Pioneer PL-51 User manual

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Y

PIONEER

Thank

you

very

much

for

your

purchase

of

Pioneer

model

PL-51.

You

will

get

many

years

of

pleasure

from

this

top-quality

stereo

turntable.

To

get

the

most

from

this

feature-packed

turntable,

please

read

the

operating

instructions

and

follow

the

directions

indicated.

For

the

psychological

benefit

of

those

who

still

want

to

use

their

optional

phono

cartridges,

no

phono

cartridge

is

equipped

with

this

turntable.

The

first

thing

you

have

to

do

is

to

attach

your

option

to

a

head

shell

referring

to

the

directions

indicated

in

the

instructions.

FEATURES

Direct

Drive

System

No

belt

or

idlers.

The

DC

servo

motor

drives

the

platter

directly,

resulting

in

lowest

possible

vibrations

transmitted

to

the

tonearm.

The

result

is

a

new

height

of

turntable

performance

plenty

for

the

most

demanding

audio

enthusiast.

Electronic

Servo

Control

Turntable

revolution

speed

is

affected

by

many

factors,

including

ambient

room

temperature,

etc.,

which

cannot

be

predicted

or

corrected

by

motor

performance

alone.

This

electronic

circuit

comes

into

play

at

the

touch

of

a

button,

letting

you

adjust

the

speed

+2%

during

either

33-1/3

or

45

rpm

play.

Precision

Tracking,

Sensitive

Anti-skating

System

Playing

4-channel

records

requires

extra

tonearm

precision,

and

the

PL-51

delivers.

Not

only

with

an

exactly-balanced

CONTENS

tonearm

design,

but

also

with

an

ideal

anti-skating

system.

The

result

is

stable

tracking

over

every

part

of

the

record

dines

:

Beatures:

©

sacs.

Acs

|e

cos.

4-3

we

ecea

lee

hig

eel

eae

2

for

brilliant

response

from

the

first

note

to

the

last.

Eye-appeal

Design

Installation

........

0.0.0...

00

0.0008.

2

The

cabinet

is

set

off

by

the

natural

beauty

of

selected

Stereo

System

Setup

.................

3

walnut,

with

a

smart

black

base

plate.

All

controls

are

grouped

on

the

right

for

easy

one-hand

|

Assembly

............

0.

sees

ee

ee

eee

4

OEKAnON:

Adjustments

...........

0.0

cece

ee

eee

6

IN

ST

ALL

ATI

ON

|

Stereo

Amplifier

Connections

..........

7

|

Dust

Cover

Attachment

...............

7

Install

the

PL-51

with

the

following

points

in

mind.

|

. .

@

The

place

must

be

well-ventilated

and

free

from

Parts

and

Their

Functions

.............

8

humidity

and

dust.

Operation

.......

0.000.

cece

eee

9

@

The

unit

should

not

be

exposed

to

direct

sunlight.

Precautions:

ities

Wess

has

ee

ee

wa

aes

10

@

The

unit

should

not

be

placed

near

any

source

at

heat.

.

-

Troubleshooting

................

00005

10

©

The

unit

should

be

placed

as

far

from

the

Specifications

sasteaewsbrancueinaitas

11

speaker

systems

as

possible.

STEREO

SYSTEM

SETUP

The

PL-51

is

a

first-quality

stereo

turntable

and

can

provide

its

full

performance

only

when

combined

with

other

components

of

equal

quality,

so

you

should

select

other

quality

components

comparable

to

this

turntable.

Set

up

the

system

as

shown

in

Figs.

1

or

2.

A

WORD

ABOUT

COMPONENTS

Be

sure

to

select

the

rest

of

your

system

with

an

eye

to

achieving

sufficient

performance

and

response

so

that

you

can

make

the

most

of

your

PL-51.

A

wise

choice

would

be

the

Pioneer

components

designed

and

manufactured

to

provide

these

very

characteristics.

The

Amplifier

There

are

many

types

available:

Integrated

stereo

amplifiers,

AM/FM

stereo

receiver,

stereo

pre-

amplifiers

and

stereo

power

amplifiers.

You

can

take

your

choice

of

systems,

making

sure

the

one

you

choose

will

blend

well

with

the

speakers

you

select.

