Author Topic: Audio Technica AT-PL120 (Read 19169 times)

gearhead · « **on:** Oct 01, 2007 at 12:47 PM »

i have the software (LP's) to play na and planning to add more pa in the future. problema wala pa akong turntable to play them with. actually, i do have one pero it's out of service for now. it's a 110V unit that was plugged to 220V. i could have it repaired but there are quite a few more problems pa, like putol yung cueing lever and wala na ring dust cover.

so i shopped around for 2nd hand and new tables. some did come around sa b&s section pero i have issues with most of them.... primarily the need to get a separate phono-pre. a pro-ject with phonobox did came kaya lang not replaceable naman ang headshell nya, for the time i want to use another headshell/cart combo. the sl-1200 used is in the range of my budget pero the ones i saw were either repainted, walang dust cover or walang included cart. it is built like a tank but i won't be moving it naman after i have it setup. besides, i'm not a scratch artist also.

researching some more for the features i want, i came upon the Audio Technica AT-PL120. it has a built-in phono pre-amp, a semi-audiophile (not scratch or dj cart) cartridge, s-shaped tonearm, nice dust cover, 10kg base, servo quartz-controlled DD motor, tonearm height adjustment, pitch control. good thing also that both the built-in preamp and included cartridge are both getting quite nice reviews/feedbacks/comments.

here's some pics.

for @P15k landed price for a brand new unit, ok na kaya ito? how would you compare it ba with the entry level regas/pro-jects/GR's? if someone's interested, u can pm me baka sakali kasi makahingi pa discount if more than one.

thanks for reading and will wait for your comments.

docsialu · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 19, 2007 at 08:21 PM »

mukhang maganda ito ah, where is this selling?

gearhead · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 19, 2007 at 09:39 PM »

had mine shipped from abroad. was looking for a group buy sana pero di na rin nakatiis kasi inaamag na yung mga plaka ko.

the unit will be here anytime soon, in time for the christmas season. (hmm... wala pa pala akong plaka na pang-christmas carols).

Superman · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 20, 2007 at 01:04 AM »

congrats gearhead...seems very similar to the SL-1200mk2...

gearhead · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 20, 2007 at 01:58 AM »

and that's at less than half the price. also, the sl-1200's a bit too much for me in all aspects, be it in size, weight, features, or cash outlay. so the A/T PL-120 is just about perfect for my needs.

accastil · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 20, 2007 at 06:53 AM »

mukhang technics SL1200 ito pre...ganda.

The Analog Source · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 20, 2007 at 09:10 AM »

i also saw a stanton brand thats a carbon copy of the sl-1200.

bro, saan gawa un at na yan? japan pa din? un stanton kasi made in taiwan

gearhead · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 20, 2007 at 11:54 AM »

i've done quite a semi-extensive research before settling on the audio-technica.
well, not to diss other brands naman but this is just a summary of what i gathered:

technics - well, this is a legend in the turntablist field... pricey nga lang for me.
audio-technica - almost unanimously praised both the PL-120 t/t, the built-in pre-amp
and the included ATP-2 cartridge. 4 1/2 stars sa amazon. best value for money. hope
one of the shops can carry this item for a reasonable price. i think this could stir the
nascent t/t and vinyl market. mostly true audiophiles lang kasi maka-appreciate the
likes of pro-ject, goldring, etc. marami lumaki admiring the sl-1200's from the scratch
dj next door... mostly the "disco" goers of the 80's/ 90's.
numark - usual complaint is the mostly plastic construction. sa pics very impressive din sana.
the greatest con for me is the lack of dust cover.
ion audio - same as numark din both in looks and performance.... and in the lack of a cover.
pyle - i was about to get the Pro PLTTB-1 sana, pero there are not so positive opinions
mostly on build quality. price isn't much better than the A/T.
stanton - haven't taken a good look at the brand, but seems okay naman from a cursory glance.
impressive audio lineup din.

bongskicool · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 24, 2007 at 06:29 PM »

ok yan audio-technica TT sir..dumating na ba? nasubukan mo na?..way over my budget din ang technics 1200MK2 (pero pangarap ko pa rin magkaroon)..so i settled muna with this, parang pareho din ng 1200 except dun sa base ng tone arm.. mas kamukha ng 1200 yan sa iyo sir:

i haven't tried it yet, the counter weight (yun ba tawag dun? un nasalikod ng tone-arm para mag balance) is missing..a friend told me that there is a stanton service center along edsa/munoz sana meron dun, wala pa kasing time pumunta, pero kung wala, kasya din ang pang technics eh.. di ko lang alam kung saan makakakuha..pag mayroon kayo pls. text me..neways, congratz sa B-new audio Technica TT mo sir..enjoy

gearhead · « **Reply #9 on:** Dec 25, 2007 at 04:02 AM »

