[firewall]

Hi guys,

I bought this PS555ES for a song and a dance!

Boy, was I tired after dancing! haha...

Anyway - This turntable tracks like a high-end transport!

I've measured over 115 dB of 25-80 Hz low-end (at the seating areas,) with this thing not flinching (I had problems before, then I removed the dust cover while listening and *poof* the resonance/feedback disappeared.)

I mated it to an AT 750SH.

It sounds good!

Does anyone else have experience with BioTracers? Your thoughts?

[davidc1]

Yep...I have but don't use now, a  Sony PS-X600. Bought it cause it was the latest tech. I found that actually, it was very poor at tracking highly warped records as the servo tonearm was overdamped for this type of warp. As the warp dropped, the servo mechanism did not let the arm drop quick enough and the stylus would lose contact with the record.

[stonedeaf]

I own and very cheerfully enjoy the same model every day.This is the last generation of Sony Bio-Tracers . I've owned mine for a few years and have become more impressed with it as time goes on. Couple of limitations: a.) tone arm pivot height is not adjustable. Taller cartridges won't work in this arm (ortofon Quintet Black S for instance) but most everything else up to 16.5 to 17mm in height is useable and will sing in this arm thanks to the vertical and horizontal servo drives. Invest in shim plates to go between the bottom of the headshells and top of the cartridge. b.) Overhang is 49mm from rubber washer on the headshell to stylus tip. Some headshells won't have slots that will accommodate this dimension -most SME/H4 bayonet headshells will work fine. c.) Headshell and cart weight. It's really hard to stay within the weight limits of this arm without the auxillary weight screwed into the back of the tonearm. I have looked for about 8 years for tht weight and never found one. One of my counterweights has a 10 gram circular bearing blue tacked to the front of the counterweight - this allows me to use the vast majority of my headshells and cartridges on this arm.Go to the hardware store and look - ain't elegant-but no one will see it. d.) Please read the manual twice or more. e.) Self evaluate. If your mechanical talents are a joke amongst your friends - these aren't replaceable. Get a pro to fix this if needed. There is one belt in this table that will eventually need replacing -a sticker describing the replacement and location is attached to the inside bottom cover of mine f.) Don't ship these without the transport bolts holding the transformer down (and good luck on finding those )-: . I own a bunch of turntables -this ones exceptional. Enjoy.

[davidc1]

Thanks for the info. Do you mean you have the PS-X600 also?

It works fine except for the abnormally warped record. I use a Shure V15 Type V MR. If I remember correctly, the damping brush on the cartridge actually made the ability to track huge warps worse. The same cartridge in a conventional arm, with it's damping brush, worked better than the Sony. However, Sony worked great for everything else.

[davidc1]

I own and very cheerfully enjoy the same model every day.This is the last generation of Sony Bio-Tracers . I've owned mine for a few years and have become more impressed with it as time goes on. Couple of limitations: a.) tone arm pivot height is not adjustable. Taller cartridges won't work in this arm (ortofon Quintet Black S for instance) but most everything else up to 16.5 to 17mm in height is useable and will sing in this arm thanks to the vertical and horizontal servo drives. Invest in shim plates to go between the bottom of the headshells and top of the cartridge. b.) Overhang is 49mm from rubber washer on the headshell to stylus tip. Some headshells won't have slots that will accommodate this dimension -most SME/H4 bayonet headshells will work fine. c.) Headshell and cart weight. It's really hard to stay within the weight limits of this arm without the auxillary weight screwed into the back of the tonearm. I have looked for about 8 years for tht weight and never found one. One of my counterweights has a 10 gram circular bearing blue tacked to the front of the counterweight - this allows me to use the vast majority of my headshells and cartridges on this arm.Go to the hardware store and look - ain't elegant-but no one will see it. d.) Please read the manual twice or more. e.) Self evaluate. If your mechanical talents are a joke amongst your friends - these aren't replaceable. Get a pro to fix this if needed. There is one belt in this table that will eventually need replacing -a sticker describing the replacement and location is attached to the inside bottom cover of mine f.) Don't ship these without the transport bolts holding the transformer down (and good luck on finding those )-: . I own a bunch of turntables -this ones exceptional. Enjoy.

Are these what you are looking for?


https://www.ebay.ca/itm/115098438086?hash=item1acc66c9c6:g:VXgAAOSwYVRhk7-V

[stonedeaf]

I've got the PS-X555es. Suggest that the brush on a Shure or Stanton/Pickering should be locked up or removed on any of the arms that use vertical servos - the brush and the servos will sorta fight with each other on warps. Reduce the VTF by half a gram if the Shure is locked up or by a gram for Stanton/Pickering and see how that works. In general -whether JVC,Denon or Sony's -any of those Bio tracer arms will track warps as well as any arm ever made.
Thanks for the counterweight referral - got two of those . What I'm looking for is the approximately 13 gram add on auxiliary weight  that AFAIK is only used on the 555es. This has the same thread as a technics add on counterweight for a SL-1200 arm -BUT-it's very thin so that it can ride under the shroud on the PS-X555es  as it tracks across the record. I've made up substitutes -but have never found one of these very specific add on counterweights for this model.

[davidc1]

Do you have a picture of it? And better yet the model number of it as an accessory or part? I can do some searching in areas I know of for you

[stonedeaf]

It's shown in the owners manual on vinyl engine. I remember looking for the part number in the service manual and not being able to find it listed. A fair percentage of the 555-es  were sold in PX/BX's and came equipped with the mounted matching Sony cart -folks didn't need the aux counterweight -so tossed 'em.

[davidc1]

It's shown in the owners manual on vinyl engine. I remember looking for the part number in the service manual and not being able to find it listed. A fair percentage of the 555-es  were sold in PX/BX's and came equipped with the mounted matching Sony cart -folks didn't need the aux counterweight -so tossed 'em.

I'm pretty sure I got mine from AAFES as well! I got a lot of my 80's stuff from there when my dad was with NATO/SHAPE.

[Will3]

Sony PSX-75 here!