Look

for

high

performance

and

stability

in

an

amplifier.

The

Speakers

Here

there

are

also

many

possibilities.

You

have

a

choice

of

bass-reflex

type

or

fully-enclosed

type

cabinets,

full-range,

2-way,

3-way

and

other

types

of

speaker

component

combinations,

and

bookshelf,

floor

type

or

omnidirectional,

etc.

styling.

With

all

these

choices,

your

main

guide

should

be

how

well

the

speakers

sound

with

the

rest

of

your

system.

The

Phono

Cartridge

There

are

magnetic

(moving

coil,

moving

magnet

and

induced

magnet

types)

cartridges

as

well

as

semi-conductor

types

and

optical

types.

If

you

use

a

moving

coil

(MC)

type

cartridge

with

the

PL-51,

make

sure

your

amplifier

has the

capability

of

accepting

this

type

of

input

signal.

PL-51

(RECEIVER)

ee

|O00#

0

OreeQ

O00]

STEREO

AMPLIFIER

|

SPEAKER

SYSTEMS

PL-51

STEREO

PREAMPLIFIER

OOO0000

e902

@

eeee

s

STEREO

POWER

AMPLIFIER

SREAKER

SYSTEMS

PIONGER

Fig.

1

Fig.

2

ASSEMBLY

To

avoid

possible

damage

during

transport,

heavy

parts

(such

as

the

platter)

and

delicate

ones

are

packed

separately

from

the

main

body.

Assemble

them

into

one

unit

as

shown

in

the

illustrations.

REMOVE

TONEARM

PACKING

Gently

remove

the

tonearm

packing

as

shown

in

Fig.

3.

PLATTER

INSTALLATION

Remove

the

platter

from

its

separate

package

and

slip

it

onto

the

center

shaft.

CARTRIDGE

MOUNTING

You

will

have

to

mount

the

cartridge

you

want

to

use.

Follow

the

directions

in

Fig.

4

being

careful

to

connect

the

leads

properly.

Before

tightening

the

cartridge

in

the

head

shell,

adjust

the

overhang

as

shown

in

Fig.

5.

Use

the

overhang

adjustment

gauge

included

among

the

accessories.

HEAD

SHELL

INSTALLATION

Slip

the

head

shell

onto

the

end

of

the

tonearm

and

fix

it

securely

with

the

locking

collar

attached

to

the

tonearm

(Fig.

6).

MAIN

COUNTERWEIGHT

INSTALLATION

The

main

counterweight

slips

onto

the

rear

end

of

the

tonearm.

Once

it

is

slipped

on

a

bit

the

threads

will

engage.

Screw

on

further,

tuming

in

a

clockwise

direction

a

few

times

(Fig.

7).

LATERAL

BALANCE

WEIGHT

INSTALLATION

Slip

the

lateral

balance

weight

onto

its

shaft

and

tighten

it

at

about

midway,

using

the

screwdriver

supplied

with

the

accessories

(Fig.

8).

LATERAL

BALANCE

WEIGHT

Fig.

8

Fig.

3

CARTRIDGE

L

(+)

WHITE

R

(+)

RED

L(-)

BLUE

R(-)GREEN

Fig.

4

Adjust

cartridge

so

that

the

stylus

comes

right

over

this

index

line

Fig.

5

HEAD

SHELL

LOCKING

COLLAR

TONEARM

COUNTERWEIGHT

Fig.

7

PIONEER

PARTS

IDENTIFICATION

DUST

COVER

RUBBER

MAT

TURNTABLE

PLATTER

STROBOSCOPE

AC

CORD

le

TONEARM

FUNCTION

LEVER

WOODEN

BASE

BASE

PLATE

Fig.

9

LATERAL

BALANCE

HEAD

SHELL

TONEARM

MAIN

LOCKING

|

arm

REST

ARM

ELEVATOR

COUNTERWEIGHT

a

:

Sea

MP

TRACKING

FORCE

DIAL

RING

ANTI-SKATING

FORCE

CONTROL

KNOB

Fig.

