Sony ps-x700 (1981)
A full-auto turntable system with microprocessor-controlled tone arm and quartz-locked motor
Overview
The Sony PS-X700 is a quartz lock direct drive full-auto player system released in 1981. Sony built it as a high-precision turntable with electronic control of both the tone arm and the motor. The biotracer tone arm uses a microcomputer to make rapid logical decisions for precise movement and positioning. The player takes 12-inch records, detects the record size automatically, and has a safety feature that keeps the arm from dropping when no record is present.
Specifications
| Product type | Quartz Lock D. D. Full Auto Player System |
| Production year | 1981 |
| Original price | ¥ 99,800 |
| Wow and flutter | 0.015% WRMS |
| Signal-to-noise ratio | 78dB (DIN-B) |
| Tone arm | Biotracer (electronically controlled) |
| Effective length | 235mm |
| Total length | 315mm |
| Needle pressure adjustment range | 0.5g ~ 3.0g |
| Weight of attached shell | 7.7g (SH-156) |
| Usable cartridge weight range (including shell) | 9.7g ~ 16.7g |
| Usable cartridge weight range with auxiliary weight | 15.7g ~ 28.7g |
| Turntable | 32 cm Aluminum Die Cast |
| External dimensions | Width 480x Height 165x Depth 420 mm |
| Weight | 12.5kg |
| Start-up characteristic | Within 1/2 Rotation (at 33 1/3rpm) |
| Load characteristic | 0% (Needle Pressure 150g) |
Design
The PS-X700 biotracer tone arm is run by a microcomputer, with speed and position sensors and a linear motor, so the whole thing is electronic. The arm makes hundreds of logical decisions per millisecond. That covers auto lead-in, lead-out and muting. The arm pipe is J-shaped aluminum alloy and has about eight times the rigidity of conventional designs. The turntable uses a 3-stage rotating system: a linear BSL motor, magne-disk speed detection, and quartz lock for speed control. An electromagnetic brake settles the speed right away when you switch between 33 and 45 rpm. Needle pressure is set electronically from a front-panel control and shown on a digital display. A contactless opto-electronic disc size selector detects the record size on its own and stops the arm from dropping if there is no record. The cabinet uses SBMC acoustic material. Vibration-damping insulators filled with high-viscosity elastic material help isolate the turntable from external shocks.
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