Just Given A Sony PS-X7 Turntable - Worth Using?


An older friend with a lifetime of audio and music appreciation passed away some months ago. His wife called me recently to see if I would like to have his old turntable and record collection. His amplifiers, speakers, etc. were claimed by his son, but he had no interest in turntables or vinyl.

I am old enough to have a small bit of knowledge about turntables, but just barely, and had been considering getting into vinyl but the startup cost with turntables, acquiring vinyl, etc. were a bit daunting.

Now that I have inherited, so to speak, a collection of records, all in excellent condition, the question is whether this turntable is worth using, or do I need to invest in an entry level model in the $1500.00 range to get good quality vinyl reproduction. Or I could buy something better used, for the same amount, of course.

The PS-X7 is in virtually mint condition, as he apparently purchased it in 1978, and it had never moved from the shelf it sat on, for the past 33 years, until I took it home the other night. I would assume it would need to be gone through and have the belt replaced, a new cartridge, at least. There is a Shure V 15 cartridge currently installed but his wife said he meant to replace it just before the cd revolution hit, due to age. The turntable had not been used since he moved to cd's around 1985.

So, is this unit worth bothering with, having some work done on it, buying a new cartridge, etc., or do I skip it entirely and look for a good current, used model, with a solid cartridge? Thanks for your help with this.

JC
nightfall
Hello,
If you are not happy with this turntable or just want to get a different make/model, would you consider selling it?

Thanks,
Drew
For a cartridge I would suggest Dynavector 10x5, Ortophon 2c Black, Clearaudio Aurum Beta. All can be found for less than $500 if you look.
Without independently verifying myself, I found this advice on another site:

The PS-X7 has a arm with ~15gr. eff. mass. I think you look what cartridges are available with a dynamic compliance between 10 to 17 10-6cm/Dyne at 10Hz...

Lots of options, including...

Audio Technica AT33EV

Audio-Technica AT-OC9ML/II

Ortofon - 2M Bronze

...plus, there's always the option to call Peter @ sound-smith.com. Not sure what your price-point for a cart is (I made an assumption for the links above) or what your phono stage can handle.

Word on the street is the stock headshell is quite heavy. You may want to try a lighter one at some point.
Yes, it's a nice table. My only suggestion would be to have a tech go through it to check the power supply and replace any out-of-spec caps. I have a minty Sony PS-X5 that really could use the attention I suggest above. Maybe $150 to $200 parts and labor. It will be money well spent.

Regarding your cartridge selection, you can get a lot of sound for not a lot of money (your specific choice depends on the capabilities of your phono stage). Ortofon, Denon, Audio Technica, etc.
excellent TT please do use it and enjoy the freebie. This and other Sony models were built very well and are very competitive in today's market.