There are cheaper decks out there, and better spec’d ones, but for quality and style at this price point, the PLX-500 is hard to beat.īecause the majority of the best DJ turntables on the market take their cues from Technics to varying degrees, there’s often not a huge amount of variation between designs.

There are design elements where you can tell costs have been cut – the tone arm and RCA cables feel a little cheap compared to ‘pro’ level decks – but on the whole the build is solid and the torque and stability punch well above the price point.

While the motor doesn’t have quite as much power as its higher-priced sibling, it should be enough to suit all but the most serious scratch DJs. The PLX-500 is Pioneer’s entry-level DJ turntable, which has a similar look and many of the same features as the 1200-rivalling PLX-1000 turntable, albeit at a street price that means you can pick up a pair for under £600. RCA cables and tonearm feel a little cheapĪlthough Technics dominate the DJ turntable market, Pioneer DJ are the standard when it comes to CDJs, so it’s a brand name with a lot of clout when it comes to DJ gear. These remain the industry standard and, if you’re buying a new DJ turntable, you can’t really go wrong here. In terms of the all-important sound and feel though, these new 1200s live up to the legacy. These latest models are no-longer produced in Japan, and the build is, by all accounts, not quite up with the Mk2s, although it’s still solid. Functionally, there’s no difference between the 12 models here – the names are just regional.

While the dimensions, feel and style are all familiar, the new SL-1200s have a slightly modernised look, along with a new, more powerful motor.įeature-wise, it’s mostly a case of ‘if it ain’t broke.’ but there are some small, welcome upgrades: the RCA and power leads are now detachable, so far-easier to replace, and the pitch fader now has a x2 mode for doubling its range. There are a number of changes between the Mk7 and the original decks, but they’re mostly subtle and in many cases decidedly positive. When Panasonic brought production of a DJ-centric 1200 back in 2019, they had to create a new production process and effectively ‘redevelop’ a new version of the classic design. Throughout their production run from 1979 up to 2010, the original SL-1200s changed very little in terms of design and materials a 2010 unit was remarkably similar to the original Mk2s coming off the production line in the late ’70s.

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