Audio Technica AT-PL50 Belt Drive Turntable

I purchased the AT-PL50 to add to my modest sound system. Since I volunteer regularly at a thrift store, I have access to many LPs that continually trickle into the store. I searched the Internet for a solid, but reasonally priced turntable and took a chance with the AT-PL50. If you are looking for a unit that operates soft as silk and has all the high-tech bells and whistles, this turntable is not for you. I remember a couple of my friends had these back in the 60s, but I'm sure they paid a pretty penny for them even back then. However, if you want a turntable that is functional, easy to operate, plays music that sounds good, and all for a good price then this one should fit the bill. After playing around 30 LPs, I have had no skipping or other problems with this turntable. For me, it's just what I needed.

Okay, so I'm not an audiophile. I am, however, 52 years old and someone who had a desire to convert to mp3 files some treasured songs from the LPs with which I grew up, songs not available anywhere else.

For $99, I didn't expect much. BUT, the end result has been beyond my highest expectations. Easy to set up, easy to use, very intuitive software that make saving, converting, editing, etc. VERY easy, too.

And, the music! The Pyro5 software and record maintenance kit (included at no extra cost) do a magnificent job cleaning up pops, crackles, and other ambient noises. On my iPod, the songs I've copied from my LPs sound just as good as the songs I've purchased from iTunes.

I have not experienced any of the problems presented by other reviewers in their reviews. So far - I've only had the turntable two days (but have converted more than 100 songs from several albums) - I am very, very pleased with this turntable.

An incredible value!

I can not use this product because it wont allow you to enter the registration number once you retrieve it....and I STRONGLY believe that they prompt you to buy software in addition to the one that came with it, in order for it to work. I have sent in requests and have waited over 2 weeks* going on 3*...and still NO ONE has the decensy to return my email.The only way to contact them is through EMAIL !!! This is an outrage !!!

I bought this to copy my stack of vinyl to CD's. Unfortunatly, the record players cheap price reflects its performance. I was not able to copy a single LP to CD without it skipping tracks. There are no adjustments on the turntable. I finally dug out my old Dual 1218 and revived it enough to use it. There is no match between my 30+ year old Dual and the PL50. So far the Dual has played all records without a single skip. After spending many hours trying to be happy with my purchase, I finally threw the PL50 in the trash. I would not want to sell it in a garage sale or on eBay to someone who would expect a turntable that they could use. Save your money, don't buy this one.

Use it to copy my old records on my PC. It's very, very simple but does the job.