Pioneer DJ PLX-500

The Pioneer DJ PLX-500 is not a newcomer to the mixer market. In fact, it has been on the market for more than five years now. However, the last year has seen an even greater resurgence of DJs interested in playing vinyl (either physical records or via Digital Vinyl System) and AlphaTheta, Pioneer DJ's parent company, has decided to reintroduce this model to various audio and deejay circles.

As we are not going to discuss the innovative, hybrid Pioneer DJ PLX-CRSS12 here, but rather traditional turntables, the PLX-500 would be the little brother of the PLX-1000, which is the traditional professional DJ turntable offered by the company. In other words, the big brother, which costs twice as much, would compete with the legendary Technics SL-1200 king of kings or other direct rivals such as the Reloop RP-8000. The PLX-500, on the other hand, fights for entry-level vinyl DJs with models such as the Stanton ST 150 M2, the Audio-Technica AT-LP120 or the Numark TT-250USB.

As this is an entry-level, non-professional turntable, it implies a domestic or discreet use in a small venue, as it is not ready for the daily grind of a club or, for example, scratching DJs. That said, we're talking about a turntable with excellent sound quality and a more than decent direct-drive motor, which gives very satisfying results to the touch and an ideal balance for starting out with vinyl.

Interestingly, the scene, or niche, or whatever you want to call it, of vinyl DJs and direct-drive turntables is similar to that of sim-racing and direct-drive steering wheel bases. We are coincidentally talking about the same technology where a more powerful motor not only offers more power, but also more detail and smooth or subtle tweaks, and also a transition from the obsolete belt system.

Having made the introductions and before we look at the performance of the Pioneer DJ PLX-500, we have to say that its design, presentation and finish are at the top of its range. The turntable is elegant and very striking in its white model (a colour not available in the top of the range), while its weight and the way it sits on the table give a great feeling of solidity and robustness despite the reduced price. In fact, "by weight" and lifting a PLX-500 next to an SL-1200 each with one hand, they seem to be the same thing, and the same applies if we talk about the construction or the damping.

The highlight of the PLX-500 is its transparent plastic cover, which, once opened, allows you to place the disc folder or sleeve in use vertically in front of the DJ. Everything else, whether visual or practical, is in place and looks just right, making the overall design of this turntable one of the best on the market.

Everything? Everything, because the PLX-500, unlike other brands' orders from the Chinese manufacturer Hanpin in the same range, allows the needle arm to be adjusted in height, which is very necessary for precise needle calibration and contact with the vinyl.

It is once installed and calibrated, when we set it up and start putting it to the test, that the Pioneer DJ PLX-500 reveals its entry-level character. The sound quality, again, is fantastic, but the possibilities for deejays are naturally limited. In several unfair head-to-head comparisons with a Technics SL-1200 we have noticed the differences, and more so any DJ coming from years of experience with the professional range. But then again, we know that the intention here is just the opposite: to go from less to more.

For our tests we used records with beats and vocals from different genres, as well as scratch effects vinyls (imagine how scratched they are at this point), sustained beeps and other resources. The most obvious drawbacks have to do with the somewhat jerky start-up and the too slow and prolonged braking, and also with the feeling that it's too easy to stop the motor when you put pressure on the record for scratching or searching. Evidently, these three little problems have to do with the reduced torque of the motor of this table.

We like that the pitch slider is softer or smoother, but not that its tweaks are not as precise as you might expect. When making a pitch bend with the fader (and not the platter), you notice a change that could be described as indecisive or irregularly curved, and corrections become difficult when you have to make them abruptly. To put it in a nutshell, it's as if in any tweak the motor struggles at first to catch up and then tries to smooth out the movement, something we clearly notice by raising or lowering the pitch of a fixed tone.

The other big difference from professional turntables comes in the form of blatant savings on the cartridge and on the slip shit sheet. The former isn't the best for the 3600L range and is far from ready for you to 'abuse' it, while the latter is slim and unsuitable because it can't compensate for the angular force on the needle no matter how much vertical adjustment there is on the arm, so you'll have to replace both as soon as you get more comfortable and want to do more mischief.

Finally, we also noticed some rattling/wobbling (a "taka-taka") in the motor with certain movements, imperceptible in the resulting audio but noticeable to the ear with the audio muted.

But let's go back to the main proposition of this turntable and let's not forget about its initiation role. You can deejay on the Pioneer DJ PLX-500 just fine and the drawbacks found are, again, in comparison to professional turntables and only noticeable to experienced hands and ears. You'd struggle over time to make advanced scratches or fine corrections given the lack of motor power, but this makes it more thankless for returnees or "step downs" than for beginners.

With its near-perfect design, extras such as 78 rpm mode or the ability via USB to rip vinyl to extract tracks digitally for Rekordbox (where you can also play directly from your library via a DVS control vinyl), and given its great audio quality and isolation, the Pioneer DJ PLX-500 is still one of the best turntables you can consider for starting out in the world of vinyl DJing, and also one of the best value for money if all you want to do is listen to music. Looking back at my younger self and the few or very expensive options that were available when I started DJing, I wish there had been something like this in the 90s for 300 euros with change left over...