Quote from: bongskicool on Dec 24, 2007 at 06:29 PM

ok yan audio-technica TT sir..dumating na ba? nasubukan mo na?..way over my budget din ang technics 1200MK2 (pero pangarap ko pa rin magkaroon)..so i settled muna with this, parang pareho din ng 1200 except dun sa base ng tone arm.. mas kamukha ng 1200 yan sa iyo sir:

i haven't tried it yet, the counter weight (yun ba tawag dun? un nasalikod ng tone-arm para mag balance) is missing..a friend told me that there is a stanton service center along edsa/munoz sana meron dun, wala pa kasing time pumunta, pero kung wala, kasya din ang pang technics eh.. di ko lang alam kung saan makakakuha..pag mayroon kayo pls. text me..neways, congratz sa B-new audio Technica TT mo sir..enjoy

waaahh.... nauna pa dumating t/t mo. iyong sa akin ilang weeks (months) na nga hanggang ngayon wala pa rin. :'( i was promised last week pa and sadly i'm still waiting for it. sayang long vacation pa naman ngayon. 10 albums a day di ko pa maubos pakinggan mga LP's that are waiting for me. iyong iba nga nun sa iyo pa yata galing!

problema nga yan kung walang counterweight. ano kaya ang tracking force niyan kapag ganyan?

almost sl-1200 heritage din ito, ah. i like that it's probably a bit smaller and probably lighter than even the PL-120. also, the more important thing is the right cartridge/stylus/pre-amp combo for the job. it's what will make the record sing. btw, is that a used one? bagong-bago pa ang hitsura... except of course for the lack of the counterweight. di ba sa iyo yung sony t/t? was it sold na ba? so, ito yung sinasabi mong kapalit. congrats, brother and good luck on your search for a suitable counterweight. hassle ano!!?

bongskicool · « **Reply #10 on:** Dec 25, 2007 at 04:06 PM »

Quote from: gearhead on Dec 25, 2007 at 04:02 AM

waaahh.... nauna pa dumating t/t mo. iyong sa akin ilang weeks (months) na nga hanggang ngayon wala pa rin. :'( i was promised last week pa and sadly i'm still waiting for it. sayang long vacation pa naman ngayon. 10 albums a day di ko pa maubos pakinggan mga LP's that are waiting for me. iyong iba nga nun sa iyo pa yata galing!

problema nga yan kung walang counterweight. ano kaya ang tracking force niyan kapag ganyan? almost sl-1200 heritage din ito, ah. i like that it's probably a bit smaller and probably lighter than even the PL-120. also, the more important thing is the right cartridge/stylus/pre-amp combo for the job. it's what will make the record sing. btw, is that a used one? bagong-bago pa ang hitsura... except of course for the lack of the counterweight. di ba sa iyo yung sony t/t? was it sold na ba? so, ito yung sinasabi mong kapalit. congrats, brother and good luck on your search for a suitable counterweight. hassle ano!!?

used na ito sir, may crack pa nga sa dust cover..ya, sold na ang sonyTT,..kaasar nga eh hindi ko magamit.. buti na lang may spare pa akong belt drive na TT..Happy Holidays

madami dating LPs sa january

gearhead · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 07, 2008 at 04:17 PM »

i've received several inquiries for this unit. if anyone is truly interested i can facilitate the ordering for the group (sort of a semi-group buy). i've got mine from a dealer friend... but this isn't your regular A/T dealer, so support will be very minimal. returns would probably be only limited to shipping damage, plus maybe a few weeks for testing if there's any manufacturing defects. this is also to minimize cost to the bare minimum, but if you want peace of mind it may cost probably a small premium. this isn't too far off naman to ordering online... albeit with lesser risk and minimal hassle (you don't pay the full price until you're sure your unit's in excellent condition and is working).

price will be in the vicinity of P14k give or take (the exch. rate at the time of order will prevail). just remember this includes the built-in preamp already, plus the included cart/stylus combo. i just wanna have a feel of the number of those seriously interested. please signify your intentions na lang here (in the absence of the HT marketplace) and we'll just PM the details afterwards.