10

ADJUSTMENTS

LEVEL

BALANCE

ADJUSTMENT

Set

the

anti-skating

force

control

to

‘‘0,’’

remove

the

stylus

protector

cover

from

the

cartridge

and

turn

the

main

counterweight

until

the

tonearm

is

well-balanced

horizontally

(lead

end

and

weight

end

the

same

height).

The

turntable

body

must

of

course

be

level

before

this

adjustment

is

made.

Once

the

level

balance

is

achieved,

turn

the

front

part

of

the

main

counterweight

so

that

its

‘‘0”

reading

aligns

with

the

black

line

on

the

top

of

the

tonearm

shaft

(Fig.

11).

Be

sure

to

turn

only

this

front

ring

the

rest

of

the

main

counterweight

should

not

be

moved.

CARTRIDGE

WEIGHT

AND

SUB

WEIGHT

If

the

cartridge

you

wish

to

use

is

extremely

heavy

or

light

you

will

not

be

able

to

achieve

level

balance

with

the

above

method.

For

an

unusually

light

cartridge,

slip

in

the

special

weight

plate

(included

in

the

accessories)

between

the

cartridge

and

the

head

shell.

For

a

very

heavy

cartridge,

add

the

sub

weight

to

the

rear

end

of

the

tonearm

as

shown

in

Fig.

12.

LATERAL

BALANCE

ADJUSTMENT

Adjust

the

lateral

balance

weight,

as

shown

in

Fig.

18,

so

that

the

left

end

of

the

weight

is

10

~

15mm

from

the

end

of

its

shaft.

Then

retighten

its

screw.

The

screw

should

be

on

the

rear

side.

What

is

“‘Lateral

Balance’?

When

the

plane

between

the

stylus

on

one

end

and

the

tonearm

pivot

is

level,

optimum

response

is

assured.

If

this

slips

to

either

the

left

or

right

then

the

stylus

pressure

will

not

be

the

same

on

both

walls

of

the

record

groove,

affecting

stereo

response.

Lateral

balance

means

keeping

this

left-right

plane

in

line.

TRACKING

FORCE

ADJUSTMENT

After

the

level

balance

adjustment

is

complete,

the

tonearm

is

at

zero

tracking

force.

Turn

the

whole

main

counterweight

(the

front

part

ring

gauge

will

turn

with

it)

until

the

gauge

reads

the

correct

force

for

the

cartridge.

The

gauge

is

graduated

between

0.5

and

4.0

grams

(Fig.

14).

TRACKING

FORCE

DIAL

RING

MAIN

COUNTERWEIGHT

Fig.

11

Fig.

12

LATERAL

|

;

BALANCE

WEIGHT

\S

Fig.

13

TRACKING

FORCE

DIAL

RING

i

een

COUNTERWEIGHT

AS

[OD

DEX

LINE

Fig.

14

PIONEER

ANTI-SKATING

ADJUSTMENT

The

anti-skating

force

control

knob

should

be

adjusted

to

the

same

setting

as

that

required

for

the

tracking

force

(Fig.

15).

For

example,

if

a

tracking

force

of

2

grams

is

required,

set

the

knob

to

2.

What

is

“Anti-skating’’?

As

the

record

groove

moves

in

relation

to

the

stylus

it

exterts

a

force

on

the

stylus

which

pushes

it

toward

the

center

of

the

record.

This

is

called

“skating

force’?

and

will

actually

cause

the

stylus

:

“

spate

ANTI-SKATING

FORCE

to

jump

out

of

the

groove

and

‘“‘skate”’

if

it

is

too

CONTROL.

KNOB

strong.

Even

when

this

does

not

occur,

the

force

Fig.

15

distorts

the

sound

response.

The

anti-skating

device

is

designed

to

cancel

this

force.

STEREO

AMPLIFIER

CONNECTIONS

The

input

jacks

on

the

amplifier,

to

which

the

PL-51

leads

must

be

connected,

will

vary

according

to

the

type

of

cartridge

used.

To

choose

the

proper

jacks,

consult

.the

instructions

furnished

with

the

cartridge,

then

connect

the

PL-51

leads

as

follows

(Fig.

16):

@

Remove

the

L

and

R

cords

from

the

PL-51

L-CH

packing

case

and

plug

one

end

of

each

into

the

Sy

Gy

proper

PL-51

amplifier

input

jack.

