Pioneer announces PLX-1000 turntable

Those who thought that traditional turntables were dying a death in the DJ market forgot to tell Pioneer, which has just announced the PLX-1000 high-torque direct drive turntable.

Given its design, comparisons with the legendary Technics 1200 are inevitable - even Pioneer is calling it a "modern classic" with a "familiar layout" - but the company also reckons it's made some "next generation improvements".

The headline features are below, and you can find out more on the Pioneer DJ website. Price and release date to be confirmed.

Pioneer PLX-1000 key features

  • High-torque direct drive (33 rpm in 0.3 seconds)
  • Classic DJ turntable layout
  • Removable power, ground and phone cables
  • S-shaped tone arm
  • Multiple tempo control options: ±8%, ±16% and ±50%
  • Tempo reset button
  • Solid build for excellent vibration damping
  • Professional-grade gold-plated RCA jacks
  • Rubber-lined tone arm to improve isolation and prevent feedback
Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.