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Sony PS-X5 Direct Drive Turntable


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So I found one of these at a garage sale for $10. I just felt like I couldn't pass it up. I think the people doing the sale just didn't want it anymore.

 

It doesn't have a stylus right now, I ordered a Shure style one that should work with my cartridge. The cartridge in it was a Shure M91E, I also have an Audio Technica AT95E on the way for it for a backup/replacement.

 

Anybody know if this is a good turntable? I have been told I got it for a steal. It powers up and seems to work correctly, tone arm moves over like it's supposed to. The turntable itself feels heavy/solid, looks like it's in great shape still.

 

Also, anybody have any tips as far as getting this thing set up correctly? I know this isn't going to be a 30-minute chore. I know I will need a phono preamp since my receiver doesn't have phono inputs or a spot to ground to.

 

Any help appreciated.

 

Thanks

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Any turntable for 10 bucks would be considered a steal, but the big question is whether you’re happy with it.

 

Is it a good turntable? The answer is that there's just as many better as there is worse. But the good news is that it looks like you might be able to play records with it, and that’s what matters.

 

I never stopped playing LP's but can certainly understand why people moved so enthusiastically to CD's. There are many things that have to be just so and just right and it takes a lot of time, patience and expertise to make it all work as best as it can.

 

If you want to slide down that slippery slope, there’s a lot of people out there willing to help. But (here’s a warning for you) a lot of the vinyl playback websites appreciate folks who do a bit of homework before posting “how do I setup my turntable thingy” questions.

 

Here’s a couple of great places to start.

 

 

Check out Vinyl Engine: Vinyl Engine | The Home of the Turntable

 

Check out these links at the Audio Asylum: Audio FAQ

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Anybody know if this is a good turntable?

It's a fine piece with a good motor, stable speed control and fair specs. Vinyl Engine has a library page about it HERE that'll tell you more than any of us can. And you can download the original owners' manual from that page once you register for an account (which is free and well worth the 90 seconds it takes).

 

The tonearm's just OK, as I recall - it's easily adjustable but not high enough in quality to justify or get the best out of a high end cartridge. I'd get everything set up and adjusted well with the stylus you ordered and make sure it runs well and consistently before doing anything else.

 

The AT will almost certainly sound better than the M91, and you'll learn a lot just by swapping between the two once you're satisfied that the 'table's a keeper.

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I got it all hooked up, got a new cart (saving the old one as a backup when the new stylus for it arrives), got the counterweight/anti-stake all balanced out. The thing sounds wonderful. It kept making the tonearm move to the record in the wrong spot, then would move back to rest. I found that the reset button was stuck.

 

I am now able to operate it manually, which is good enough considering I only paid $10 for the table. Right now I am listening to a record I found hidden away in my parents' basement and it sounds wonderful.

 

image.jpg

 

A near-mint condition Columbia LP of Bitches Brew from 1970.

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I am now able to operate it manually, which is good enough considering I only paid $10 for the table. Right now I am listening to a record I found hidden away in my parents' basement and it sounds wonderful.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]11942[/ATTACH]

 

A near-mint condition Columbia LP of Bitches Brew from 1970.

 

Congratulations! It is a slippery slope though... As you learn more about vinyl, start with cleaning. Records that look clean to an unpracticed eye still can have a lot of dirt on them, and when you play them, the dirt gets pressed into the grooves. So I'd start there.

 

a no cost improvement will be removing the dust cover when you play an LP. Thin dust covers act like sound wave antennas and pass the noise right to the platform.

 

what did you end up doing about a phono preamp?

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Congratulations! It is a slippery slope though... As you learn more about vinyl, start with cleaning. Records that look clean to an unpracticed eye still can have a lot of dirt on them, and when you play them, the dirt gets pressed into the grooves. So I'd start there.

 

a no cost improvement will be removing the dust cover when you play an LP. Thin dust covers act like sound wave antennas and pass the noise right to the platform.

 

what did you end up doing about a phono preamp?

 

I got a Pyle Pro PP444. I got it because it was cheap and it had decent reviews on Amazon. It sounds good enough.

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Congrats. I still use my Techniques SL1210 MK2. There is quite a debate regarding belt drive v. direct drive turntables. I live in AZ, so I stick with the direct drive. I don't know how the belt drives would react to the dry heat here.

 

You got a great deal.

In any dispute the intensity of feeling is inversely proportional to the value of the issues at stake ~ Sayre's Law

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I got a Pyle Pro PP444. I got it because it was cheap and it had decent reviews on Amazon. It sounds good enough.

 

If you have any soldering skills (i.e. ANY, this isn't hard at all), I'd recommend the Boozhound Labs diy RIAA phono kit if/when you get a chance to build it; it's phenomenal for the cost ($90 plus some RCA ins and a ground lug - you could even take the Pyle apart and use its parts!).

 

JFET Phono/RIAA Preamplifier kit – Boozhound Laboratories

 

I have a high end table and a mid-end(?) table comparable to the one you've listed, and I can say the preamp, in combination with the needle, makes an audible difference. Plus PIO caps are pretty!

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