The best Japanese SLT turntables. A comparison.

The best Japanese SLT turntables. A no nonsense comparison

Hello everyone,

I am starting this thread so that important technical and construction differences between the following Japanese SLT standard 1/2” mount headshell turntable models will be better understood:

Aiwa LP-3000
Akai AP-L45 & AP-L95
Luxman PX-101
Mitsubishi LT-1, LT-2, LT-3, LT-5, LT-10, LT-20, LT-22, & LT-30
Phase Linear 8000 Series Two & 8000A
Pioneer PL-L1, PL-L5, PL-L1000, PL-L1000A, & PL-L800
Sony PS-X555ES & PS-X800
Yamaha PX-1, PX-2, & PX-3

I don't have time to post anything right now, so feel free to contribute to this thread in the meantime. Please try to stay on topic, contribute only accurate information, and minimize nonessential chit chat fluff so that this thread will be useful for those trying to choose the correct Japanese SLT for their needs.

P.S. For those unsure, SLT is an acronym for Straight Line Tracking. This is synonymous with tangential tracking and linear tracking. We are not talking pivoting tonearms here. This thread also omits P-mount cartridge SLTs so as to focus directly on 1/2" standard mount choices. Non-Japanese SLT turntables have also been excluded due to the relative rarity of these models, but I suspect they probably should have been included anyway.


Thanks, Professor Bizzt

Re the PL-L1000 and similar linear drive motor variants. Is stiction to any degree an issue for the smooth operation of the linear motor tracking?

Stiction & friction in Pioneer linear motor SLT turntables

"Re the PL-L1000 and similar linear drive motor variants. Is stiction to any degree an issue for the smooth operation of the linear motor tracking?"

Hello Pio1980,

The upside to Pioneer's linear tangential tonearm motors is the highest level of simplicity and durability. The downside is that the design does not have a gear reduced tensioned drive to firmly control and place the carriage. This disadvantage can be almost completely compensated for (my opinion) with proper setup and careful maintenance.

In my opinion all Pioneer linear drive tonearm turntables (all models listed in the first post of this thread) must maintain their carriage friction and damping very close to what the designers intended (especially the damping) in order for the tracking error sensor and tonearm drive circuitry to work synergistic-ally with the mechanical section for smooth operation. This is ESPECIALLY true for the PL-L800.

Having said this, it is my opinion that the friction should be as low as possible without detrimentally impacting a firm mechanical ground to the rails and the damping should be just sufficient to allow stable and smooth operation of the carriage when the calibration is correct.

The benefit of low friction is a reduced tendency for the carriage to stick in place with the linear motor drive current progressively rising until there is sudden mechanical release at the onset of carriage movement. It should be clear that this is an undesirable condition.

The downside to this level of carriage freedom is a tendency for the carriage to creep towards the inside or outside when not properly leveled, so you have to be careful to level the tonearm carriage rails (or carrier tube in the case of the PL-L800) of your turntable.

Reducing friction and damping can also render manual finger-lift operated placement of the tonearm very unwise as it could cause wild and dangerous movement of the tonearm. I therefore suggest never operating a Pioneer SLT turntable by this method. It may go wild on you, it may not. It's not worth taking the chance. Low friction may also make the arm a little more sensitive to outside vibration, but that would be a speculative statement.


Best wishes, Professor Bizzt

A marvelously complete and spot-on response and explanation to a question I've wanted to ask the right person for some time, you are obviously that person. Thank you.
I've owned several LTs over the years and had a tempting offer on a PL-L1000 but was concerned about practice over theory as well as it's sonic potential over a very good pivot arm table, the Sony PS-X70.
I've had new /have an H-K ST-7 which while intriguing for it's elegant simplicity, relies on a certain somewhat variable amount of advance precession to maintain approximate-at-best tangency. It 's resonant panels and structures also do not inspire confidence in it's overall unmodified sonic competence whatever the virtues of it's linear tracking drive. I bought new and still use a (modified) Souther SLA-3 which while quite light and loosely mechanically grounded to the gantry, performs very well as long as the rollers and track rods are perfectly clean. Out of interest I acquired a pair of Technics SL-7s and 10s as the most interesting and readily accessible servo LTs with (hopefully) some sonic potential. They await reworking at present, the Sony having my attention at present as the 1st TT/arm combo I've owned that didn't sound right off that it "needed something".
Your thoughts on the 'little' upper-end Technics LTs would be most appreciated.

