Tech head-to-head
Pioneer DJ PLX-1000vsTechnics SL-1200MK2
Age hasn't cost the 1979 Technics SL-1200MK2 the lead: it averages 8.3 against 8.0 for the 2014 Pioneer DJ PLX-1000, and takes Design 8.4 to 7.4.
Pioneer DJ PLX-1000
Pioneer DJ
8.0
The 1200 layout with detachable cables and a ±50% pitch option, built when Technics had stopped making decks.
Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens current listings on eBay. eBay listings come from individual sellers: condition, battery health, and what's in the box differ from one to the next, so read the listing and the return terms before you buy.
Technics SL-1200MK2
Technics
8.3
The deck that defined DJ booths for decades, now old enough that condition matters more than the model.
Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens current listings on eBay. eBay listings come from individual sellers: condition, battery health, and what's in the box differ from one to the next, so read the listing and the return terms before you buy.
Where they diverge
The widest gap is Design, Technics SL-1200MK2 ahead 8.4 to 7.4. They come closest on Ease of use, 7.8 to 7.6. Left of center is Pioneer DJ PLX-1000, right is Technics SL-1200MK2.
Which one to pick
Take the Pioneer DJ PLX-1000
Leads on Ease of use.
- You want the familiar 1200 layout for less than a used Technics
- A frayed cable should be a replacement, not a soldering job
Take the Technics SL-1200MK2
Leads on Performance, Durability and Design.
- You want a direct-drive deck that can be serviced by almost any turntable shop
- You like buying the classic and do not need 78 rpm
- You plan to replace the cartridge anyway
Value scores identically, so that axis can't break the tie.
What each one gets wrong
Pioneer DJ PLX-1000
- You want the Technics name and the resale value that comes with it
- Home hi-fi listening is the priority over DJ use
Technics SL-1200MK2
- The listing cannot show the deck playing, the pitch slider, and the tonearm moving freely
- Frayed or repaired RCA cables would be a problem, since they are wired in
- You play 78s
Specs, side by side
| Spec | Pioneer DJ PLX-1000 | Technics SL-1200MK2 |
|---|---|---|
| Drive | High-torque direct drive | Quartz-locked direct drive |
| Speeds | 33⅓, 45, 78 rpm | 33⅓, 45 rpm |
| Pitch range | ±8%, ±16%, or ±50% | ±8% |
| Cables | Detachable RCA and power | Hardwired RCA and ground |
| Cartridge | Not included; headshell included | — |
| Wow and flutter | — | 0.01% WRMS (Technics) |
| Tonearm | — | Static-balanced S-shaped, height adjustable |
Rankings they both appear in
Questions
- The Pioneer DJ PLX-1000 is 35 years newer. Why does it score lower?
- Because the axes didn't move the way the release dates suggest. The 1979 model takes Performance, Durability and Design, widest on Design at 8.4 to 7.4. Ease of use is where the 2014 model answers, and whether that is enough is the whole question.
- What did the 2014 model improve?
- Ease of use. Ease of use runs 7.8 to 7.6. That is not enough to move the average, which stays 8.3 to 8.0.
- Which one ranks higher in "Used turntables: the 1200 family and its rivals"?
- Technics SL-1200MK2 sits at #2 in "Used turntables: the 1200 family and its rivals", Pioneer DJ PLX-1000 at #4.