Pioneer's new PLX-1000 Turntable

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by bluelips, Jul 17, 2014.

  1. jon96789

    jon96789 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Mililani, Hawaii
    I did not like the original cover which had to be placed on top of the player. It was too easy to knock over and slide around.
     
  2. guidedbyvoices

    guidedbyvoices Old Dan's Records

    Location:
    Alpine, TX
    Thoughts on severity of this issue?

    Pretty much since day one my PLX1000 never starts spinning at normal speed. It’ll stutter back and forth quickly, and I can easily with a finger get it going and it spins accurately from there. Happens at 45 or 33.

    For warranty work the closest is in Austin, pioneer says I’d have to pack it, insure it, hope they can recreate it before fixing and shipping back. I have the box and styrofoam it came in. But still not sure if I want to risk all of this for an otherwise great table if this is a minor inconvenience, vs something that could be a sign of a motor that could have trouble 5 days after warranty ends.

    So thoughts on if y’all think it’s worth sending in and being table-less for a month or more?
     
  3. Upstateaudio

    Upstateaudio Senior Member

    Location:
    Niskayuna, NY
    Send it in. It beats paying even more for service less warranty. That would probably run you even more. Besides, the motor can eventually completely fail.
     
  4. guidedbyvoices

    guidedbyvoices Old Dan's Records

    Location:
    Alpine, TX
    Just talked to the repair shop in Austin, he said the same thing. Gonna suck being without this for a month!
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  5. Upstateaudio

    Upstateaudio Senior Member

    Location:
    Niskayuna, NY
    First world problem. You will survive.:)
     
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  6. jon96789

    jon96789 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Mililani, Hawaii
    I just noticed that my Pioneer has a somewhat noticeable flutter. When listening to any slow piano music with sustained notes (such as Beethoven's Nocturne) it is quite obvious any sustained notes has a slight wavering in the sound. It is only noticeable on that type of music. So far I can only tell only a couple of songs but it is there. Any quicker piano music seems to be fine. I thought that the record might be the problem but the issue disappears on my older Sony turntable. Bummer.
     
  7. jon96789

    jon96789 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Mililani, Hawaii
    As some may know, my new Pioneer PLX-1000 turntable is exhibiting a wow and flutter problem. When listening to slow piano music, such as Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" or DeBussy's "Claire de Lune", I can hear the tone of the piano wavering, which means the turntable's speed is not steady enough.

    If you are an owner of this turntable, can you see if your turntable also exhibits this issue? It has to be something with long slow piano notes (which is the most demanding test for wow and flutter) which may be difficult to find in music. Note that my turntable is fine playing other music. I know it is not the record album because the music plays fine on my old Sony PS-X7 and Dual CS-5000 turntabeles.

    The problem I am having is that the Pioneer service center is claiming that the turntable is designed for DJ use and not for audiophile use and that the speed variation is normal. I am saying that the Pioneer is spec'd at <0.01% wow and flutter and that my unit is nowhere close to that spec, as wow and flutter becomes audible above 0.07%.

    So I want to see if other Pioneers also have this same issue as mine before I take this further with Pioneer... I know that this a lot to ask for... Thanks in advance.
     
  8. Have you checked to see if the record was pressed off center, or is warped? Even if it plays fine on other turntables, it is worth a simple visual check.
     
  9. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer

    Location:
    Brazil
    I've seen this before in other forum.
     
  10. jon96789

    jon96789 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Mililani, Hawaii
    Yeah... I posted this on Audiokarma and Vinyl Engine...

    The record is not off-centered nor is it warped. If it was, it would not play properly on other turntables as well...
     
  11. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer

    Location:
    Brazil
    I meant I've seen this kind of answer, but it was a couple of years ago, probably other owner.
     
  12. I understand that it plays fine in the other turntables, but have you actually looked at the record while it is playing on the Pioneer to see if the tonearm sways back and forth, indicating an off-center pressing, or looked at the record from the side to see if it is warped? It is worth this simple visual check. Perhaps the other turntables’ tonearms and cartridges deal with off center pressings and warps better than the Pioneer? That’s why I’m asking you to check.
     
  13. jon96789

    jon96789 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Mililani, Hawaii
    Yes... The record is centered almost perfectly and is flat as well...
     
    Billy Budapest likes this.
  14. jon96789

    jon96789 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Mililani, Hawaii
    I see that Audio-Technica is introducing a couple of new turntables, AT140 and AT1240XUSB... I wonder if Hanpin is coming out with new models since these turntables are several years old. Maybe Pioneer will be coming out with new models as well?
     
  15. RPM

    RPM Forum Resident

    Location:
    Easter Island
    Link?
     
  16. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    How long have you had it? If I suspected a new unit was faulty I would return to dealer for exchange or refund. Sounds like a faulty unit out of the box. My Pioneer approx 2.5 years old now displays none of these issues.
     
    punkmusick likes this.
  17. jon96789

    jon96789 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Mililani, Hawaii
    I exchanged it on Amazon... The new one is a bit better but still not as good as my old Sony was...
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  18. gillcup

    gillcup Senior Member

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC, USA
    I just received my PLX-1000 yesterday. My main system has a VPI Scout which is a good turntable but a pain to set up and swap cartridges. My first turntable purchased in 1977 was a Pioneer PL-300 (semi-automatic). I loved it and it still sounded great but unfortunately it was damaged in a move years ago. I decided to buy the PLX-1000 as I wanted a turntable that was easier to use. So far so good. I'm using an Audio Technica AT33EV on the PLX-1000 and it sounds very good.
     