The best Japanese SLT turntables. A no nonsense comparison

Hello Pio1980,

In my opinion all of the standard ½” cartridge mount Pioneer SLT turntables (notwithstanding the PL-L800) give a nice showing of themselves when it comes to “practice over theory”. This proves that the direct drive linear motor tonearm concept can work very well provided there are no abnormal issues occurring.

Unfortunately the PL-L800 and PL-L800S represent a different design approach due to the necessity of cost savings to meet a lower price point. They utilized two plastic “V Sliders” as a sliding bearing that slide along a Teflon coated “Carrier” tube instead of the more appropriate three ball bearing rollers along two rails concept. This design is very susceptible to increases in friction due to dirt, abuse, age, etc.

I don't fault Pioneer for introducing the PL-L800 because the tonearm can work well enough provided it is maintained properly. They did, after all, have to meet a lower price point than with the PL-L1000 series.

One other thing I would like to clear up regarding the PL-L800; I have read posts on other audio forums that the PL-L800 utilizes a magnetically levitated tonearm carrier. This is absolutely false and inaccurate information. The thread poster states that the linear motor stator coil inside the carrier tube is responsible for levitating the tonearm carrier while a motor attached to the carrier is responsible for transporting the carrier inward and outward. The “motor” this poster is referring to is in reality a small electric motor, but is utilized as generator (not a motor) to inform the tonearm's servo drive electronics of the horizontal velocity of the carriage. In this way, appropriate damping can be applied via the servo electronics to the drive coil in the carrier tube. The motor also functions as a third bearing support to locate the carrier in the pitch plane.

Regarding your admiration of the Sony PS-X70. I have no doubt that you are obtaining very good results with this model. Sony BSL direct drive motors are excellent in my opinion. The platter mass on early direct drive turntables was respectable. The pivoting arm looks very good. And finally, Sony's higher-end Bulk Mold Compound plinths were also commendable. That said, the problem I have with all fixed offset headshell pivoting tonearms is not so much the tracking error that is inherent to all of them, but the dynamically varying skating forces due to their offset headshell. This can only be solved properly by using an SLT tonearm.

Skating force is due to the combination of tonearm or headshell offset and the friction of the stylus in the record groove. Friction will vary with record warps, tracking force, groove modulation amplitude, groove modulation frequency, tracking error, stylus shape, velocity changes from the beginning of play to the end, slight differences in vinyl composition, user applied treatments to the record surface, etc.

It seems common for most audiophiles to consider the skating force constant or semi-constant and therefore compensate-able via the tonearm's anti-skating mechanism. I propose that most of the friction factors responsible for skating force are not constant nor even slowly changing and therefore compensate-able via anti-skating mechanisms. I propose they are strongly dynamic in nature and change within very short periods of time. Therefore the only proper way to deal with skating forces is to utilize an SLT tonearm to prevent them from being generated in the first place.

I cannot comment properly on your Harman Kardon as I have never seen one, but if it utilizes the platter driven tonearm drive scheme I have read about, I would be a little concerned over mechanical noise ingress issues into the tonearm.

Nor can I comment properly on your Souther, however it seems to be a good design provided it is kept meticulously clean. I would feel more comfortable with significantly more mass in the carriage though, and that can only be achieved with a servo driven SLT tonearm design.

The Harman Kardon and the Souther take us off topic and I really wanted to keep this thread pure, accurate, and to the point regarding Japanese 1/2” standard mount SLT turntables. Commenting on Technics SLT turntables takes us very much off topic as they only made P-mount (T4P) SLT turntables.


