Sony ps-x555es (1983-1992)
A full-auto quartz lock direct-drive turntable with linear tracking tonearm, part of Sony's ES series.
Overview
The Sony PS-X555ES is a high-end full-auto turntable produced from August 1983 to 1992. It belongs to Sony's ES (Esprit) series and features advanced technologies for its time, including a quartz lock direct-drive system and an electronically controlled linear tracking tonearm known as the Biotracer. It was the only ES turntable offered nearly a decade, bridging the peak and decline of the LP era. Designed for precision, it uses microcomputer control to manage resonance and ensure accurate playback.
Specifications
| Drive system | Linear brushless-slotless motor, Quartz Lock DD drive + Magnedisc reading |
| Wow and flutter | 0.015% WRMS |
| Speed accuracy | < 0.0003% |
| Platter diameter | 32 cm |
| Platter weight | 1.2 kg |
| Turntable | 32 cm Aluminum Die Cast |
| Speeds | 33 1/3 & 45 rpm |
| Tone arm type | Linear tracking biotracer (electronically controlled tone arm) |
| Tone arm effective length | 130mm |
| Tone arm total length | 212.5mm |
| Tracking error | ± 0.07° |
| Needle pressure adjustment range | 0.5g ~ 2.5g (Electronic) |
| Tracking force range | 0.5...2.5g |
| Shell dead weight | 7.2g (SH-156, without fingers) |
| Supplied headshell weight | 7.2g |
| Usable cartridge weight limit (including shell weight) | 10g ~ 15g |
| Usable cartridge weight limit (including shell weight, auxiliary weight used) | 14.5g ~ 19.5g |
| Cartridge | MC Cartridge XL-333E |
| Cartridge frequency characteristic | 10 Hz to 35 kHz |
| Cartridge output voltage | 0.165 mv (1 khz, 5cm/sec, 45 °) |
| Cartridge needle | 0.3x0.8 mil Oval Diamond |
| Cartridge dead weight | 3.5g |
| Exchange needle | ND-333E(¥6,000) |
| Cable capacitance | 60pf/meter, 87.5pf total |
| Power consumption | 23W |
| External dimensions | Width 430 x Height 105 x Depth 425 mm |
| Weight | 7.4kg |
Design
The PS-X555ES uses Sony’s Biotracer system with a microcomputer, speed and position sensors, and linear motors to control the tonearm electronically. It features a tangential linear tracking tonearm that eliminates tracking error, improving stereo separation and fidelity. The system suppresses low-frequency resonance to less than 3 dB regardless of cartridge. The turntable uses a 3-stage block configuration, a brushless slotless (BSL) DC motor, and a magnet-disk speed detection system with a multi-gap head. Speed is stabilized via quartz lock servo. Needle pressure is applied electronically and adjusted via panel control. The cabinet is made of SBMC material and includes a large insulator filled with highly viscoelastic material. It also has an opto-electronic disc size selector for automatic LP/EP detection, a muting mechanism that cuts output until needle contact, and a quick repeat function that resumes play without returning the arm.
Context
The PS-X555ES was the only ES series turntable, remaining in production as the LP format declined. It followed earlier Biotracer models like the PS-B80 and improved upon designs such as the 1981 PS-X800, which cost twice as much. It was positioned as a premium full-auto player with advanced resonance control and precision engineering.
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