PL-S40 Turntable

[Greg B.]

Can anyone tell me the vintage of this? I assume it's fairly recent but I can't find any info on it here or anywhere else. Is it junky or decent?

Here's a pic I stole from a well known auction site.

 

[hakaplan]

Manufactured 1982-85. Direct drive. Auto return. I think quartz lock--don't see any pitch adjustment. Original price $165. Incidentally you can look this up in the Pioneer Component Database. Go up to that thread here and follow the links.

It was the beginning of the low mass, "plastic" phase, but still pretty decent as long as you can get it cheap. What's the asking price or the current bid if it's ebay?

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

From a 1984 catalog, the PL-S40:

Doc

 

[Greg B.]

It was the beginning of the low mass, "plastic" phase, but still pretty decent as long as you can get it cheap. What's the asking price or the current bid if it's ebay?

It's got a single bid of $9.99, but the reserve hasn't been met and the seller has a BIN of $199, so he has lofty expectations. It is supposedly NIB, but I would never pay $200 for this even if it was sitting new on a local dealer's shelf. I'm keeping an eye on it though.

I already have 2 cheapy TTs that are OK, a Pioneer PL-2 and a Yamaha PF-200. They don't get used that much as it is. But you know how it is, you see something new and shiny and you get the craving for it... especially if it's Pioneer from years ago.

Despite its BOTL status, I like the PL-2 because it's fairly small and fits nicely inside my rack. But I know I'm giving up some sound quality.

 

[hakaplan]

It's got a single bid of $9.99, but the reserve hasn't been met and the seller has a BIN of $199, so he has lofty expectations. It is supposedly NIB, but I would never pay $200 for this even if it was sitting new on a local dealer's shelf. I'm keeping an eye on it though.

I already have 2 cheapy TTs that are OK, a Pioneer PL-2 and a Yamaha PF-200. They don't get used that much as it is. But you know how it is, you see something new and shiny and you get the craving for it... especially if it's Pioneer from years ago.

Despite its BOTL status, I like the PL-2 because it's fairly small and fits nicely inside my rack. But I know I'm giving up some sound quality.

This table was from the series that followed the PL-2/3/4/5/7. This series went PL-S30/S40/S50/S70. I've no doubt it's the same size as the PL-2, and being quartz lock and direct drive and heavier, it will be a step up. Unfortunately this seller is an idiot, so better to forget it. The deal you should have gone after was this:

edit: ebay link to 1979 version of the PL-600 removed.

This was the top of the line just prior to your PL-2 series. Few know about it and they rarely come up. WHen they do people just assume it's junk. Has adjustable VTA, very nice. I would have bid, but I already have one and have too many turntables already.

 

[hakaplan]

From a 1984 catalog, the PL-S40:

Doc

Thanks, Doc, it answered some questions.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Specs on the PL-S40, plus the PL-S50, PL-S70, and PL-707 from a 1984 catalog.

Doc

 

[Greg B.]

The deal you should have gone after was this:

edit: ebay link to 1979 version of the PL-600 removed.

Even with the edit, I think I know the one you are talking about, and believe me, I thought long and hard about it. I was watching it for several days and was ready to pull the trigger on a bid (higher than the eventual winning bid as it turned out) before I went to bed Wednesday night. But I chickened out for some reason, probably the sketchy pictures and description. Plus I convinced myself that I didn't really need another TT, that the 600 would be too big and bulky for my rack, that being a full auto TT it would probably have problems, that shipping from Colorado would damage it, etc. etc. The rationalization is deadly sometimes.

The PL-600 is certainly a beautiful thing though.

 

[hakaplan]

Sorry about the ebay link, Doc. Just trying to keep you on your toes.

The spec list is great, though. Didn't realize the PL-707 was in that series.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

No problem.

One day, I hope to catalog all Pioneer model numbers. Or, go insane trying.<g>

Doc

 

[Greg B.]

That PL-707 now has my interest. I had never seen one prior to Doc's posting when I looked it up and found this:

http://www.thevintageknob.org/PIONEER/PL707/PL707.html

Wow. That is a very cool-looking piece. And it sounds as though it would work very nicely. Now I have another model to watch out for...

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Not as nice a photo as Axel's, but from a 1984 catalog, the PL-707:

Doc

 

[packratt]

Is the PL-S40 a fully automatic turntable?

 

[danj]

That 707 is a real beauty. As for the S40...I bought one for my son and it was completely ordinary. I don't think it's worth more than $50 retail, even if it really is NIB. For what it should sell for it is a good buy but anything near the BIN price is foolish. For half that one could buy a PL530 or 570 or a newer PL516 or 518 and have a better turntable.

 

[Schanz]

Had a PL-S40 since I bought it new in 83 or 4. Took it out of mothballs here a while back and it still plays just fine. Haven't owned many turntables so it's the top of the line as far as I'm concerned. Y'all have me insecure now. Maybe I need a better one?

 

[Parsec]

Old thread but I got a PL-S30 today for 5$ and it turns out to be a belt drive TT and not Direct Drive as stated. Nothing exceptionnal but I just couldn't pass a Pioneer TT for 5 bucks.

 

[Tarl Of Gor]

The PL-S40 is direct drive. The PL-S30 is belt drive.

 

[Parsec]

Thanks Tarl of Gor for the precision. I don't know why I thought someone stated that the PL-S30 was direct drive. It should be because my eyes and brain were tired late at night while I read the posts lol. Sorry for my useless intervention.