Thanks, Professor Bizzt

Agree completely and share your observations re the variance of skating forces in pivoted arms however good and vagueness of comp'ing for for them. It appears the ridigity, damping, and mechanical grounding seems to be superior in the better of those than the servo linear arms that were offered during the "Golden Age" of quartz locked LT DD 'tables. Thnx for discussion of the L800, wondered abt the diffs between and the L1000 which I remember well as being offered thru the military PX system.

Also aware of not wanting to establish topic drift, just wanted to relate some personal experience with LTs as background and hope for some discussion of the LTs in-topic as having interest in other's experiences and relative sonic virtues of the various examples. I would like to find something that works well and has some aspirations to good sonic performance relative to the commonly respected 'conventional' offerings. The Yamaha PX-2 has a rep for narrowing the gap but I've never seen one, much less handled one. I'm somewhat concerned that if I acquired a PL-L1000 offered me, once the novelty of having the tracking working perfectly wore off I'd be dissatisfied with it's basic sonic performance unrelated to no tangency angle error and no skating forces, hence my interest in it's contemporary competition of this topic thread.

The best stock Japanese linear tracker would probably be the Yamaha PX-1.I have read reports of a fellow who owns one,as well as most of the desirable TOTL Direct Drives and he reckons that it is just outside of the very best Japanese direct drives.

The Sony LTs seem to escape attention and are supposed to be at least competitive with other sub-"statement level" examples. I would personally find a PS-X800 interesting.

theophile said:

The best stock Japanese linear tracker would probably be the Yamaha PX-1.I have read reports of a fellow who owns one,as well as most of the desirable TOTL Direct Drives and he reckons that it is just outside of the very best Japanese direct drives.

Click to expand...

I've seen the PX-1, and spent some time examining it. Unfortunately, at the time I didn't appreciate just how rare it was, and didn't get it, figuring (with the incredible flow of gear through the market here at that time) that I'd get another chance if I wanted one later, anyway. Oh, the price of ignorance! Anyway, I can tell you that it is a large, heavy thing, a very solidly-built design.

I wish I had got it, though, not least because I'd like to have compared it with the PL-L1. Then I could have told you for certain which was the best Japanese linear-tracking DD turntable!

(But I suspect you are probably correct. )

Arkay said:

I've seen the PX-1, and spent some time examining it. Unfortunately, at the time I didn't appreciate just how rare it was, and didn't get it, figuring (with the incredible flow of gear through the market here at that time) that I'd get another chance if I wanted one later, anyway. Oh, the price of ignorance! Anyway, I can tell you that it is a large, heavy thing, a very solidly-built design.

I wish I had got it, though, not least because I'd like to have compared it with the PL-L1. Then I could have told you for certain which was the best Japanese linear-tracking DD turntable!

(But I suspect you are probably correct. )

Click to expand...

I'll admit that the PL-L1 had slipped my mind,when I typed that.I do think that the PL-L1 would give the PX-1 a 'run for it's money'. :yes:

The best Japanese SLT turntables. A no nonsense comparison

Pio1980 said:

I would like to find something that works well and has some aspirations to good sonic performance relative to the commonly respected 'conventional' offerings. The Yamaha PX-2 has a rep for narrowing the gap but I've never seen one, much less handled one. I'm somewhat concerned that if I acquired a PL-L1000 offered me, once the novelty of having the tracking working perfectly wore off I'd be dissatisfied with it's basic sonic performance unrelated to no tangency angle error and no skating forces, hence my interest in it's contemporary competition of this topic thread.

Click to expand...

Hello Pio1980,

By "conventional offerings" I assume you mean the huge assortment of contemporary pivoting arm direct and non-direct drive turntables.

I have already expressed my opinion that no pivoting tonearm can allow the cartridge to function properly due to the inherent skating forces involved. Since this is an inescapable fact, I would be hesitant to consider conventional offerings despite the potential for excellent performance in other areas of a good example of a conventional offering.

