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

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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 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. 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. Also, the tone-arm shoulder looks a little cheap, but you've gotta keep costs down somewhere, right? And, fair play, it doesn't mess with performance - if you calibrate the weight, height and anti-skipping dial to match your stylus and needle set-up, then you're golden. 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.

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 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 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? The Pioneer DJ series made its debut on the turntable market relatively recently but immediately won recognition and a place on shelves with the PLX-1000 model. In 2016 the company presented a new, cheaper turntable marked as PLX -500. With this turntable Pioneer is trying to conquer two groups of recipients – one group is DJs, especially the beginners, and the other group is casual record listeners.

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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). The aluminum platter looks impressive thanks to the “spotted” outer flange, which is part of the classic strobe rotation control system. Setting the Pioneer up is reasonably straightforward and should not prove too challenging, especially if you have access to a stylus force gauge. Once up and running, the Pioneer does a fair amount right – but not everything. Listening to Biffy Clyro's Only Revolutions, the PLX-500 has some traditional direct drive attributes. The sound has a rhythmically engaging and propulsive quality and as you might expect, pitch stability is pretty much absolute. 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. This makes it quite challenging to pull off more intermediate / complex scratch phrases. No doubt a skilled turntablist will be able to adjust accordingly, but it may lead to frustration for beginners, and intermediate DJs will be able to tell the difference after just a few tries.

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. The 500’s platter isn’t as unfailing as a 1210, but when you have actually got accustomed to it, it appears sailing. 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 … The aluminum platter looks impressive due to the “centered” outer flange, which is part of the classic strobe rotation control system.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. 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. First Impressions / Setting up The Pioneer DJ PLX-500 is an entry-level turntable meant for ripping vinyl and home use. The column base 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 regulations here at all).

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). Using the PLX-500 with Rekordbox DJ was the last thing on my list. It doesn’t come with a Rekordbox DVS licence, and you still need to hook up a Rekordbox DVS-enabled mixer or DJ controller to your laptop. I have a licence and timecode vinyl that came with my DDJ-RZ, so I tried it out. Getting it set up and calibrated was a breeze (as is the case with DVS these days).Looking from above, we see the On/Off switch, the large Start/Stop button, and the three-speed selector. This offers you a choice of 33, 45, or 78 rpm. Pioneer have also kept the +8/-8 pitch fader, which works great for pitch bending (even though the motor is not as powerful as the PLX-1000).