Do

not

CORD

A

AC

CORD

confuse

the

L

and

R

connections.

=

sik

PHONO

ae

®

The

single

cord

with

metal

clips

at

each

end

is

ZY

if

the

ground

lead.

It

should

be

firmly

connected

un

to

the

ground

(E

or

GND)

terminals

on

the

L-CH

GROUND

PL-51

and

the

amplifier.

pa

AMPLIFIER

OR

RECEIVER

Fig.

16

DUST

COVER

ATTACHMENT

Slip

the

catches

on

the

plastic

dust

cover

into

their

counterparts

on

the

cabinet.

Be

sure

to

press

the

two

sets

of

catches

together

firmly

(Fig.

17).

Now

the

dust

cover

can

be

lifted

up

to

stay

in

place

at

angles

of

30°

to

60°.

PARTS

AND

THEIR

FUNCTIONS

FUNCTION

LEVER

This

three-stage

lever

turns

the

motor

on

and

off,

and

raises

and

lowers

the

tonearm

(Fig.

18).

@OFF

Position

Shuts

off

power

to

the

motor,

stopping

platter

rotation.

@ON-UP

Position

Switched

from

OFF

this

position

causes

the

platter

to

begin

moving.

Switched

from

DOWN

it

raises

the

tonearm

so

that

the

stylus

leaves

the

record

surface

smoothly.

eDOWN

Position

When

you

are

ready

to

begin

record

play

move

the

lever

to

this

position

and

stylus

will

lower

gently

onto

the

record.

ARM

ROWER

/

ELEVATION

PIONEER

DIRECT

DRIVE

TURNTABLE

STROBOSCOPE

The

proper

part

of

the

stroboscope

band

to

read

depends

upon

the

power

source

and

record

speed

as

shown

below

(Fig.

19).

Fig.

19

ARM

REST

The

tonearm

should

be

on

the

arm

rest

whenever

the

turntable

is

not

in

use.

If

the

unit

is

to

be

moved

or

transported,

first

secure

the

tonearm

to

the

arm

rest

with

the

built-in

clamp

(Fig.

20).

33-1/3

RPM

BUTTON

Push

this

button

for

playing

a

33-1/3

rpm

speed

record

(Fig.

21).

45

RPM

BUTTON

Push

this

button

for

playing

a

45

rpm

speed

record

(Fig.

21).

SPEED

SELECT

33

-

1

33-1/3

RPM

45

45

RPM

Fig.

21

———

45

RPM

ADAPTOR

A

45rpm

adaptor

is

supplied

in

the

accessory

group,

which

permits

45

rpm

records

to

be

fitted

on

the

PL-51

platter

shaft.

When

the

adaptor

is

not

in

use,

keep

it

on

the

stub

located

in

the

upper

right

of

the

base

plate.

S

MOLDS

2

45

RPM

ADAPTOR

Fig.

22

———ARM

ELEVATION

DEVICE

This

hydraulic

system

controls

the

height

of

the

tonearm

according

to

the

function

lever

setting.

Its

height

can

be

adjusted

by

loosening

the

screw.

f

!

A

RM

ELEVATION

10

Fig.

23

~~

SPEED

CONTROL

KNOBS

With

either

of

the

speed

selectors

pressed,

watch

the

appropriate

stroboscope

band.

Adjust

for

precise

speed

(so

that

the

band

appears

to

stand

still)

by

turning

that

speed

control

knobs.

Turn

toward@(clockwise)

for

faster

speed,

toward@(counterclockwise)

for

slower.

When

the

stroboscope

appears

to

stand

still,

the

speed

is

correct.

SPEED

CONTROL

SPEED

CONTROL

-KNOBS

33

‘¢

33-1/3

RPM

+

45

45

RPM

Fig.

24

RPIONGCER

OPERATION

The

operation

is

hardly

anything

difficult

about

playing

records

on

the

PL-51

once

you

are

accustomed

to

the

operation.

Simply

follow

these

steps:

1.

Place

a

record

on

the

platter.

2.

Remove

the

stylus

protector

from

the

cartridge

and

free

the

tonearm

from

the

rest

clamp.

3.