I have every intention of putting together a pros and cons list of the SLT turntables listed in this thread's first post, but don't look for this soon. For now, in my opinion (and considering all the choices here), I recommend a PL-L1000 turntable considering how plentiful, reliable, easy to fix, simple, good sounding, and reasonably priced they are.

I do like the PL-L1000A considerably more, but the myriad of currently available (I think) separate logic ICs in the PL-L1000 were integrated onto one large chip in the PL-L1000A and I would not want to be blamed for a rare failure event that results in no availability of this central chip. My unnecessarily cautious side speaking I guess.

I have worked on a PX-2 recently. All of its photointerrupters were defective and that prevented the auto lead-in and arm return functions from working. This is common on the PX-2 and apparently the PX-3 as well. Having said that, I thought it was a real tank of an SLT with excellent tracking error performance.

If the "novelty of having the tracking working perfectly" on a good SLT wears off with you, I suggest you stop, take a break, and think through what you expect from a turntable. The best SLT tables do not have a characteristic sound of their own, they just do their job and let the cartridge to do its job. No more, no less. This is the way it should be and I think it's unfortunate that audiophiles are constantly looking for a certain type of "sound" when they should be sharp and experienced enough by now to choose accuracy and neutrality instead. I would not consider these machines a novelty. I take them seriously.

Contemporary competition? I assume you mean all the new "high-end" belt drive offerings. In brief (and with tongue on leash and in cheek), it is my opinion that these new turntables do not create a new benchmark that puts to shame the extensive and commendable engineering contributions of the flagship SLTs from Japan's yesteryear.

If you feel that a 25 pound SLT from yesteryear just can't be as good as a 100 pound whiz-bang wallet obliterating statement from today, just get it properly tuned up, calibrated, slightly modded, and then sit it atop a very nice vibration isolation platform and you're done.


Thanks and peace, Professor Bizzt

One of my concerns of SLT's has been that audible noise might be generated when the linear carriage moves in normal, proper operation. Is this a noticeable problem in any of the models?

I picked up a PL-L800 about eight years ago, but didn't actually play it until earlier this year (so it has had an unknown number of years of sitting around with no maintenance). I put my older AT440ML (previous to the current model AT440MLa) cartridge on it and was initially delighted. However I noticed in the visual waveform display of LP recordings that there were "random" excitations of the arm/cartridge 10 Hz resonance every few seconds, as if there were a big bump on the LP, yet it was mostly inaudible. I couldn't figure this out until playing a high-modulation 12" 45RPM (er, Disco) record - with its wide groove spacing and higher revolution speed, the cartridge goes at a good clip across the record, and the record was, for no apparent reason, SKIPPING. Careful observation of arm movement showed this to be a 'stiction' type problem of the linear motor mechanism, as already described in the thread.

Not sure if repair/maintenance is supposed to be part of this thread, but suggestions are welcome. I have the user and service manuals from vinylengine. The troubleshooting flowcharts just say "clean" this or that. I haven't tried to do anything yet - are there any hints I can get other than what's in the manual?

I don't mean to dominate or hijack the thread so I'll try to limit my input from this point.
Your reasons for favoring the 1000A over the 1000? What modifications would be worthwhile?
This and other related discussions by yourself have me reconsidering an offer from someone who likes the L1000 as much as you and is familiar with them for a complete checked out and working properly packed and delivered example for a couple Franklins.
I will add that the main attraction for me of the fore-mentioned Sony is a notable lack of signature, euphonic or otherwise, that I might call a 'dry' absence of resonances or other vibrational interactions that I have dealt with with other TT's. It gives a markedly better more neutral and more detailed sounding result than a well-regarded Technics SL-1600MkII at hand F.I.
Thank you for your indulgence, wisdom, and experience.

