Pioneer PL-520 D-Drive Auto Turntable-Serviced, New Capacitors & Stylus, Stanton

Description

Another one of several Pioneer PL-520s I have for sale.
This is a fully automatic turntable with manual capability and auto-return and cut features, complete with pitch control, anti-skate and the low wow and flutter and rumble specs that come with good direct drive turntables. The controls are located outside the dust cover for ease of access.
Not only is the PL-520 is one of Pioneer's best-ever turntables, it's also a collectible table, having only been manufactured for about a year.  Why is anyone's guess, but it wasn't because of a lack of performance or quality. I've had my own PL-520 for over 40 years, and I will never consider trading it. I've had a number of turntables I've worked on, and I haven't seen one that I thought actually sounded any better, and that includes the Marantz 6370Q and The Technics SL-7. In 40 years, I have done no maintenance on my turntable and it still performs perfectly.
No, it's not Pioneer's prettiest turntable, and people don't go crazy over it like they do the PL-530 with it's wood look plinth, but I'll let you in on a little secret. I've worked on both, and the PL-520 uses the same motor as the PL-530, but it's better built on the inside.  And the tonearm, in addition to being a very good tonearm, is quite unique in appearance.  One audio forum user described it as a "cool table with a science experiment tonearm."  Take a look at the tracking weight adjustment which, I can verify, is very accurate. Even the anti-skate mechanism is unique in execution and looks.
The PL-520 has a formed-steel top plate for the plinth, making this a heavy, substantial turntable, and I've made sure this one should perform well for many years to come.  I don't just put tables on Ebay just to flip them as fast as I can like some sellers, many of whom aren't even familiar with the turntables they sell or how they work.  I try to make sure that each turntable I sell will last and give good service to my customers.  To that end, I replaced all the old electrolytic capacitors which were probably dried up and out of spec, with new ones on both the motor control board and power supply for continued accurate speed control.  And you'll get that low Wow and Flutter specs without worrying about any propretary Integrated Circuits that you can't replace if they go bad.  That's right!  This motor control board is all replaceable transistors--no integrated circuits to fail.
Thats' not all that was done to assure you of a turntable that will function for years to come. Lubrication was added to the auto-mechanism, and the motor was taken apart and the bearing oiled. The internal mechanics were inspected and looked as good as when it was manufactured. The speed control potentiometers were sprayed with De-Oxit to clean the contact surfaces.  New damping fluid was added to the cueing mechanism to ensure gentle descent of the stylus onto your records.  Top this off with a new high quality platter mat and all this makes sure this turntable is set for decades more listening pleasure.  So why buy a turntable that someone simply "tested" or "fully tested" and declared to be working, when you can have one that has been fully serviced? This turntable is ready to go and last for many more years.
Of course, the quality of the sound reproduction you get from a turntable is in great part due to the quality of the cartridge used in the turntable and if it is well-matched with the tonearm.  To this end, I have installed one of the most respected vintage cartridges ever made, a Stanton 680 (same as the Stanton 681), and with it I have included a brand new 0.3 X 0.7 mil elliptical stylus. This combo cartridge/stylus is worth 0 considering the new stylus cost .  The Stanton 680/681 series has a great following among audiophiles, so you are not only getting a great collectible turntable, you are also getting a collectible phono cartridge that will be protecting your vinyl from the moment you first put on an LP. This cartridge has outstanding definition, a flat frequency response, and an amazing channel separation of 35dB. I'm a huge fan of Stanton cartridges and they're what I run on my turntables.
Cosmetically, this unit is in superb shape.  You'll have to look close to see the few signs of use on this table.  The dust cover is in fair shape, with  some "cord melt" marks, the majority of which I believe could be sanded and polished out with some effort.  The duct cover has no cracks anywhere.  The hinges themselves are in good shape.  The platter mat is brand new and the feet are in great condition.  The feet on most vintage Pioneer tables usually rotted badly, but not on the PL-520s.  I've yet to see one where the feet weren't in good shape with no signs of cracking rubber.
You can see the specs for this terrific Pioneer turntable and the AT11E cartridge below. I think you'll find this unit to be a good value for the money.  I will package your new turntable with the utmost care to make certain it arrives in good condition.
Pioneer PL-520 Turntable Specs
Drive
Direct Drive
Motor
DC
Control
Servo
Automation
Full-Auto or Manual
Changer
No
Suspension
Rumble
-73dB
Wow and Flutter
0.03% wrms
Speeds
33, 45 rpm
Platter
330 mm
Tonearm
S-Shaped
Dimensions
18.1 x 15.6 x 6.7 inches
Weight
18.7 lbs.
Stanton 680/681 Moving Iron Cartridge Specs
Type
Moving Iron
Output Voltage
mV
Freq Response
10Hz - 20kHz
Tracking Force
0.75 - 1.5 g
Mass
5.5 g
Channel Separation
35 dB
Channel Balance
2 dB
Load Impedance
47k Ω
Output Impedance
1300 Ω