Swapped a German record player for a Japanese one last month and the difference is night and day

I had this old Dual turntable from the 70s that kept skipping on warped records. Traded it to a guy in Denver for a Pioneer PL-12D with a new cartridge. The Dual had all this heavy metal platter and looked cool but the Pioneer just tracks smoother through everything. No rumble from the motor like the Dual had either. Cost me about $40 in shipping and some time cleaning the contacts. Anyone else found a specific model that just works better than the flashier brands?

2 comments

2 Comments

craig.tessa1mo ago

Read somewhere the Pioneer 12D was basically the AKAI of its time.

finleycooper1mo ago

Funny you mention that @craig.tessa, most people talk about the 12D's sound but they forget it had a weird quirk with the tracking mechanism that could eat tapes if you didn't clean the capstan every few hours. That AKIA comparison is close, but the Pioneer had a more aggressive pinch roller setup that actually made it harder on your tapes over time, something the AKAI GX series didn't have issues with. The 12D was more like a workhorse that needed constant babysitting, honestly.