The best Japanese SLT turntables. A no nonsense comparison

Pio1980 said:

I don't mean to dominate or hijack the thread so I'll try to limit my input from this point.
Your reasons for favoring the 1000A over the 1000? What modifications would be worthwhile?
This and other related discussions by yourself have me reconsidering an offer from someone who likes the L1000 as much as you and is familiar with them for a complete checked out and working properly packed and delivered example for a couple Franklins.
I will add that the main attraction for me of the fore-mentioned Sony is a notable lack of signature, euphonic or otherwise, that I might call a 'dry' absence of resonances or other vibrational interactions that I have dealt with with other TT's. It gives a markedly better more neutral and more detailed sounding result than a well-regarded Technics SL-1600MkII at hand F.I.
Thank you for your indulgence, wisdom, and experience.

Click to expand...

Thank you very much for your consistent compliments Pio1980.

I really don't see why you should consider limiting your questions on this thread. The way I look at it, your questions are probably close to the same as others would have visiting this thread anyway. Besides, this thread has a right to grow big like the others.

I like the PL-L1000A because the tonearm is a more refined version of the PL-L1000 and the motor is an upgraded higher torque coreless design with a larger peripherally integrated Frequency Generator (FG) than any other Pioneer Stable Hanging Rotor (SHR) direct drive motor that I have seen as of this moment including the PL-L1000.

The Pioneer Exclusive P3A had a larger FG I believe, but that is an expensive hard to find pivoting arm design. I also like the 1000A because it is so sensibly laid out with lots of room to work on etc. Check out the pictures of the internals of one I uploaded to the Vinyl Engine in the Gallery section.

The only thing I don't like about the 1000A versus the 1000 is that it lacks the small rubber bumper on the bottom of the tonearm that contacts the queing bar, and that it uses a muting switch to short the cartridge signal during up que.

The omission of the rubber bumper can cause the stylus to skip a groove or two during up que making a discomforting noise when the mute switch is bypassed. Why bypass the mute switch? Because it can cause a loud thump through your system when using direct coupled strain gauge cartridge preamplifiers. If you don't plan on using a strain gauge cartridge, you probably can forget about this issue.

I have developed several tonearm and plinth modifications for the PL-L1000 and PL-L1000A. I did one of these PL-L1000A mods for a very experienced and well connected audiophile friend and he was so impressed that he does not use his Technics SP-10 MKII with Grace 744 uni-pivot tonearm anymore at all. If anyone wants to know more about this, they can private message me.

Again, I respect your praise of the Sony PS-X70. After all is said and done, it is what makes you happy that matters. All this talk about what it takes to play records correctly is fine, but it is you who most choose.

I am glad you mentioned the word "dry" in your description of the Sony PS-X70 sound. I have found that as long as the frequency response is respectably flat, "dry" sound is an indication that things are on the up and up and usually means that there are few energy storage colorations occurring. This is my opinion.


Best wishes, Professor Bizzt

Pioneer PL-L800 tonearm stiction issues & tonearm movement generated noise

benb said:

One of my concerns of SLT's has been that audible noise might be generated when the linear carriage moves in normal, proper operation. Is this a noticeable problem in any of the models?

I picked up a PL-L800 about eight years ago, but didn't actually play it until earlier this year (so it has had an unknown number of years of sitting around with no maintenance). I put my older AT440ML (previous to the current model AT440MLa) cartridge on it and was initially delighted. However I noticed in the visual waveform display of LP recordings that there were "random" excitations of the arm/cartridge 10 Hz resonance every few seconds, as if there were a big bump on the LP, yet it was mostly inaudible. I couldn't figure this out until playing a high-modulation 12" 45RPM (er, Disco) record - with its wide groove spacing and higher revolution speed, the cartridge goes at a good clip across the record, and the record was, for no apparent reason, SKIPPING. Careful observation of arm movement showed this to be a 'stiction' type problem of the linear motor mechanism, as already described in the thread.

Not sure if repair/maintenance is supposed to be part of this thread, but suggestions are welcome. I have the user and service manuals from vinylengine. The troubleshooting flowcharts just say "clean" this or that. I haven't tried to do anything yet - are there any hints I can get other than what's in the manual?

Click to expand...

Hello benb,

It would be unfair and incorrect to criticize all SLT tonearm turntables as a group for the problems you are encountering with your PL-L800. Like I said in one of my posts on this thread, the PL-L800 is a bit of a compromised design relative to the PL-L1000 series turntables.

It is possible however that other higher-end SLT turntables in this discussion could develop problems like what you are having with the PL-L800, but that would only happen if there was something very wrong with the bearings or maybe the electronics.

Remember that the PL-L800 has a carriage bearing design that is very marginal (my opinion again) compared to the higher end SLTs. This means that if the slightest thing is not correct in this bearing system, it will exhibit the symptoms you describe.

What is happening is that the arm is sticking while the drive current to the stator coil steadily increases due to the increasing tracking error that is sensed. The magnetic drive force on the carriage keeps increasing until the carriage finally lets go and the arm moves in a non-ideal spurt instead of a smooth continuous movement. This mechanical shock transient is relayed to the cartridge and the cantilever is deflected. Unwanted signal is then generated.

I have worked on PL-L800s and I can tell you that it is a real trick to get the V sliders and carrier tube to play well with each other and to exhibit the low levels of friction necessary for proper operation.

Dirt also plays havoc with the stiction/friction of this arm. In all, this particular arm is one fussy pain sometimes, but when skillfully optimized, it can work acceptably well.


Best wishes, Professor Bizzt

Directed to readership in general, the prof knows what he is doing;
I have used Naphtha (lighter fluid) lightly 'dampened' towelettes to clean and degrease plastic and metal sliding components in similar items, followed by dry oiless/greaseless Teflon spray lubes. It is absolutely necessary to ensure that the spray's volatile vehicle will not soften/dissolve plastic components, lacquers, or anything else in whatever is being serviced/treated.
Never ever use alcohols, acetone, or any other solvent without establishing harmlessness beyond question, there is definite potential to cause permanent irreversable damage/destruction of the project in question.
Lastly, never ever slather anything like this in WD-40 unless prepping a vintage motorcycle engine for de-greasing.

Oh dear, disaster at the cricket, but, back on topic, I've serviced my SL-7 but am wondering whether I should apply some oil to the spindle/bearing.

Your thoughts, please.

Revox & B&O. Not Japanese, but better.

Edit: Also the rather wonderful Philips FP146.

P.S I know the B&O used its own mount, but it was and remains perhaps the most exquisite LT ever made. Stunning deck!

Professor Bizzt: "I like the PL-L1000A because the tonearm is a more refined version of the PL-L1000 and the motor is an upgraded higher torque coreless design with a larger peripherally integrated Frequency Generator (FG) than any other Pioneer Stable Hanging Rotor (SHR) direct drive motor that I have seen as of this moment including the PL-L1000.
The Pioneer Exclusive P3A had a larger FG I believe, but that is an expensive hard to find pivoting arm design. I also like the 1000A because it is so sensibly laid out with lots of room to work on etc. Check out the pictures of the internals of one I uploaded to the Vinyl Engine in the Gallery section."

Have perused the pix, thanx for posting them and the ref.
The platter rim-reading FG tachs on the Sony and Denon TTs are probably the highest resolution PLL correction refs in common practice. Dunno how much diff this makes in correcting for stylus drag but in theory should be better I suppose.

Is the L1000A LSI unobtanium off-the-shelf as far as you know?

You have my attention re the PL-1000/1000A, I have been/am an LT aficionado and would like very much a properly working sonically acceptable example of a reliable semi automatic LT TT using a broad range of readily available pick-ups old and new.

avole said:

Oh dear, disaster at the cricket, but, back on topic, I've serviced my SL-7 but am wondering whether I should apply some oil to the spindle/bearing.

Your thoughts, please.

Click to expand...

I'm enjoying the cricket..... :yes: :thmbsp: