Audio Technica AT PL-120 turntable - any good?

I saw one of these listed for $189.00 shipped from an online retailer. It looks like a spitting image of the tried and true Technics 1200. A couple reviews are favorable on it. It obviously is a clone of the original. Does anyone else out there have one or any user reviews on this turntable. Is it any good?

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=136503&stc=1&d=1234976410

It's not the equal of the SL-1200MK2, but it does have 78 speed and people on AK that have them say that they're 'ok'. I would think they're equal to a lot of mid-fi turntables from the past--probably equal to stuff that's in the lower half of the vintage offerings of Technics and Pioneer, etc.

As far as DJ tables or new, available direct drive tables, it would be #2 behind the Technics line. Certainly eons better than stuff from Numark, Gemini, Ion, etc.

audio technica at 120?????

Although no expert.....from what I have read probably here or vinyl engine....the counter weight has a tendency to slide and not hold the adjusted weight correctly...AND the stock cartridge is "crappy" ie tracks too heavy...SOOOOO by the time you get frustrated and need a better cartridge where are you ??? I picked up the technics 1200 and put an AT 71 E on ie not the greatest cartridge and phenominal!!!! by the way the 1200 was used lightly for $200.00

How in heck would the counterweight 'slide'? Perhaps if it's used as a DJ table and hauled around a lot...I can't see that the weight would just slide around from playing records. Even so, that ought to be correctable with a single winding of thread tape, like you'd use in plumbing.

The stock cartridge does kind of suck, as does the on-board phono preamp. But if you bought another turntable, the cartridge wouldn't be included anyway. So view it as buying without a cartridge, like any other table.

Finding a SL-1200MK2 used is a risky venture in of itself...finding a nice one at $200 is downright amazing. Good find, Dave. Many used 1200's are beat to death by people who 'use' them in an entirely different manner than folks here would.

To the original poster, I would say if you're dead set on buying new, that's a pretty good deal. B ut you'd be better served finding vintage used, although that takes patience.

I used an AT-PL120 for about 3 years (just for listening, not for scratching or any other nonsense) and it never gave me any trouble at all.

Once I bought a "real" SL-1200, I gave the AT to my 9-year-old daughter, and it's working just fine for her too.

The included cartridge (ATP-2) is designed for DJ use with a tracking force of 3-5 grams, but it has an elliptical stylus and sounds surprisingly good for what it is.

The AT-PL120 certainly doesn't perform as well as an SL-1200MK2, but it's a pretty darn good deal for $200.

The folks at TONE Audio magazine preferred the sound of the stock AT-PL120 over the SL1200 (the AT giving a more open sound). The publisher of the magazine has mentioned in other forums that he likes the AT in combination with a Shure M97xE as a great budget choice for enjoying vinyl.
http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/index.php?topic=47958.20

jrtrent said:

The folks at TONE Audio magazine preferred the sound of the stock AT-PL120 over the SL1200 (the AT giving a more open sound). The publisher of the magazine has mentioned in other forums that he likes the AT in combination with a Shure M97xE as a great budget choice for enjoying vinyl.
http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/index.php?topic=47958.20

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I own both tables, and can't imagine preferring the AT over the Technics. The 1200 is head and shoulders better sounding.

As it should be for more than twice the price.

If I hadn't scored the vintage tables that I have now, when I did score them, I'd probably consider the AT. I picked up my PL-550 and 570's for like $25 each or something. Apart from a pure stroke of luck, those days are long gone.

Sure, out of the box the AT isn't going to turn any heads. But I'm darn curious to see what I could do with one with a little ingenuity, time and a great cartridge.

beatcomber said:

I own both tables, and can't imagine preferring the AT over the Technics. The 1200 is head and shoulders better sounding.

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Not having either 'table, I don't dispute you. I was just responding to the OP's desire for comment on the quality of the AT-PL120. That an experienced reviewer finds it pleasant to listen to and can state, with reference to an SL1200, "compared side by side, we all preferred the sound of the AT..." suggests that the AT at least represents good value for the money.

Thanks for the input. I was contemplating it as a spare table and it sound like a good deal for the money. I would probably put a better cartridge on it and from sounds of it the Sure M97xe would be a good choice. Thanks for your input!

huntingskeet said:

Thanks for the input. I was contemplating it as a spare table and it sound like a good deal for the money. I would probably put a better cartridge on it and from sounds of it the Sure M97xe would be a good choice. Thanks for your input!

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A better cartridge, and bypass the onboard phono preamp. That and work on the isolation...maybe make a cork mat, as the S?N isn't outstanding. It's not bad, but it's contemporaries run about -10 dB quieter. Those would be my first moves with this machine.

