Not as good as a Technics, but still good.
Pros:
All negatives considered, it's still a useful product.
Cons:
Flimsy construction; lack of internal damping.
The Bottom Line:
See my review.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
Until I found and purchased this model, I was foiled many times in my search for a turntable that had an easily-changed headshell and 78 RPM and a wide-range pitch control.
I have, and like to use, various DUAL turntables (especially when a record is off-center; removable spindles can be left out so the disc can be centered), but I wanted something of a "triage" machine on which I could clean and then make fast-and-furious evaluations of records acquired, plus avoid the rumble of idler drive when making recordings from LP's.
The AT-PL120 serves these and other purposes well enough.
I purchased a heavy rubber mat [a knockoff of the SL-1200II mat] to use in place of the slipmat included with the AT-PL120. Along with being a much safer surface for an unintentionally dropped stylus, it also helps to damp the severe ringing of the 120's cheap, lightweight platter.
The 120 has a cheap Chinese construction "quality", but this is not immediately obvious. If you tap on the top surface, you will hear it in the output --- an indication of this device's total lack of internal damping.
I have not even tried the cartridge that came with the table; I mounted a SHURE M91ED in a spare shell for LP's, and another shell has a less-costly cart with a stylus for wide-groove records.
I wrote the preceding several months ago, and I didn't know until today (2009 Apr. 29) that it hadn't been "published".
I think I got it about right.
I will add this: The anti-skating seems to be miscalibrated. It looks like A-T set it up so that it will work well with the included ATP-2 cartridge if the anti-skating knob is set at zero.
Also: I don't like the "sound" of the built-in preamp. It has a sonic character very similar to a $19.95 - to - $49.95 preamp from Radio Shack --- poor.
