, even with no record in place.

Now let's see what the Beethoven record sounds like!

Yeah...I don't like that very much.  I think the regular 5th symphony would have been classier.

These records have the same RFID technology as the Zuru records, but the tag is hidden somewhere different.

The Beethoven record has molded grooves and a small sticker on the front saying the name of the song: 

There's nothing underneath the sticker, though:

And there's no sticker on the back:

The record breaks open, though, and the RFID tag is sandwiched between the two halves:

That glue is very stinky.

This might be a more durable way to store the tag, but it's why the records are unrealistically thick.

Another side effect of the thickness is that the records only play when they're flush with the turntable.  There's no wiggle room.

All right, Lena.  My work here is done.  Tell us what you think!

Thank you for not talking too much this time.

You're welcome.

This record player feels much more modern!  I like the silver and black.

It looks more expensive, too, don't you think?

I agree.  It has a nice weight to it as well.  Probably because of the batteries.

These records look like pancakes, though. They're way too thick.

The detail is good on the turntable, though.

And it's easier to use than the last one.

Why don't I open up one of the surprise balls?

Yes.  See what songs we can get other than that Beethoven remix!

I don't like the design of these balls as much as the last ones.  I liked the black color.

But look!  There's a Britney album!  I want that one.

These balls are so frustrating to unwrap!  I just want to see the records...

Oh, look!  There's a lot of black after all, it was just hidden by the plastic.

Hm.  This ball doesn't seem as full as the other one.

I only see two bags.

But there was a crate hiding underneath the bags!  I didn't expect that.

This will be good for record storage.

And what is this, do you think?

You can put one of the records in there, and then attach it to something as a decoration.

Like this?  I don't find this very useful.

Well, kids might like it.  To show off their favorite record.

That's fine.  You can have it.  And you can have this collector's sheet, too.

Okay, I'll look at that later.

I want to see what these records are!  I wish there were more than two, though.

I'll open the pink one first.

Oh, wait...look!

There are two records in each bag!

That's great!  What are they?

I don't know!  It's not Britney Spears.

It looks to me like Bob Marley and somebody I don't know.  We'll have to check the collector's sheet later.

I want to see what's in here...

It's Britney!  Yesss!  Baby One More Time!!

That's such a good song.

And Amy Winehouse, too.  I like her.

You got lucky at the end there, Lena!

Let's look at the collector's sheet now and see what the possibilities are:

There are only 20 record listed here, but three of them are Britney Spears!  I also see the Beach Boys, Amy Winehouse, Bob Marley, Def Leppard, Elton John, Imagine Dragons, Public Enemy, and the one you got that I couldn't recognize is Blink-182.  I love the variety.

The top of the collector's sheet says that there are 50+ to collect:

But there's an asterisk, and that leads to some tiny print at the bottom saying that series 1 includes only 20 songs.  There'll be more later:

The only surprises other than the records are the crates and keychains:

So the variety of options here is not as big as it was with the Zuru balls, but I like a lot of the song choices better.

Could you go get the record player, please?

I want to listen to Britney.

Okay, sure.  Here it is:

Wait a minute, that's not Baby One More Time.

That's the album name.  I don't think we checked what song it was.  Maybe look at the album cover again.

Oh, I see.  It says Crazy right here.  It's fine.  I like that song, too.

So here's all of the Miniverse stuff.

The albums are a tight fit in the crate, but it reminds me of college.

Don't forget all of the storage in the black cabinet, too.

I know!  It's great.  I wish we could fit all of this into my house.

I wish we could, too, but it's pretty crowded in there already.

So, do you have all of the information you need to decide which player you want to keep?

It's going to be a hard decision.  And all of the music factors in as well.

Maybe I should wrap things up here while you go talk to Ian and make your choice?

Okay, but wait a sec.  Here's my Britney impression for you before I leave.

That's great, Lena.  Thanks.

Bottom line?  I'm glad that Lena will have some space to make up her mind about these record players without being influenced by me, because I have my own opinions.

If you want those opinions in a nutshell: the MGA Miniverse record player set is better, and the Zuru Mini Brands records are better.  If you want more detail, I can do that too.

The Mini Brands record player was the first one that I opened, and so it set the bar.  If I'd never seen the Miniverse record player, I'd have been perfectly content with the Mini Brands product.  The record player is packaged beautifully, with a clear plastic lid that shows off all of the contents while protecting them well.  The downside is that there's a lot of plastic waste.  The record player has an attractive vintage look, with a brown fake wood base and built-in speaker.  The operation of the tonearm took me a minute to figure out, but it mirrors that of a real turntable.  I also like that this player is rechargeable, and so no battery purchase will ever be necessary.  The Mini Brands surprise balls are the stars of the show here, though.  They are also packaged well, in cool-looking black balls with the catchy Vinyl logo in neon letters.  The records are incredibly realistic, with accurate album covers and even inner jackets.  Because the RFID tags are attached to stickers, there's a risk that they'll fall off over time, but they seem durable in the short term, and this design allows the records to have a slim profile.  The song selection in this wave is vast, with about 44 tunes, and there's something for everyone to enjoy.  I also like a few of the other accessories, especially the headphones, speaker, record rack, and gold record award.  For people who are excited about collecting mini records, this is the best choice.

MGA's Miniverse record player set is not as elegant in its presentation as the Mini Brands version, but it has the advantage of more accessories.  The inclusion of an entertainment cabinet and two speakers means that you can arrange a cohesive little set-up that would look great in any 1:6 scale house...just not Lena's house, because there's no room left.  The cabinet and speakers are basic, and a little small for the record player, but they get the job done.  The record player is the standout piece here.  It has a hefty weight, probably because it uses two AA batteries (which are included).  It also has a more modern appearance than the Mini Brands player, with lots of silver and no built-in speaker.  There's a lot of decorative detail on the surface of the player, too, which adds to the realism.  The records from this brand don't measure up to the quality of the player.  They feel too small and chunky, missing the slim elegance that defines real vinyl.  And there are no inner covers, which is a small detail that makes a big impact.  The records are thick because they house their RFID tags inside, which is a good choice in terms of durability, but not in terms of aesthetics.  Lena and I were excited about many of the songs and bands included with this brand, although the range of options is currently about half of what Zuru offers.  The only surprises in the balls that aren't records are crates and keychains, and I imagine these will get old once you have a few in hand.  If you're looking for a cool mini record player but don't have as much interest in collecting a ton of mini vinyl, then this is the set for you.

I'll continue to enjoy both record players, and will undoubtedly purchase more of the Mini Brands Vinyl surprise balls to expand my record collection and see if I can get those headphones or a storage rack.  Lena, on the other hand, has to make a decision about which one player will grace her home.  I don't envy her.  And I hate to leave you hanging, but that decision will have to wait until next time, when we finally get to tour her house.  See you then!

Whoa oh, crazy but it feels alright...