BestTurntables.com

1. 

   LD9000
   July 26th, 2010 - 15:20

   Review by LD9000 for Pioneer PL-990 2-Speed Full Auto Type Fully Automatic Turntable
   Rating:
   When you’re comparing turntables on the lower end of the spectrum, such as the Pioneer PL-990, it’s very difficult to really find audible fault with these players. One is more apt to find personal faults in the players rather than in the performance, and such is the case here.
   
   I have owned low end Sony, Technics, Audio Technica players in this price range. The Pioneer is the best looking players of all the lower end models. It features speed control, arm control, 45 play capability, fully automatic, just about everything you want in a player. I’m surprised the speed control is included in this price.
   
   The sound of the player is nothing short of great, and not having played LPs for awhile made my old LPs come to life instantly.
   
   My personal gripe with the player is that it doesn’t allow you to hook into your existing PHONO jacks ( if you have them ) on your receiver. It has a built-in pre-amp and it won’t allow you to bypass. I have a PHONO jack, and would have liked the option to choose to by-pass the pre-amp, like the Sony does. Luckily, I had some open jacks and I had sound instantly. The player would have received a 5-star rating if it weren’t for this small inconvenience.
   
   Other than that minor gripe, this is one snazzy looking player, and at this price, it will be hard to beat. The classy look of this player, plus all of the features will make a great addition to your existing system.
2. 

   J. RUDE
   July 26th, 2010 - 16:09

   Review by J. RUDE for Pioneer PL-990 2-Speed Full Auto Type Fully Automatic Turntable
   Rating:
   Excellent performance and functionality! Set-up is quick and easy and the pre-amp sounds great. Even handles record scuffage better than other turntables at this price. I went through two exchanges at a retailer on a low-end Sony turntable before I ordered this Pioneer unit through Amazon, and I highly recommend this turntable.
3. 

   Krys Squires
   July 26th, 2010 - 16:38

   Review by Krys Squires for Pioneer PL-990 2-Speed Full Auto Type Fully Automatic Turntable
   Rating:
   I’m REALLY pleased with this turntable – I love that it is fully automatic.
   
   One thing to be aware of is that it has a built-in preamp, so you can’t connect it to the phono inputs on your tuner/amp. I had to buy a $30 switch so that my CD and turntable can share the AUX input.
   
   Even with that extra hassle, highly recommended.
4. 

   Christopher D. Kray
   July 26th, 2010 - 17:01

   Review by Christopher D. Kray for Pioneer PL-990 2-Speed Full Auto Type Fully Automatic Turntable
   Rating:
   I do not pretend to know much about record players, but this was AWESOME! It is virtually perfect! The wavey-old records play flawlessly because of the weighted arm, and it just plain rocks!
5. 

   Julian Ho
   July 26th, 2010 - 17:44

   Review by Julian Ho for Pioneer PL-990 2-Speed Full Auto Type Fully Automatic Turntable
   Rating:
   I received this turntable as an anniversary gift from my girlfriend. I have a ton of CDs and over 18,000 songs on iTunes, however when it comes to analog sound systems, and vinyl records I’m a total newbie.

   I had 2 albums to test my new record player with, Pink Floyd’s The Wall and Led Zeppelin II.

   Basically, there is a built-in “pre-amp”, and there are only 2 cables coming out of the player, a power cord and a pair of AUX output cords (a red and white cable). The record player itself was easy to set up. The metal tray just has to put onto the turn table, and the elastic belt has to be looped around the motor arm (easy with the help of the included red ribbon, but also simple to do without the ribbon).

   To get the player to play properly, you need a pair of speakers (obviously), and an amplifier (not as obvious to a person that’s new to the world of vinyl). The red and white cables just need to be put into a receiver/amplifier with AUX input (look for red/white cable ports on the back). I simply used an old stereo system that was gathering dust in my basement, and it works fine (make sure you adjust the AUX level, if there’s an option).

   That’s about it, it’s a no-frills record player that’s great value for your money. The best part is the automatic: feature. You should never really have to lift or drop the needle/stylus. If you want the lift the stylus up (to let the record spin freely for cleaning, or to skip to a specific song) there is an Arm Elevation button. Once the arm is up, you can swing the stylus back and forth, then push the button again to gently bring it down. This minimizes stylus wear, and eliminates scratchy sounds.

   Once a record is finished playing, the record player will lift up the stylus, set it back down properly on the rest, and shut the record player off. Great feature, I can put on a record before bed and know that the record player will be off in the morning.

   Another nice thing is there is a speed control wheel, which slightly changes the speed, changes the pitch slightly if you need to fine tune the playback.

   It can play 45s (an adapter is included for the huge hole in the middle of 45s) and 33.3′s (standard LPs). I only own 33′s, but I’m sure the player has no problem with 45s. Only drawback is there is no 78 speed setting so this might not be the turntable for a record collector with lots of 78s.

   Great player overall, I’m happy with the sound quality and ease-of-use of this turn table.

   *goes back to listening to Led Zeppelin II*

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