Sony and Record Players
Sony is a famous manufacturer in the market of electronics. Kids love them for their Play Station franchise, couples love them for their premium-quality TVs, DVDs, and such, and it’s safe to say that everyone likes at least one group of their products.
Their superior sound engineering was implemented in their earliest products, and they soon branched out in the headphones and earbuds industry. Now, you might be surprised to hear that Sony is actually one of the leading brands in the record player industry as well.
Sony – the most notable features of their record players
The design – Modern outlook of their record players
Even though Sony is one of the older electronics brands, their record players aren’t traditional at all. You might be thinking “They’ve been around for quite a while, how come that their record players resemble those of the younger brands?” and that would be a good question.
Why are their record players designed in such a “modern” way?
They were founded in Minato (Tokyo, Japan) in 1946 – this period was crucial for the turntable industry, as it was the era of “vintage record players”. Now, Sony’s record players are what people like to call “modern”. The performance and sound output of their products can be compared to Crosley, Audio Technica, PROJect, and similar, but the design of their turntables is more alike to that of the younger brands.
They mainly dealt in electronics such as gaming consoles (Play Station being their most famous product), TVs, DVDs, Cell Phones, and they’ve taken up the manufacturing of record players a few decades back. Surely enough, this task wasn’t hard for them at all – their superior sound engineering came on top before any major obstacles appeared. Furthermore, they have a name that resounds with quality and trust – it didn’t take long before they became one of the prominent leaders in the record player industry.
High-Tech features – you can expect quite a lot from Sony record players
The Sci-Fi design of Sony’s turntables isn’t just for show. Their record players are packed with premium-quality features, they’re all analog, and each record player comes with a set of state-of-the-art cartridge and stylus.
Simply because they’re (figuratively speaking) new to this market, they had the opportunity to choose the latest parts for their record players. Most manufacturers had to go through a period of trial and error before they could decide which parts and features suit the customers best, but it was a completely different story for Sony.
First of all, they already had a highly-skilled workforce who could tackle the challenges of the latest technologies with ease. Furthermore, they were well-versed in electronics, how they work, and how to get the best out of each electric impulse. This is one of the reasons why they’re so good.
Sony’s PS-LX250H Design
Sony’s PS-LX250H is a beautiful two-speed record player that’s outfitted with a grayish transparent dust cover, a rubber mat, an attractive platter with the drive belt, and a black cartridge with needle. Simply put, nearly all of the features Sony’s PS-LX250H comes outfitted with are black, which is one of the reasons why it’s so beautiful.
The design of this beautiful record player is definitely modern. It features a semi-thin plinth which is adorned with various small parts. When compared to a nostalgic record player (take any Crosley record player, for example), the Sony’s PS-LX250H looks smaller. The dust cover puts an accent on practical purposes (rather than outward appearance alone), and anyone could easily tell the difference in the overall shape and style.
It’s safe to say that old-school people would be skeptic towards this record player – back in the day, when the implementation of electronics into a mechanical contraption was inferior, bigger was often thought to be better. This is not the case today, as Sony integrated various high-performance features into a small plinth, so don’t let the looks of Sony’s PS-LX250H deceive you – it’s as powerful as it can be.
Sony PS-LX250H Features
As we’ve mentioned before, Sony’s PS-LX250H is a two-speed record player that can reproduce your records at 33 or 45 rotations per minute. It features a belt drive method of operation (or belt driven system) that is less prone to malfunction and hums less when compared to an automatic turntable.
The DC motor provides power to the contraption – this record player is a powerhouse, but it does buzz from time to time. Anyhow, this is not a cause for alarm, as the estimated flutter ratio goes well below 0.25%. Sony’s PS-LX250H is also supplied with a dynamically balanced tonearm with damping control. You won’t have to worry about the turntable stylus as it won’t damage your records, even after prolonged usage.
Sony’s PS-LX250H also comes supplied with a bundle of complementary accessories that include the 45 rotations per minute adaptor, a platter with the drive belt, a rubber mat, and the grayish transparent dust cover.
Sony PS-LX250H Performance
The performance of this amazing record player is great, but it can’t be compared to some high-end record players. Sony’s PS-LX250H is, basically, a budget record player, so the overall sound output isn’t exactly “perfect”. There are better record players, but this one shouldn’t be underestimated.
Some slight humming and buzzing can be heard, but the flutter/wow ratio is below 0.25%. The Signal/Noise ratio is beyond 50dB, and the effective length of this record player reaches up to 195 millimeters. The Die-Cast aluminum alloy platter (295 millimeters) is, perhaps, one of the best features of this record player. It makes sure that the audio output is precise and accurate.
The good and bad about Sony PS-LX250H
Being a budget record player, Sony’s PS-LX250H has a full set of benefits and only a few downfalls. You might like how it looks like, but you will love how it sounds and feels like. The price is also great, but keep in mind that this record player is far from perfect.
The good about Sony PS-LX250H:
- A great price – Sony’s PS-LX250H is extremely cheap, and it belongs to the budget record player price point category;
- High-quality features – this record player comes supplied with a belt drive system, a powerful DC motor. A die-cast aluminum alloy platter, and dynamically balanced tonearm with the soft damping control;
- Lightweight – this record player weighs 5.15 pounds only, and it’s incredibly compact and lightweight;
- A bundle of complementary accessories – Sony’s PS-LX250H comes supplied with a 45 rotations per minute adaptor. A platter with the drive belt, a rubber mat, and a dust cover;
The bad about Sony’s PS-LX250H:
- You can only play your records at two selectable speeds – 33 or 45 rotations per minute;
- Slight buzzing and humming – even though these values are estimated below 0.25%;
- A modest performance – the overall performance of this record player is great for the cash. However pretty modest if we take the cash out of the equation;
Value for the price
This record player is remarkably cheap and it’s supplied with high-end features. The concrete value for the price of Sony’s PS-LX250H is great.
The Final Verdict
Surely enough, you could find a better record player in terms of performance or outward appearance. However these products would also cost you more. If you’re on a budget and if you’re looking for a great record player, this might be your best bet. It’s a great record player for the buck.
