Pioneer PL-200 turntable

[electra225]

I found one of these upstairs in a junk box. Mine is pretty beat. Lots of scratches on the cover, but it's not cracked or broken. Very dirty generally, though nothing nasty. I looked it up on Vinyl Engine where they generally had good things to say about the turntable. It has a Pioneer PC-135 cartridge, which is apparently a decidedly entry level device. The general recommendation is to find a different cartridge. VM Enthusiasts has a needle for $14, listed under Japanese cartridges. The biggest beef about this turntable is that the speed gets wonky due to a dirty speed control. I may tinker with this a bit and may also use it as a platform to test a "high-grade" cartridge. I'll start with a good cleaning, then see what I have. I will post about one I saw on ebay. It is not mine.....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/256473590030?c ... 9263350e39

[electra225]

The speed control pot on this turntable was pretty dirty. I believe I have it clean enough the speed will be accurate. It has a stobe light, so that makes it easy to check. I set the tone arm weight to 1 1/2 ounces, anti-skate control to the same. I'll connect this table to an amp and see how it sounds. My turntable is charcoal color rather than the silver like in the link.

[William]

Nice looking and direct drive too. The tone are looks a little like the PL-50 I just worked on.

Bill

[electra225]

The plastic tip on the cue lever is gone. I think this table is going to get the spare Stanton 500 I have. I'll put the Ortofon cartridge in the Technics. I'll buy needles for the Audio Technica AT 10 and the Pioneer PC 135 and use them for playing 45's and my more worn LP's. I found a Pickering V-15 in my record player parts box that I should do something with. The needle for that thing is $45! I need an adapter bracket so I can mount it in a 1/2" mount. My luck that cartridge will be bad, and I'll be in it for $50.........

[TC Chris]

I have a Harman-Kardon belt drive TT that occasionally would develop a severe "wow." Now the habit is to switch to 45 to run the record brush over a disc, then back to 33 to play the disc. No problems since, so I suspect a cruddy contact in the speed switch that is cured by wiping action from use.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

I didn't realize all the controls turntables have. The way they are put together is scary. Dirty controls are common, apparently......

[electra225]

This is the PL-200 playing a Magnavox demonstration record. The cartridge in this turntable is garbage. I hate to think I agree with anything I read on AudioKarma, but they hit this one square on the nose. It makes sound, and it tracks light, 1 1/2 grams, but that is about all good I can find to say. I don't consider myself an audiophile by any means, but even I can hear the difference between the PC-135 cartridge in this table and the Stanton 500. Night and day difference. Kiddie player versus Concert Grand difference. I think I'll get some cheap headshells on ebay and put this cartridge and the AT-10 in the Technics table in them and use them to play 45's and more worn records when I transfer them to digital. I like the turntable itself. It has a stobe light, accurate speed adjustment after I cleaned it. Easy to set tone arm pressure and anti-skate. It is certainly worthy of a better cartridge.