How much would I have to spend to better my Pioneer PL-550?

[Sansui Louie]

Hasn’t the S arm with detachable head shell been left behind (on “audiophile” decks anyway-I’m not into any funny DJ business)? And if it has, could it mean that the newer straight, one-piece arms are inherently superior?

Thanks again for all your helpful input.

Someone will vehemently disagree with me, but I'd call that "flavor of the day". Kind of like how suddenly all speakers have to be tall and narrow, with small drivers.

Each arm design has it's merits and demerits. The 550 has a very good arm. And if you think about it, the newer, straight, one piece arms are easier and cheaper to make, too.

 

[hakaplan]

Someone will vehemently disagree with me,

Yes, but only because it's fun

but I'd call that "flavor of the day". Kind of like how suddenly all speakers have to be tall and narrow, with small drivers.

Each arm design has it's merits and demerits. The 550 has a very good arm. And if you think about it, the newer, straight, one piece arms are easier and cheaper to make, too.

Well, I'd have to agree with that. :yes:

 

[BrocLuno]

S arms are my choice every time (but of course I also have 2 TTs with straight arms too). The issue for me is ease. I have a pretty big cartridge selection and I find that I'm changing carts about once an evening as I dig through my piles of records.

I'll be listening to - well we'll use last night - I started of with down south country running under the M97ex. That had been mounted for some opera the evening before. I thought it did not have the right sound, so I switched to the Grado Red - much nicer. Went on to Little Feet and kept the Red on. My wife and I were listening and bango - power goes out. OK, the Red is still on and I'll be doing some more tonight. It'll stay until I run into an album that it does not work with and we'll change again.

Most albums run fine under most cartridges. But there are always the difficult ones. On some LPs, I've tried three carts before I get a good match. And sometimes that match only lasts for those two sides. Try doing all that with a straight arm with solid mounted cartridge

The idea that one cart will play all records is nuts to me. Sure, it'll play the record and make sound. But there's more "music" to be had by matching. S arms shine at this business

 

[jcmjrt]

Usually the S arms are slightly heavier than straight arms. Since you have two different weight arms, you can match a greater variety of cartridges.

 

[Brett a]

An update:

Tne other thought for an upgrade to your TT set-up ...work on isolating your TT better.

So, I built a sandbox, put it up on 18 racquetball halves, and wow! What a nice upgrade. I can now say that i cannot hear the TT itself while the record is playing. It will provide a musical program as quiet as the vinyl is clean.

I have purchased a set of Petra cables and hope to re-wire the externals this weekend.

One other area I hope to address: The body of the 550 is pretty thin and thumpy. if i just touch the top of the deck (like, to push the cuing lever) while the stylus is in the groove, it produces a heafty thump. The deck of this thing is just a hollow box made of thin (1/4"?) pressboard, much less substantial than MDF. I'm going to look at putting some bracing inside. If/when I get to this project, I'll take some pics and post them here.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts so far.:thmbsp:

 

[Arkay]

...
One other area I hope to address: The body of the 550 is pretty thin and thumpy. if i just touch the top of the deck (like, to push the cuing lever) while the stylus is in the groove, it produces a heafty thump. The deck of this thing is just a hollow box made of thin (1/4"?) pressboard, much less substantial than MDF. I'm going to look at putting some bracing inside. If/when I get to this project, I'll take some pics and post them here.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts so far.:thmbsp:

Seems like everyone has pretty well covered the rest of your post (rewire, etc...) so I'll address this last part:

Good idea, try bracing the plinth. You can also try adding dampening, using things like automotive dampening sheets or duct putty, sticking it inside wherever it is safely out of the way of the mechanisms.

Another area to consider --which no one ever talks about-- is how the platter mounts to what is underneath. On most TTs (including my PL-C590, the closest thing I have to yours) the platter just lifts off. On the PL-l1 (a "statement" TT, to be sure) I noticed that the platter is bolted right down with precision-machined screw-head bolts. I've seen that on a couple other TTs, and all were high-end TTs. That, plus physics and common sense, makes me thing that anchoring the platter to the motor drive is a good idea. [There could be resonance/motor noise issues, but that is what mats are for...]

Lift off the platter (CAREFULLY) and look. If it looks like you are looking directly into the motor (you see coils or magnets and such), then gingerly replace it and go no further. Anything you do with that kind of DD TT will cause trouble.

IF, however, it is clear that the platter is sitting on some solid, shaped sub-piece designed to hold and engage with the underside of the platter (which also doesn't really look like a motor), THEN you can try adding something like a thin layer of blu-tack in spots, to both "anchor" the platter to it, while also adding additional dampening. You can also add dampening to the underside of the platter itself, which will both further dampen resonances and add a little to its mass (and thus its inertial momentum) but keep the distribution of the added dampener balanced, so you don't create "wobble". More towards the outside adds more to the inertial momentum.

Do you use a center weight or clamp, and an edge clamp (ring)? If not, try 'em. Should improve the sound.

