Pioneer PLC-590

[walpurgis]

Do you think the SME 3009 is actually better than the Audiomods or just a better fit and match to the Pioneer?

I'm biased and dislike Rega arms and Rega derived arms, so I'd go with the SME, which may have its own character and colourations, but my judgement, going by the few I've owned is that its faults are generally benign and do not outweigh its pleasantness.

To be honest (in my view). The Audiomods arm is living proof, that the Rega arms require so much works to improve them, that you basically have to throw just about all of the original structure away to get a decent sound. Now, that's a qualified criticism, because at the new price there is no real competition for Rega arms.

[Jason P]

That is one beautiful turntable. Want!

[337alant]

I'm biased and dislike Rega arms and Rega derived arms, so I'd go with the SME, which may have its own character and colourations, but my judgement, going by the few I've owned is that its faults are generally benign and do not outweigh its pleasantness.

To be honest (in my view). The Audiomods arm is living proof, that the Rega arms require so much works to improve them, that you basically have to throw just about all of the original structure away to get a decent sound. Now, that's a qualified criticism, because at the new price there is no real competition for Rega arms.

Geoff
I agree and the SME arm is still fitted to the deck it sounds superb and looks asthetically better than the Rega


IMG_2242 by Alan Towell, on Flickr


Alan

[Audio Al]

Thats lovely Alan
If Carlsberg made TT's

[Floyddroid]

Thats lovely Alan
If Carlsberg made TT's

I totally agree. I would love one.i have had the pleasure of listening to this turntable and it sounds as good as it looks.

[337alant]

Thanks Al & Steve
Its funny how we were all brainwashed by the 70s-80s HIFI press into believing the only way forward was a Linn LP12, but now after 30 years we learn that those "nasty" Japanese DD drive turntables were actually very very good

Alan

[Ammonite Audio]

Let's not forget that, apart from some true gems such as this Pioneer and my own Kenwood KD-990, there was actually a great deal of Japanese dross about at that time. Let's also not forget that these were not exactly 'budget' buys when new; also that the Japanese companies did not generally sell their really high-end stuff here in the UK (Exclusive P3, anyone?). As a former LP12 owner, I do believe that there is a reason why Linn dominated the 80s audiophile record player market; and that reason is not that that we were conned or brainwashed - the old fruit box did play music rather well. Many of the direct drive decks of the time did not. Some of the more recent ones still do not

That PLC590 really is a lovely looking thing.

[RobbieGong]

As has been said, nice deck Alan - looks the part. Now you've nailed the mids (where the music is) with the 3009, I think you'll be grinny like a Cheshire cat once you've externalised the transformer and so. I also believe an Ebony armboard would suit this deck both sonically and aesthetically big time !

[Macca]

I do believe that there is a reason why Linn dominated the 80s audiophile record player market; and that reason is not that that we were conned or brainwashed - the old fruit box did play music rather well. .

Agreed, it did. But we were told that the Jap competition was all rubbish when it wasn't.

[Marco]

Let's not forget that, apart from some true gems such as this Pioneer and my own Kenwood KD-990, there was actually a great deal of Japanese dross about at that time.

Indeed, but the point is, how many more, hitherto undiscovered, Jap T/T gems might there be (or have been, back in the day), if as Macca said, we'd not been rather ignorantly told by the (Linn/Naim obsessed media), that the Jap competition was *ALL* rubbish:

But we were told that the Jap competition was all rubbish when it wasn't.

...so that's precisely (and indisputably) where the brainwashing occurred, as Alan correctly stated.

No-one's saying that the old fruit box didn't sound good (if you like that kind of thing), but you'd needed to have been either blind, or as biased as the press were, and a sympathiser of their views, not to have noticed, and therefore acknowledged, the blatant 'brainwashing' [read as bias towards British hi-fi, and Linn and Naim in particular] that had taken place back then.

Jeez, to experience that brainwashing, all you had to do was walk into pretty much any dealership and talk about some form of equipment (not just T/Ts) that wasn't British! Essentially, if you weren't 'programmed' into embracing the 'accepted norm', and thus your views/tastes weren't aligned with those of the dealer, you were given rather short shrift!

Let's also not forget that these were not exactly 'budget' buys when new; also that the Japanese companies did not generally sell their really high-end stuff here in the UK (Exclusive P3, anyone?).

Indeed, but there was plenty of other "not exactly budget" kit recommended in the magazines back then (especially from the States), but for some reason Jap kit (especially T/Ts and speakers) was often panned, just for the sake of it (excluding the stuff, of course, that deserved to be panned). It was really only the tape decks, especially those from Nakamichi, which got a favourable mention.

Many of the direct drive decks of the time did not. Some of the more recent ones still do not

Ha - I simply can't think what it could be that you're referring to!

Marco.