Product Comparison: Denon VL12 Prime vs Pioneer PLX-1000

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Denon VL12 Prime DJ

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Pioneer PLX-1000 high-torque direct drive professional turntable

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General Specifications

Brand

Denon

Pioneer

Model

VL12 Prime

PLX-1000

Origin

Japan

China

About the Product

The Denon DJ VL12 Prime sets the new bar position as the most superior turntablist technology available today. Featuring the most optimal acoustic isolation capabilities, able to handle any loud, bass-heavy environment, there’s no classic or control vinyl-based gig the VL12 cannot handle.

The PLX-1000 is precision engineered for the booth. This high-torque direct drive professional turntable is equipped with a classic layout and a rubber-lined, S-shaped tone arm that improves isolation and prevents feedback. It is solidly built for excellent vibration damping and ultra-precise, high grade audio playback.

Key Specs

Drive Type

Direct Drive

Operation Type

Manual

Automatic

What customers say about "Key Specs"

Denon VL12 Prime DJ

I am a fan of direct-drive turntables, preferring them because of their accuracy, durability, simplicity and "punchy" dynamics.
Listening to several different genres, with varying qualities of vinyl, the VL12 displays the punch & speed I expect from the best direct-drive turntables I've listened to.
The VL12 strikes me as a great option for that vinyl-listener looking for a new, modern direct-drive table.
This is a good sounding TT, for the most part. I use this for listening in my home only, so this isn't a review for its ability to work for a DJ.
The tone arm isn't especially high quality either. Very disappointed with the quality of this turntable.

Pioneer PLX-1000 high-torque direct drive professional turntable

Sound and built quality appear to be top notch, no hum, no jumpy tone arm lifter.
After about a month of research on turntables I decided on this one. Build quality is absolutely amazing. Built like a tank.
The quality of this turntable is pretty good for a home setting.
Feel (heavy, solid, sturdy, smooth, target pop up light pops up quickly, and I love the feel of the start/stop button).
This turntable is as good as any of the tables I've owned. Very solidly built and runs quietly.

Size & Weight

Height

5.9 in.

6.26 in.

Width

17.8 in.

17.83 in.

Depth

14 in.

13.9 in.

Weight

27.4 lbs.

32.19 lbs.

What customers say about "Size & Weight"

Denon VL12 Prime DJ

Although it's mostly made of plastic it has a nice weight and feels sturdy.
The unit itself is beautiful and modern. Certainly draws attention to itself its size.
I liked its compact size and operations. The buttons are very smooth.
I like that I can compactly place the turntable next to other units.
This is a heavy turntable so it will be difficult to move it constantly.

Pioneer PLX-1000 high-torque direct drive professional turntable

The overall weight of the turntable feels really heavy and solid, it feels like a tank so you know it will be sturdy and last a long time.
If weight alone told the whole story of how good a Turntable was, this PLX-1000 would be top-dog.
Sturdy and weighted are just the initial thoughts when you begin the set up of this rig.
The weight is substantial and really feels like a solid piece of equipment that can withstand any kind of vibration.
Great turntable for most people. This has really good weight to the base and is easy to set up.

Audio

Record Sizes

Playable Record Speeds

33 ⅓, 45

Stylys/Cartridge

Standard

Integrated Preamp

What customers say about "Audio"

Denon VL12 Prime DJ

Ok, after about 14 hours of listening since I received it and I still can't get over how good the VL12 sounds!
Initial listening impressions: the sound is really, really good, something I wasn't expecting!
Very very happy with the sound and build quality.
Out of the box this turntable sounds great and I'd highly recommend it.
Potentially OK, but the unit delivered had unstable speed. The unit a bit plasticky, particularly buttons.

Pioneer PLX-1000 high-torque direct drive professional turntable

Sound (excellent quality, I even tapped/knocked on top of the deck in order to try and hear vibrations/feedback and couldn't notice a difference.
Very solidly built and runs quietly. Most importantly the sound is excellent.
The Start/Stop button is too bright! (it has a way of messing with your night vision in dark booths).
It's a tank of a turntable that sounds pretty good! Highly recommended.
Sound quality is amazing, I'm hearing things from the old Beatles albums I've never heard!

Features

Control

Start/Stop, Power Switch, Speed button, Pitch slider, Pitch Range, Pitch Reset, Torque switch, Platter Color control, Platter Brightness switch

Power Switch, Start/Stop, Speed select button, Stylus illuminator switch, Reset button, Tempo range button

Functions

Vinyl player

Platter Material

Aluminum die-cast

Dust Cover Included

Yes

Speaker(s) Included

Interfaces

Stereo RCA audio out

Extras

S-Shaped tone arm, Rugged all-metal tone arm base, True Quartz Lock, Built-in RGB lighting

User-Friendly Control Layout, Detachable Power and Audio Cables, Sound Quality Design

Dust Cover Included
Speaker(s) Included

What customers say about "Features"

Denon VL12 Prime DJ

This is a superb turntable and it completes my Denon system perfectly. Easy to set up and plays my aged vinyl beautifully.
Simplicity is key word coupled with quality. Simple to set up and operate. Great sound with Yamaha amp/tuner plus B&W speakers.
My first concern was a slight wobble in the platter. It's more of a nuisance than anything else.
The issue is that the LED ring added very noticeable noise when set to certain colors, or, oddly, when turned off.
Buttons feel a bit flimsy particularly the start button.

Pioneer PLX-1000 high-torque direct drive professional turntable

The tone arm feels very sturdy. The platter is very study. The torque is way better than the 1200s.
This is a solid turntable, with many useful features to ensure high-quality sound.
The player looks great, and mechanically had everything going for it -- sturdy, nice smooth spin.
The shell is made out of some type of plastic. I would recommend keeping them in a nice case If you have them. They scratch easily.
The bottom case is plastic and less resistant to resonance feedback than Technics 1200

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

1 year(s)

Certifications