Have you experimented with different mats?

Moving away from the turntable and system, assuming your ultimate aim is the best possible sound (within a budget), have you looked at what room tweaks you can do? Have you run a dedicated power line for your system? (Let a good electrician do it for you.)
What kind of noise filtration or power conditioning are you using? {Extreme Isolation Transformers can work wonders in electrically "noisy" environments, especially for TTs.}
Are your speakers optimally placed?
Are your ears cleaned, or plugged with wax?

 

[Brett a]

Seems like everyone has pretty well covered the rest of your post (rewire, etc...) so I'll address this last part:
Good idea, try bracing the plinth. You can also try adding dampening, using things like automotive dampening sheets or duct putty, sticking it inside wherever it is safely out of the way of the mechanisms.

I'll have a look when I flip it over next time (to re-wire the RCA's). I figure some MDF blocking, but maybe some damping material as well.

Another area to consider --which no one ever talks about-- is how the platter mounts to what is underneath.

The platter on the PL-550 sits right on the spindle. It seems to have its own 'compression fitting' action as if the spindle or the hole in the platter were tapered just slightly. Even when set on carefully, it requires a strong tug to get it off again, so I don't think there are any vibration issues from poor coupling there.

You can also add dampening to the underside of the platter itself

I've considered this. Can't you buy spray-on soundproofing for autos? Although I really wouldn't want to put something on the platter that couldn't be easily removed.
This platter, when removed from the TT and without its mat, rings like a finely tuned bell or tuning fork. The soft rubber mat is very heavy and dead, so I don't know how much of an issue it really is.

Do you use a center weight or clamp, and an edge clamp (ring)? If not, try 'em. Should improve the sound.

I use a spindle clamp, but have never tried an edge clamp.

Have you experimented with different mats?

Not yet.

Moving away from the turntable and system, assuming your ultimate aim is the best possible sound (within a budget), have you looked at what room tweaks you can do?

I do have some acoustic treatments: ATS bass traps and Owens Corning 703 absorption panels to calm the rear reflection points. I have diffusers (aka CD racks and plants) at the first reflection points (I tried absorption there, but it was too stifling for my already dead-ish living room).

Have you run a dedicated power line for your system? (Let a good electrician do it for you.)

I've already done this (myself). I have a single commercial grade duplex on the end of a dedicated 20A circuit from my breaker box which is close to the set-up and only required about 8 feet of romex to make the run.

What kind of noise filtration or power conditioning are you using? {Extreme Isolation Transformers can work wonders in electrically "noisy" environments, especially for TTs.}

Now this, I do not have yet. I live in a pretty rural area and think my AC is pretty clean, but that's an assumption.

Are your speakers optimally placed?

I have spend many hours getting the speakers in just the right spot. I get excellent 3D imaging. If I move them an inch in any direction, the image loses integrity so I think I'm all set there.

Are your ears cleaned, or plugged with wax?

I keep 'em pretty clean, thanks. :yes:

 

[Sansui Louie]

I'm enjoying the living bejeesus out of my 550. I really can't see an improvement on it as a turntable unless I dropped about a used SUV's worth of cash.

 

[Brett a]

I'm enjoying the living bejeesus out of my 550. I really can't see an improvement on it as a turntable unless I dropped about a used SUV's worth of cash.

I'm really enjoying mine too. I'm not chasing upgrades out of any great sense of lack. I just like to have projects.

 

[Arkay]

Brett, sounds like you've basically got all the bases covered, except what people said before (try new carts, etc...).

Sansui Louie, you're probably right, but value received does not always equate to cash spent, especially if you aren't buying new. I paid a heck of a lot less for my PL-C590 than most people would have to most of the time, and even LESS for a PL-L1 (which is an even better TT, I think). A lot depends on luck (or Karma) of being in the right place at the right time. You can increase the odds by regular searching, letting people know you want old audio stuff, etc...

But who cares? If you are enjoying the 550 that much (and why not? It's a very good TT) then you can just keep on enjoying it, until whenever a bargain on something better comes along. IF it never does, you're still enjoying yourself.
Ain't audio stuff fun?

 

[Brett a]

Update-With photos!

So, I changed out the cables to Petra ala Howard's thread. I'm giving them time to burn in and hope they calm down. (They're a bit too forward for my liking at this point.)

I also glued in a block of MDF to support the large void between the controlls and the motor mount. This did nothing but give me the satisfaction of getting more MDF in my system.

While I was working on the 550, I hooked up the Sanyo belt drive TT I used to run before I got the Pioneer. I ran it with the headshell/AT 440 MLa from the 550.
I was surprised at how clunky it sounded. It emitted a rumble like a distant freight train, amplified its own motor buzz, and generally sounded like it wasn't much into music. I did luxuriate, however briefly, in its auto-return feature though.

I mention the Sanyo only because it bolstered my appreciation for the PL-550, which, by the way is running silently and dynamically. You guys are right (no surprise) that the 550 is a superbly capable deck. :thmbsp: