Sony PS 150 (1981)

A direct-drive automatic turntable with built-in phono preamp and headphone amplifier, released by Sony in 1981.

Overview

The Sony PS 150 is a direct-drive automatic stereo turntable from 1981. Sony built it for convenience. The built-in phono equalizer amplifier lets it plug straight into line-level inputs on radios, cassette decks or other components. A built-in headphone amplifier handles private listening. The tone arm is a low-mass straight arm with static balance, and the table has auto return and reject functions. In the box you get a 45 RPM adapter, a dust cover and a disc centering guide to help seat records on the platter.

Specifications

Product type	Direct Drive Turntable, Auto Player System
Production year	1981
Original price	¥29,100
Wow and flutter	0.03% WRMS (rotating system)
Signal-to-noise ratio	72dB(DIN-B)
Tone arm type	Static balance type
Tone arm effective length	216.5mm
Tone arm total length	275mm
Cartridge	MM Type (VL-38GSA)
Cartridge frequency response	20 Hz to 20 kHz
Needle	0.6 mil-round diamond
Replacement stylus	ND-138G (¥3,000)
Line output	pin plug : 250 mV (at 50k Ω load)
Headphone output	stereo standard jack : 8.5mWx2 at 32 ohm load
Amplifier frequency response	RIAA ± 0.5 dB
Platter	30.4 cm Aluminum Die Cast
External dimensions	Width 430 x Height 105 x Depth 345 mm
Weight	4.6kg
Attachments	45 Rotation Adapter, Cartridge (VL-38GSA), Disk centering guide, Dust cover

Design

The PS 150 spins the platter with a linear BSL motor and magnedisk servo, which keeps rotation stable. The low-mass straight tone arm sits on top of an auto return and reject mechanism, so operation is fully automatic. The phono equalizer amplifier and headphone amplifier are built in, so it connects directly to external audio systems and works for private listening. The disc centering guide helps line records up on the platter.

Market

Used PS 150s have sold for anywhere from $25 (for parts) to $130 (new old stock). Some units are listed as "working" but may still need a new stylus, because original parts like the ND-138G needle are no longer in production. Service manuals are available for repair and maintenance.

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