The PL-4
is an Auto-Return Turntable. All it's essential controls - speed, pitch control
9with strobe) and cut - are grouped on the slanted front edge. Placing a record
on the platter and moving the tone arm over to it is all that is necessary to
enjoy record play. There's no need to physically touch the tone arem at any
other time. The arm automatically returns to its rest when play is over. Even
arm cueing is provided by an arm elevation device located at the base of the
arm.
The arm
is straight-contoured and constructed of low-mass PG (polymer Graphite). It is
rigid, resistant to resonance, and lightweight. Record warps, eccentricties and
cartridge/arm resonance pose no obstacles to accurate tracking. Sensitivity is
increased by the low-mass design and distortion is measurably reduced.
The PL-4
employs the Pioneer coreless DC servo motor with Stable Hanging Rotor. Designed
without cores, slots and brushes, it offers the smoothest cog-free rotation.
Because of electronic switching by hall elements, it does not generate
switching noise and years of reliable performance are assured. Mated with this
advanced motor is an equally precise periphery integration speed detection
circuit. It compensates for the minutest error in rotational speed four hundred
times per second. The result is impeccable short-term and long-term speed
accuracy.
Both the
delicate cartridge and the tone arm are protected from acoustic feedback by the
Coaxial Suspension system which mounts the motor and arm on a separate
subchassis. Neither air-borne nor floor-borne vibrations are capable of
affecting the tone arm, its base is isolated from the cabinet and suspended by
four spring-loaded feet.
All in
all, the PL-4 is a tough act for any competitive model in the same price range
to follow because of its high-value features and top-flight specifications.
Specifications:
Drive
System: Direct-drive
Motors: Coreless DC-Servo motor Hanging Rotor,
Hall-motor
Speeds: 33-1/3 and 45 rpm.
Wow and
Flutter (WRMS):
No more
than 0,025%;
No more
than 0,014% (measured directly from FG output)
Signal-to-Noise
Ratio (BIN B): more than 78 dB
Tone-arm
Type: Static-balanced low mass Polymer
Graphite straight pipe arm
Effective
Arm Length: 221 mm (8-11/16 inches)
Overhang: 15,5 mm (5/8 inches)
Usable
Cartridge Weight: 3 g to 8 g
Power
Requirement: 120 V 60 Hz
Power
Consumption: 12 watts
Dimensions
(W x H x D): 420 x 108 x 367 mm
(16-9/16" x 4-1/4" x 14-7/16")
Weight: 5,8 kg (12 lbs 13 oz)