PL-200X

[cactusfriend]

After setting up a system for a friend (with a front-loading PL-X200, ironically), I needed a new table for myself and picked up a PL-200X. The seller mentioned that it had no needle and sold it for pretty cheap. When I got it home, I noticed that it had the stock cartridge, with the needle broken off, as well as two of the four wires in the head chamber broken from their attachment terminals.

Since I had to replace the cartridge too, a quick bit of soldering the two wires took care of that. The motor is mostly silent (just some barely audible clicks when it is getting up to speed) and the speed seems stable. Here's some pics of it before I've had a chance to clean it:

http://fanglers.letsneverdie.net/m/src/132886407687.jpg
http://fanglers.letsneverdie.net/m/src/132886411783.jpg
http://fanglers.letsneverdie.net/m/src/132886414923.jpg
http://fanglers.letsneverdie.net/m/src/132886418333.jpg
http://fanglers.letsneverdie.net/m/src/132886421439.jpg
http://fanglers.letsneverdie.net/m/src/132886425498.jpg

[Van_Isle]

Excellent ... enjoy!

I picked up a PL-255 recently (for $20) with the tonearm stub broken off. Luckilly a bit of JB-Weld seems to have fixed it:

[cactusfriend]

Nice! Looks like it has a few controls on the front that mine doesn't - is it full-automatic?

[Van_Isle]

Yes fully automatic ... other than selecting record size. So from L to R: Start/Cut; Repeat; size selector; strobe; pitch; speed selector.

[alxjalmeida]

So I also just got this same turntable (pl-200) last week. It came with an empire cartridge and I just bought an Audio Technica AT95e cartridge. I mounted it to the headshell ok, but my question is, with the AT95e it doesn't seem possible to abide by Pioneer's 49mm for the cartridge overhang measurements. Mounting the cartridge all the way back gets it to at best 54mm from the headshell connector as illustrated in the manual.

So what do I do? What guideline should I follow for what position on the headshell I mount this cartridge?

I am new to vinyl and have done my research, but don't want to ruin my new Norah Jones LP I just bought new.

Any help would be great appreciated from others with a PL-200.

Thanks!
Alex

[Alec124c41]

You are measuring to the stylus, not the end of the cartridge, aren't you?

Cheers,
Alec

[alxjalmeida]

Yep, that is correct... From the stylus. I did print out the "chpratz" protractor and eyeballed it, and lines look straight at 60 and 120 degrees... I set the VTF to 2G and Anti-skate to 2G and it is sounding pretty good right now... Guess I did everything right? Hopefully I am not scratching my new vinyl.

[alxjalmeida]

If anybody sees this thread and has any ideas on the proper way to mount the AT95e cartridge to the PL-200 head shell I would appreciate it.. I just want to make sure it is in the right position (forward or backwards) on the head shell. I can then use the protractor to make final adjustments once I know how far forward the cartridge should be mounted on the head shell.

Thanks!

[Prana69]

Whether the cart is forwards or backwards in the head shell will be determined by the effective length of the PL-200 turntable. Pioneer has taken the difficulty out of the measurement by telling you that in order to achieve the optimal "effective length", you should have 49mm from shell mount to the stylus. You measure this from and including the small black rubber ring/washer around the head shell mount to the STYLUS tip (not the end of the cart).

Mount the cart in the shell, but don't overtighten the screws. Keep the stylus guard on. Turn the shell upside down in your left hand, get a ruler and with your right hand, measure 49mm from black ring to where the stylus tip is. Move the cart fwd or back as necessary.

DR

[Alec124c41]

Then adjust it to fit the protractor. The actual position will depend on which protractor you use. A Baerwald one will typically put the cartridge almost 2 mm farther forward than a Stevenson protractor.

Cheers,
Alec

[Prana69]

Yes, thanks for that Alec. Should have finished with "and don't forget to re-align after doing this measurement".

DaveR

[alxjalmeida]

Thanks so much for the help on this guys! I have done as you instructed and things are sounding great, except for one thing which I am not sure has to do with the alignment. So I won't bog this thread down with that issue.

I just purchased Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto and on the first track for example, there is the 1 second part of the track where the music dynamic shifts from medium to very loud quickly and I get a little static. Like clipping but when I record the track to Audacity the levels don't look like they are clipping but the waveforms for that brief passage just don't look right... I will have to grab a picture of the passage of the waveform or post a recording of what I am talking about.

It isn't my amp because I get it directly out of the pre-amp (which I do when I am recording in Audacity for digital transfer). So it's either the Pre-amp, TT, or Cart. The LP is brand new, have only played it 4 times so far.

Alas, it isn't something that lasts throughout the track or the LP, but it is enough to irk the poop out of me.

[Prana69]

Sudden changes in volume can be challenging for a cartridge. I think that is one of the tests that you find on the "cartrdige tracking torture test" records around the place. If you have checked that the cart is aligned correctly, and that you have set the vertical tracking and anti-skate forces correctly, there's not much else you can do. Don't be too over-awed by the fact that the vinyl is "new". I have bought new vinyl that have a terrible sheen of film over them. I always "wash" my new vinyl before playing them.

If you have ruled out all those things as well as your pre-amp and power amp and speakers, there's not much else to do other than get hold of (borrow?) a different cart and see if it happensagain.

D

[Alec124c41]

If it happens in the same place on the one record only, it is the record.

Cheers,
Alec