(mods: don't know if this is out of bounds already, so i will gladly delete this if it is so.)

bongskicool · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 07, 2008 at 05:37 PM »

Quote from: gearhead on Jan 07, 2008 at 04:17 PM

i've received several inquiries for this unit. if anyone is truly interested i can facilitate the ordering for the group (sort of a semi-group buy). i've got mine from a dealer friend... but this isn't your regular A/T dealer, so support will be very minimal. returns would probably be only limited to shipping damage, plus maybe a few weeks for testing if there's any manufacturing defects. this is also to minimize cost to the bare minimum, but if you want peace of mind it may cost probably a small premium. this isn't too far off naman to ordering online... albeit with lesser risk and minimal hassle (you don't pay the full price until you're sure your unit's in excellent condition and is working).

price will be in the vicinity of P14k give or take (the exch. rate at the time of order will prevail). just remember this includes the built-in preamp already, plus the included cart/stylus combo. i just wanna have a feel of the number of those seriously interested. please signify your intentions na lang here (in the absence of the HT marketplace) and we'll just PM the details afterwards.

(mods: don't know if this is out of bounds already, so i will gladly delete this if it is so.)

hi sir.. dumating na ba? post ka naman ng impressions mo sa TT n yan.. or maybe actual pics? medyo interesado ako..

jetstar · « **Reply #13 on:** May 01, 2008 at 03:59 AM »

Sir, please give a review. I'm also considering this TT.

gearhead · « **Reply #14 on:** May 02, 2008 at 02:10 PM »

aaargh. dami pala naghintay ng feedback.

just for whetting your appetite on this unit, i understand i owe it to you guys to give a feedback/review na. to tell you honestly though... it's still all boxed up and waiting to be set up. in the interim time that i was waiting for it and the time it arrived, my interest had been diverted to some other concerns.

but i'm still excited na rin to try this out since kahit di ko siya magagamit masyado, i still don't intend on selling my unit. if anybody's really interested, i could try and order one for you... that is if you're not in a hurry. matagal din kasi ang delivery nila. mine took almost 2 months yata before it arrived.

i don't have much experience pa with T/T's talaga... that is, with the pro type tables. meron kami noon is a phonograph. yung 2nd hand T/T ko naman di ko talaga masyadong nagamit before it was fried sa 220v. sound quality naman woud depend mostly sa ancillary equipment, so i don't know really what kind of feedback i can offer.

gearhead000 · « **Reply #15 on:** Aug 01, 2009 at 09:04 PM »

buhayin natin. more than a year had passed from my last post before i finally hauled
this gear out of its box. a few months more and this would have had its 2nd year
anniversary already from the day it was delivered to me last 2008.

here it is fresh out of the box... with the rca cords still in plastic.

this is one hefty piece of equipment. the manual says 23.4lbs or around 10kgs.

gearhead000 · « **Reply #16 on:** Aug 01, 2009 at 09:30 PM »

the turntable tonearm assembly.

closer view, now with the counterweight attached and showing the switch for
the built-in phono preamp under the platter:

gearhead000 · « **Reply #17 on:** Aug 01, 2009 at 09:41 PM »

the power switch, speed selector, start-stop button, and voltage selector (115/230V).

it can go +/-10% or +/-20% in pitch control adjustment... one of those features i
may not have much use of though.

gearhead000 · « **Reply #18 on:** Aug 01, 2009 at 10:06 PM »

the backside (or bottom) of the AT-PL120. i couldn't tell if it was some kind of rubber
or just plain ABS plastic. the turntable feet has some kind of suction effect on it
especially on flat, smooth surfaces such as the glass on my sabre a/v rack.

reading some reviews, some are complaining about the length and quality of the
rca cable, but for my purposes... i find them more than adequate in both counts.

gearhead000 · « **Reply #19 on:** Aug 01, 2009 at 10:16 PM »

semi-assembled, still without the platter mat and not powered yet.

now ready to play good music. counterweight, and thus VTF, is set at 2.0 grams.
recommended though is 3-5 grams. anti-skating is set at 1 gm of force. manual
says to adjust same as with the counterweight setting, but i noticed even with
anti-skate at 0 the tonearm is being pulled back away from the spindle already.
tonearm height was adjusted by 1mm to account for the thick rubber platter i got
from an old technics. out of the box the t/t comes with a felt mat.

