Pioneer Turntable PL-550

Fishoz

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Anyone have experience with this unit? Numbers look good, never heard one. Local pristine one for $300 locally.

Rethinking my TT set up since taking down the Duals for maintenance. The cheap ass Marantz I have playing now doesn't sound that bad, making me think.

Dream TT's are currently priced out of my range. Just starting to think about affordable decent TT's - looking at everything!
 
Elite-ist

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Ron has a Pioneer PL-550. I owned, then sold my Pioneer PL-570 to help finance a major receiver purchase. It's a very good turntable. I sold mine on consignment for $600 over 2 1/2 years ago and I had owned it for about 5 years.







Nando.
 
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They are beautiful heavy turntables that will please anyone. Nando, that is the nicest example I have ever seen! WOW!!!!!!! Shure V15's really work well with these though I have run many different MM, MC's (low and high output) and MI's
 
Elite-ist

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Thank, Ron. I wouldn't have sold it had it not been for me getting another Pioneer turntable in advance of deciding to sell it. I bought the PL-570 from the original owner. The turntable looked factory-fresh when I sold it and I never had an issue with it during the 5 years I used it. It commanded a high price because it came with the packing box, owner's manual, and brochure that had been passed down to me.

A couple more pictures from Innovative Audio's web site, where it was sold:





Nando.
 
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Fishoz

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Thanks guys.

Definitely beautiful and heavy.

Closer inspection of add shows not as pristine as I thought. Will contemplate though - see them go on ebay for <$200 (also for >$400). Maybe I'll play with this guy for a bit and feel him out!!!
 
orange

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Master Tasuke has wanted one for some time but they are out of his reach as well.
 
orange

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IMO Marantz made some decent phonographs in the 70s.
 
Master Tasuke

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i'd LOVE to have one of those. i graduated around four-odd years ago to my first ever PIONEER TT, a 1975 entry level PL-112D.

it still works great and sounds great, the best TT i've ever had to date.

in a perfect world, i'd own an ELITE PL-90, but meanwhile back on planet earth, i'll have to be content with the perfectly decent PL-112D...



 
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Fishoz

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I'm playing tag with the owner. I noticed the Lateral weight was missing (trying to get him down in price). He advised he has it (then why not on the TT?). Holding firm in his price of $300. Just irks me that he won't deal. Gotta give it some time, if still listed a few days from now I will try again (let's see if he is truthful that there are many other people looking at that price). I was thinking of going in at $200-225.
 
orange

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Master Tasuke said:
i'd LOVE to have one of those. i graduated around four-odd years ago to my first ever PIONEER TT, a 1975 entry level PL-112D.

it still works great and sounds great, the best TT i've ever had to date.

in a perfect world, i'd own an ELITE PL-90, but meanwhile back on planet earth, i'll have to be content with the perfectly decent PL-112D...

Click to expand...
Having owned one myself, I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment...they are quite nice.
 
Elite-ist

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Speaking of the Pioneer PL-90, Gordon of Innovative Audio, had a chance to recently see one for sale at a local turntable store about a 40 minute drive south of me. He said it was priced at a cool $2500. He was quite shocked to find out as far as the trim and plinth construction that plastic and fiberboard constituted much of the materials used. Looking at the factory pictures of one, you wouldn't have thought the controls and trim blocks at each corner of the base are plastic and the underside of the plinth is rough-textured. He agrees: the PL-570 is much better built and he would have been thoroughly upset to have bought one via the internet without knowing what he knows now.



Nando.
 
Elite-ist

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One of the first thrift store turntable purchases I had was a Pioneer PL-115D. I still have it, but I already sold the head-shell and cartridge that came with it. No big deal, as I should have a spare Pioneer head-shell and cartridge to transplant into it.

Nando.
 
Master Tasuke

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Elite-ist said:
Speaking of the Pioneer PL-90, Gordon of Innovative Audio, had a chance to recently see one for sale at a local turntable store about a 40 minute drive south of me. He said it was priced at a cool $2500. He was quite shocked to find out as far as the trim and plinth construction that plastic and fiberboard constituted much of the materials used. Looking at the factory pictures of one, you wouldn't have thought the controls and trim blocks at each corner of the base are plastic and the underside of the plinth is rough-textured. He agrees: the PL-570 is much better built and he would have been thoroughly upset to have bought one via the internet without knowing what he knows now.
Click to expand...

disappointing, but good to know. it's not like i'd ever be able to afford one at the prices they now command,
but it is nonetheless reassuring to know i CAN afford, with concentrated effort, a PIONEER TT model
that looks almost as good, in it's own way, commands a fraction of the much-vaunted PL-90,
and is actually possessed of a superior fit and finish...
 
Northwinds

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Elite-ist said:
One of the first thrift store turntable purchases I had was a Pioneer PL-115D. I still have it, but I already sold the head-shell and cartridge that came with it. No big deal, as I should have a spare Pioneer head-shell and cartridge to transplant into it.

Nando.
Click to expand...
I had one out in the garage, gave it to Bob Carey to sell when I filled his Jeep this past Spring. The 15D is a really decent suspension TT that was better (IMO) then any Dual or Garrard I have had

EDIT: Master Tasuke, I recently traded two PL-550s for a Dynaco Stereo 400 poweramp. They needed a little TLC, one did not have a dustcover, both worked beautifully. I would have sent you one had I known you wanted one
 
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orange

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