Being as I recently found a nice 78 in a sidewalk sale, I'm seriously contemplating the PL120 again to have as a table for playing 78s and to take with me to relatives' houses when I want to go visit them and take a stack of records along.

It's a nice table.....it's what we run at the radio station...a workhorse and a good, clean, open sound. I can't compare it to the 1200 but I'd say if you're looking at a new TT $189 ain't bad for the performance you'll get out of it. And it is pretty knockaround. Lugging it to relatives houses you won't have to feel too bad about .

jrtrent said:

Not having either 'table, I don't dispute you. I was just responding to the OP's desire for comment on the quality of the AT-PL120. That an experienced reviewer finds it pleasant to listen to and can state, with reference to an SL1200, "compared side by side, we all preferred the sound of the AT..." suggests that the AT at least represents good value for the money.

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No offense taken! :thmbsp:

I have the AT-PL120, I have had it for only 3-4 months right now. for the money on a "new" table i don't think it can be beat. I used the stock cart for a couple months until i swapped it out for the AT-440MLa. doing just that really woke this baby up. throwing a home made cork mat on there made things even better. Next on my list will be the Cambridge Audio 640p to replace the built in pre-amp which is said to not be very good, and i can believe that. but as i have it now, it sounds damn good for 200 bucks. pretty anxious to see what the pre-amp will do. oh yea, i don't have any of the hum that some people complained about. it happened to infrequently on reviewers i almost want to bet its a user error issue and not a problem with the table.

as for build quality, only thing visibility that sets this apart from the Technics is the Technics case is metal and not plastic. as for sound, i can't compare, i never heard one.

this thing is pretty damn heavy too, has to weigh 20 something pounds. i guess the only downside to this is no one knows its longstanding history and durability of the AT-PL120 as compared to the Technics. but i see it being pretty solid!

For use with a pre-amp, does the table have a grounding wire?

Patriot1776 said:

For use with a pre-amp, does the table have a grounding wire?

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do you mean a 3-pronged plug? if you mean that, then no, its just a 2 pronged.

I have a PL-120 and it was my entry-level TT a few years ago. I agree with Big Andy that it is about the best bang for the buck for a brand-new and full-featured entry-level turntable. Overall, mine is OK. I modified it for better anti-skate performance, and in doing so, I discovered that the SL-1200 is built much better. While they look alike, they are really not to be compared - very different animals.

I think there are two fundamental issues that prevent me from making major modifications to this PL-120 turntable toward Hi-Fi bliss. (In other words, I chose to purchase a better Hi-Fi grade set and keep this for utility purposes.) First, I think the isolation is poor - a slight fingernail tap on the table surface (equipment stand, not the turntable itself) is very audible in the speakers or headphones. A sandbox helped, but the plastic body and feet construction just don't make for much isolation. Second, I have issues with the tonearm mass, especially while playing 78s - too heavy and problematic pressings make the tonearm go all woogity when playing, occasionally leading to tracking problems.

In light of all that, I have kept mine and use it as an all-purpose TT. It has every convenient feature you can need (aside from automatic control) and is ROCK SOLID reliable on speed and pitch. It is built well enough that it can be transported around without fear of damage and if it gets a dent or a ding, my heart will not be broken. The internal phono pre-amp is not good (and the wiring is not good, either) but it works.

Don't spend more on a new cartridge than you did on the TT - you might reveal more TT problems in your new sound than improvements in the records! That said, the AT ML-440, Denon DL-110, Ortofon Red, Shure M97xE, or Sumiko Pearl are all excellent choices and will give very good performance without going too far over $100.

Hope this helps!

BigManAndy said:

do you mean a 3-pronged plug? if you mean that, then no, its just a 2 pronged.

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No, he means grounding wire. The older tables had them that needed to be grounded to the amp or reciever. In my experin ce the newer tables that I have dealt with do not have them.

I'm on the other side of the river. I have an AT-PL120 and positive HATE it. The worse money I've ever spent, It is currently in the closet right now and even my kids don't want it. I bought it for the 78 speed and cannot get past the humming sound.I'm one of the unfortunate few that would hear the feedback and humming. I took it apart to try to trace the hum and it is really cheaply made. I used to think that because of the weight it might have been put together well but it really looks cheap inside as the weight it really just in the base. Even the platter is pretty light and you can hold it up with your pinky finger without discomfort. Try doing that with a 1200 platter. I would suggest just saving up a few more coins and getting a real 1200. Again, just my opinion.