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

Product Information

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). 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 inbuilt LED indicator light enables you to estimate the record’s speed at a glance in low light settings. How about Inputs and Outputs?

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). Tonearm Type: Universal type S-shape tone arm, Gimbal-supported type bearing structure, Static balance type 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%.

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).

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. First Impressions / Setting up The Pioneer DJ PLX-500 is an entry-level turntable meant for ripping vinyl and home use. Turntables are fussy things – they rely on a tiny needle sitting in a record groove. This is why the best DJ turntables are built like tanks, weigh a ton, and often expensive. The added mass and weight make them less prone to unwanted vibrations and bumps, especially when you’re stood next to a pair of bass bins. When you cut corners to make a DJ turntable, compromises are inevitable. 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. 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.Arm Type: Universal type S-shape tone arm, Gimbal-supported type bearing structure, Static balance type The gorgeously warm quality that vinyl records bring is on full display with the PLX-500. The overall soundscape is handled with grace and care. The lower end has been very slightly muted, with the full midrange being pushed to the front of the mix. 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. Lastly, the metal platter underneath isn’t as dense as the PLX-1000. It doesn’t feel as solid as the flagship. 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.)

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).

The 500’s platter isn’t as unfailing as a 1210, but when you have actually got accustomed to it, it appears sailing. The aluminum platter looks impressive due to the “centered” outer flange, which is part of the classic strobe rotation control system. 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 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 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. 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 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. 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 also had to be a little bit gentler when it came to speeding up the spindle and slowing down the platter edge with my fingers – the motor doesn’t seem to have as high a torque as that of the PLX-1000, which again is understandable since this is a budget model. I did some digging: the PLX-1000 can start up in 0.3 seconds, while the PLX-500 takes up to one second to fully start. It sounds like a small thing, but this makes for a noticeable difference in performance. 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.