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Pioneer DJ PLX-500-K Direct Drive DJ Turntable, Black

£124.995£249.99Clearance
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About this deal

The Pioneer DJ PLX-500 has been designed with a wide range of DJing styles in mind. Perfect for any beginner or a seasoned professional for that matter.

The launch of Pioneer’s high-end PLX-1000 DJ turntable in 2015 caused a few ‘oohs’ and also ‘ahhhs’, and also fitted perfectly into that space left by the demise of the mighty Technics 1210. The 500’s platter isn’t as unfailing as a 1210, but when you have actually got accustomed to it, it appears sailing. Next, I wanted to try ripping some tunes, so I hooked one PLX-500 to to my laptop via USB and fired up Rekordbox, which has a vinyl recording feature. Again, no issues and it worked fine. So far, so good. My expectations are being met, which got me excited about my next test, which was spinning. DJing The tone-arm shoulder looks a little low-cost, however you’ve obtained ta maintain expenses down somewhere? And also, justice, it doesn’t mess with efficiency – if you calibrate the weight, height and also anti-skipping dial to match your stylus as well as needle set up, after that you’re golden. Observing the platter was a necessity when manually adjusting the revs, here everything is responsible for electronics, accurately setting 33, 45, and even 78 rpm (buttons), in addition, revolutions can be changed in the range +/- 8% (using the slider )– it is a gadget for the DJs or an opportunity for innocent fun …

Warranty Info

Inside we see a three phase brushless motor with electronic brake. This setup enables seamless transitioning between the three rpm settings. This not only increases the amount of control a DJ has, but also makes for much easier and more precise mixing, which is very important when starting out as a DJ. The S-Shaped Tonearm comes with a Fully Detachable Headshell. But is This Important? I would recommend Pioneer PLX-500 to beginner DJs who want to learn how to play, plus have the pleasure of listening to vinyl records from time to time. For people who have already decided on a DJ career, the PLX -1000 will certainly be more recommended. The aluminum platter looks impressive due to the “centered” outer flange, which is part of the classic strobe rotation control system. With the directly driven PLX-500, Pioneer has an attractively priced turntable in its range. Its torque, synchronism, and robust chassis with solidly anchored platter provide the basis for professional application and scratching with vinyl. The sound has largely convinced me. Another argument for the PLX-500 is its integrated sound card, which sends the signal to a connected computer without additional hardware. Vinyl lovers can thus digitize their record treasures via record box. DVS operation with a record box, even an app on the iPad, is possible without additional “dongle” hardware. For me, the PLX-500 is a great turntable in its price range. The drive is the mechanism that actually makes the turntable turn. First and foremost, you’ll want to make sure that drive is capable of playing the record at the correct speed (33 or 45 RPM — or in rare cases, 78 RPM). Then there’s the actual type of mechanism, which can be either a belt drive or a direct drive. Belt-driven players are the old school type still preferred by connoisseurs since they tend to be more silent. As a trade-off, you may have to replace the belt eventually if your player sees a lot of use. Direct drive turntables have a dedicated motor that spins the platter, which is sometimes audible but more convenient.

The base of the column is equipped with a large ring, with which (after releasing the latch) we can conveniently adjust its height. This is one of the best solutions of this type and quite unique in this price range (it is not easy to find VTA regulation here at all). Here’s where it gets ugly for the PLX-500. The combination of its plastic build and motor led to problems for me when it came to scratching. I needed a lighter touch to prevent the platter from stopping while I was doing some basic scratches, and it took a while for the platter to spin at its full speed once I let go of the record. The PLX-500 looks good at first glance– above all, it does not reveal that it is (by DJ standards ) a mid-range turntable. Visually, it does not differ significantly from the more than twice as expensive PLX-1000. Nice metal start buttons, platter speed changes, or pitch attachments are pleasing to the eye. They all look confident.You can, for example, listen to Beatles ‘She Loves You’ at “natural” speed (on official releases, apart from some Japanese releases, the song is accelerated by several percent, of course consciously, by George Martin’s decision from 1963). Although you would be hard-pressed to tell the PLX-1000 and the PLX-500 apart from just looking at them, however, once you get them in hand, the differences become more apparent. Unlike the PLX-1000 (which has a full metal body), the Pioneer DJ PLX-500 has a mostly high-grade plastic shell. Although the platter and the tonearm are made from metal. The PLX-500 is a direct-drive turntable with three speeds: 33, 45, and 78 RPM. It looks a lot like the PLX-1000 and the Technics 1200: it has a power knob, a start / stop button, target light, a tonearm and tonearm assembly that looks like what you’ll find in a standard Technics 1200 or PLX-1000, and a pitch fader that lets you adjust platter speeds up to -/+ 8%.

It is pretty simple. However, for the price, there is no better vinyl player currently on the market in terms of the quality of sound! Watching the platter was a necessity when manually correcting the rotation, electronics are responsible for everything here, precisely setting 33, 45, and even 78 rpm (buttons), additionally, the rotation can be changed at the pace of +/- 8% (using the slider). Prices valid in stores (all including VAT) until close of business on 27th November 2023. (Some of these web prices are cheaper than in-store, so please mention that you've seen these offers online.) Still, I was able to mix and beatmatch between two records. Admittedly, it was quite satisfying to know that I could still do it after all these years of DJing on a controller, and to be honest, it felt I had switched gears and was doing a different, more introspective style of DJing since there weren’t any screens around (and because I was playing some obscure minimal techno that I can’t pronounce). The aluminum platter looks impressive thanks to the “spotted” outer flange, which is part of the classic strobe rotation control system.

Expert Reviews

First Impressions / Setting up The Pioneer DJ PLX-500 is an entry-level turntable meant for ripping vinyl and home use.

At first glance, maybe glimpsed in a darkened club, the PLX-500 could easily be mistaken for a classic Technics turntable. The PLX-500 is a slimmed-down version of the PLX-1000 that Pioneer introduced two years ago, and is actually a rebrand of a copy. It's made for Pioneer by the Taiwan ODM specialist Hanpin, which manufactures a huge range of cheap and cheerful turntables. Hanpin turntables are often rebranded by companies that no longer have the expertise or resources to make them in-house. It appears like a PLX-1000 (as well as a result a Technics), but it does not inherit all the muscle of its (₤ 500+) huge brother. The only noticeable noise from the motor is heard when running at 78RPM, which is engaged by pressing both the 38 and 45RPM buttons simultaneously. And, thanks to the mostly hollow design of the shell, harder taps or bumps to the unit can result in some audible changes. This is not a deal-breaker for us, but definitely something to keep in mind. Sound Quality The S-shaped arm is static-balanced, meaning the user can also adjust the tonearm’s height and weight thanks to the counterweight and anti-skating dial. But remember to dis-engage the anti-skating if you are going to be scratch DJ’ing. The inbuilt LED indicator light enables you to estimate the record’s speed at a glance in low light settings. How about Inputs and Outputs?

Overall Take

The characteristically beveled, patterned platter edge, and strobe speed control system resembles the famous SL-1200. The tonearm belongs to the 9-inch category, and it is S-shaped. The head is tightened (the possibility of its replacement increases the turntable’s tolerance field for various types of inserts). The design of the column and the gimbal suspension system, with a large frame and bearing arrangement, also refers to the SL-1200 scheme.

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