Move

the

function

lever

from

OFF

to

ON-UP

(the

platter

will

start

to

revolve).

4.

Set

the

speed

selector

corresponding

to

the

speed

of

the

record.

5.

Watch

the

proper

stroboscope

band

running

and

adjust

the

speed

with

the

speed

control

as

explained

above.

6.

When

the

stroboscope

appears

to

stand

still,

move

the

tonearm

so

that

the

stylus

is

directly

over

the

starting

point

of

the

record.

7.

Move

the

function

lever

to

DOWN.

The

tonearm

will

gently

lower

onto

the

record

and

play

will

start.

8.

If

you

wish

to

stop

play

in

the

middle,

simply

move

the

function

lever

to

ON-UP.

9.

After

the

record

has

played,

move

the

function

lever

to

OFF

and

return

the

tonearm

to

its

arm

rest.

HOW

TO

USE

THE

FUNCTION

LEVER

BEST

The

function

lever

is

particularly

convenient

when

you

wish

to

choose

your

favorite

music

or

songs

only

from

among

the

several

songs

recorded

on

the

same

side

of

an

LP

record.

@

If

you

move

the

tonearm

with

the

function

lever

set

to

DOWN,

be

sure

to

lever

it

very

carefully.

PRECAUTIONS

CHOOSE

A

LEVEL

LOCATION

If

the

unit

is

not

level

various

performance

problems

will

occur,

so

pay

careful

attention

to

this

point.

DO

NOT

PRESS

ON

THE

PLATTER

Pressing

on

the

turntable

platter,

especially

during

play,

can

damage

the

mechanism.

ALWAYS

CLEAN

THE

STYLUS

e

If

the

stylus

is

dirty

sound

quality

will

deterio-

rate;

brush

it

off

with

a

soft

brush

from

time

to

time.

e@

if

the

record

surface

is

dirty,

clean

it

with

a

record

cleaner

before

playing.

e@

It

is

preferable

to

make

it

a

babit

to

clean

a

record

surface

before

each

play.

@

Touching

the

stylus

with

a

finger

is

a

common

cause

of

stylus

damage,

so

be

very

careful

when

handling

the

tonearm

and

when

cleaning.

NO

VIBRATIONS

The

tracking

force

of

your

stylus

will

probably

be

extremely

light,

so

it

is

important

to

place

the

unit

in

a

location

protected

from

vibrations.

This

is

another

reason

why

it

should

not

be

too

close

to

the

speakers.

DO

NOT

OPEN

THE

SET

OR

TOUCH

THE

INSIDE

PARTS

Your

PL-51

is

assembled

with

a

number

of

small

and

delicate

components

into

one

_

precision

mechanism

which

should

not

be

touched.

There

is

no

reason

to

open

the

unit

or

remove

the

turntable

once

assembly

is

complete.

FOR

FINE

SPEED

ADJUSTMENTS

To

make

proper

adjustment,

check

the

stroboscope

in

fluorescent

or

other

electric

bulb

light.

Avoid

making

use

of

sunlight.

10

TROUBLESHOOTING

HOWLING

‘“Howling”’

is

acoustical

feedback

from

speakers

to

the

turntable

unit.

Increasing

the

distance

between

the

speakers

and

the

turntable,

or

even

better,

laying

a

soft

cushion

under

the

turntable

will

eliminate

howling.

HUM

“Hum”

is

a

low-pitch

droning

noise,

often

60

or

50Hz,

resulting

from

a

loose

connection

of

the

ground

lead.

If

hum

occurs:

@

Check

the

connection

of

the

PL-51

ground

lead

(the

black

lead

with

a

split

lug)

to

your

amplifier.

If

it

is

loose,

connect

it.

®

Check

if

the

output

lead

of

the

PL-51

is

running

near

the

power

transformer

of

your

amplifier.

Changing

the

position

of

the

PL-51

in

relation

to

the

amplifier

will

often

eliminate

hum.

This

unit

is

factory-set

for

AC

120V

operation

when

shipped.

If

the

house

current

in

your

area

is

not

in

120V,

please

contact

your

Pioneer

dealer

in

order

to

re-adjust

the

120V

unit

for

110V,

130V,

220V

and

240V

operation.