  19. toddrhodes

    toddrhodes Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Bend, IN
    Hey all. I recently bought a used PLX-1000 from a very nice gentleman from here, who also happened to be pretty local. I've been really focused on digital lately, but still have all my LPs from my well-documented vinyl and phono stage exploits of old. Currently running the PLX-1000, Naga MP-150 at 1.7g (from memory, but I believe it's around there), into a schiit mani. I have $600 invested total here and holy crap, this thing rocks! Having had some seriously expensive analog setups, while those may be done some thing better or more believably, I'm really, really enjoying the ease of use and rock-out nature of the PLX/150/Mani combo.

    That said, I had a bit of a revelation last night and I can't quite figure out why. When I got the table, the MP-150 seemed awfully far forward in the headshell. So I printed out a Conrad Hoffman arc protractor, as I've done countless times before, and tried both Baerwald and Stevensen alignments. I also tried this on a Shure m97xe. I was getting some pretty bad distortion, even after calibrating A/S with a test record and carefully setting VTA and generally just trying to nail the setup.

    So last night I stumbled on a bit of advice - set the cart square in the headshell and get a 54 mm overhang from the stylus tip to the back of the "hump" or o-ring or whatever that thing is on the Pioneer headshell. So I did that, and it's been damn near perfect since. Tracks great, no audible distortion that I can find, even very near the label on a pretty fat elliptical stylus.

    Is that how most people are setting up carts on this table? It seems to work, but I honestly can't say I understand why. I'm also wondering - if it does work this way with the PLX-1000, have I been "overthinking" alignment on other arms and cart/table combos I've had through the years...

    Anyway, just thought I'd ask. Considering getting the KAB damper mod but otherwise, leaving it alone until the MP-150 is toast and replace it with a VM540ML.

    Edit - I just realized, I'm not using the Pioneer headshell, however I set the overhang using the same reference points (stylus, collar bushing). But I was wondering if it was situated in the shell around where it was when I got it, but I can't actually know that, since different headshell...
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2019
  20. Johnny Wong

    Johnny Wong Ya der hey.

    Location:
    Wauwatosa, WI USA
    54mm.

    I do the same and it sounds great! Congrats. That sounds like an awesome system.
     
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  21. Stefan

    Stefan Senior Member

    Location:
    Montreal, Canada
    54 mm is indeed the correct setting to use (it's not really "overhang" by the way; that word is used to describe the distance between an arc created by the stylus and the spindle). On the PLX-1000, when you adjust your cartridge so that the stylus tip is 54mm from the back of the washer on the headshell, it should result in a 15mm overhang. That's the same overhang as a Technics SL-1200 but, in reality, the tonearm on the PLX-1000 is 2mm shorter so in order to achieve the 15mm overhang for the classic Technics alignment (very close to a Stevenson), you need to have 54mm between stylsu tip and washer (and not 52mm as is the case for the SL-1200).

    A related consequence of this is that it's practically impossible to achieve a Baerwald alignment using the stock headshell or most similarly sized headshells (Technics, Ortofon, Audio-Technica). I ordered a couple of Zupreme headshells from LPGear and these have longer slots so with them, it is possible to set your cartridge to a Baerwald on the PLX-1000 (which is about 56.8mm and at a slight angle). Is it bette? I find it to be slightly better for high end clarity than the 54mm alignment when using fine line or microline cartridges.

    I highly recommend the KAB damper. I have one and it really does make a nice difference. When you first install it, you have to get used to less perceived bass, but that's because it's reducing overtones and resonances that aren't really in the original recording. With a decent cartridge, you'll find you end up with lots of solid bass that's really on the record (providing it's well mastered and hasn't had the bass rolled off too much).
     
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  22. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    Sidevalve, 33na3rd, Stefan and 2 others like this.
  23. lpc5056

    lpc5056 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Taichung, Taiwan
    Hello all, newbie here.

    Just bought PLX-1000 ($870) several days ago after reviewing about two months and reading all 101 pages of this thread. I know there are several good DD alternatives such as Technics SL-1200 MK7 ($1050) or SL-1500C ($1080) here but I am glad that I made a good decision. Solid built, nice looking, no platter wobble, no hum, a little loose on the tonearm but solved in several minutes with a slot 2 precision screwdriver, so far so good.

    My first TT is Teac TN-300 (with a linear power supply) bought in around three years ago, this is my second TT and the first DD. Compared to TN-300, PLX-1000 is way better in every way - dynamics, detail, sound stage, resolution, especially much solid and extensive bass, I can hear much more from the records.

    I placed the spare Vibrapod Isolator below the stock foot, changed the stock interconnet and power cord to Nordost Valhalla. Wow, a lot of improvement! Right now, I use the stock headshell with AT-100E, ATN-140LC and ATN-150SH, plan to buy LP Gear Zupreme headshell and AT-VM540ML next month when I visit Las Vegas.

    Only one thing need to be adjusted is that the sound seems a little too exciting or said aggressive.

    Next step, to buy KAB TD-1200 Fluid Damper in the near future.

    I believe that PLX-1000 can accompany me for five or more years so that I can spend $$$$ on Vinyls only.

    Thanks for all that share so much experiences here.

    cheers
     
    ranch 22b, Budysr, 33na3rd and 6 others like this.
  24. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    Glad you are liking the PLX1000. It can be had in UK for £599 which is $760 US currently. I paid only £499 discounted price 3 yrs ago. A lot of performance for the money.
     
    lpc5056 likes this.

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