Sony Europe Prices PS-HX500 Turntable at 514 Euros for May 30 Delivery

Sony Europe released more details on the PS-HX500 turntable introduced at CES as the world’s first with hi-res audio “ripping capability." The PS-HX500 goes on sale May 30 in Europe for 514 euros ($583) with a belt-drive aluminum die-cast platter, straight tone arm designed and made by Sony and a moving-magnet cartridge custom-made for Sony by Audio-Technica. Play speed is switchable between 33.3 and 45 rpm. An integrated pre-amp lets the player connect to the analog line inputs of an AV receiver, while a hi-res audio on-board converter transforms the analog stereo signal to a digital bit-stream that travels by conventional USB to a PC or Mac, Sony said. The PS-HX500 will come with factory-set cartridge protractor alignment, but users can adjust bias and tracking weight, Sony said. At a recent demonstration we saw at Sony Europe headquarters outside London, the turntable was being used with a tracking weight of around 2.5 grams. As a Diana Krall LP played without a closed lid, we noticed that the captured audio had small clicks, apparently from airborne dust attracted to the disc surface.