Superman · « **Reply #20 on:** Aug 01, 2009 at 10:42 PM »

CONGRATS! Where did you buy this?? Very similar looks with its Technics counterpart (SL-1200)

gearhead000 · « **Reply #21 on:** Aug 02, 2009 at 08:54 AM »

Quote from: Superman on Aug 01, 2009 at 10:42 PM

CONGRATS! Where did you buy this?? Very similar looks with its Technics counterpart (SL-1200)

thanks, sups! i ordered mine from an importer i know. total cost then last 2007 was
@ P13.9k, though i could see the current price has gone down a bit further.

reznor · « **Reply #22 on:** Aug 06, 2009 at 04:18 PM »

Hi Sir, is it true that there is no ground wire? just the 2 RCA? Is there an issue on hum ba talaga based on amazon feedback?

Thanks

gearhead000 · « **Reply #23 on:** Aug 30, 2009 at 12:51 AM »

hi reznor,

yes, there is no ground wire... just the single stereo cable. electrically i can detect
no hum, but sometimes i do get sort of a low rumble of which i'm not sure of the
origin. originally i thought it's motor hum, coz it manifests itself about 3/4ths of the
way up to the end of the record. but lately i noticed that this is only true with some
discs, as others are perfectly quiet.

gearhead000 · « **Reply #24 on:** Sep 19, 2009 at 01:27 PM »

i'm one happy camper right now.

finally got to upgrade my cart to the very well-regarded shure m97xe.

gearhead000 · « **Reply #25 on:** Sep 19, 2009 at 01:53 PM »

wow, was i in love with this cart from the first listen, which means it even hasn't
a chance to break-in yet. i just came from a shure hi-fi budget cart (M92e) and
a DJ cart (the A/T ATP-2xn), and both are capable units but nothing close to this
amazing cart from shure. i know the sound may not be for everyone though.

i'm starting to really listen to my records once again. it's just like the music in
them being resurrected from a long entombment. we used to play these discs
using a radio phonograph with ceramic cartridge and sapphire needles.

now, the music really has a chance to breathe with this fantastic combination.

gearhead000 · « **Reply #26 on:** Oct 11, 2009 at 12:56 AM »

add ko lang. presenting again the m97xe.

isa pa. from the front.

and from the top. thanks to bro. jen for the nice original technics headshell.

alignment is stevenson's, as with the original technics overhang gauge (52mm).

gearhead000 · « **Reply #27 on:** Oct 11, 2009 at 05:26 AM »

medyo budget naman.

the shure m92e in an audio-technica headshell. alignment is baerwald.

if i use stevenson kasi, it will be much too deep into the headshell. ang pangit. hehe!

JoeyGS · « **Reply #28 on:** Oct 11, 2009 at 08:50 AM »

congrats gearhead......so which do you like amongst your carts.

gearhead000 · « **Reply #29 on:** Oct 11, 2009 at 03:31 PM »

sir tukayo, the jury's still out on which is superior, as for me they both have their own good suit.

my previous setup was with my h/k 5550 AVR, diamond 9.5 fronts, with the m97xe cart mounted on an A/T headshell. i also had a shure m99e that came with an old t/t mounted on an A/T aluminum headshell. the floods came and i had to dismantle everything. meantime, i ordered a technics headshell thru bro. jen and bought a new m92e coz i wanted it to match the black headshell. the m99e is silver bodied.

initially i had the new m92e with the technics headshell but it was sort of odd looking with the cart sticking out from the short h/s. so i got out the m99e from the A/T headshell instead and transferred the m97xe to the technics. as you can see from the pics, i guess i have them down pat as far as aesthetics go. (so i am left with a spare A/T headshell, an ATP-2XN cart and the shure m99e).

i decided to have a minimalist setup for now not until i am sure no water is ever going to touch my gears. so i have the turntable connected thru a marantz pm-88 SE and a pair of KLH 3-way speakers. i had the chance to compare the KLH with the 9.5 and the wharfe is more forward sounding, with a seeming dip in the KLH's midrange. the 9.5 sort of matches the m97xe quite well, with the slightly brighter and open m92e matching well with the KLH. the m97xe though seems to be the better all-around performer, with more body and cleaner delivery.

i just bought the m92e as an everyday cart for when someone may want to fiddle with the t/t for themselves. (it's not as if they will be missing a lot though with the m92e... it's a damn good performer for the ridiculously low price).

i'm not sure i could do any more comparisons for now as my neighbors might be annoyed already with me having to repeat whole records for each cart combination.