Pioneer PL-707
(1982 - 1983)

While Pioneer was riding high with its EXCLUSIVE P3 and just before said P3 became the P3a to ride even higher, if not reach a 60% market-share in Japan, the rest of us got somewhat lesser units. Lesser, here, however, doesn't mean units unworthy of that brand's reputation - just not as big, lavish or... expensive.

The most visible trade-off, besides size, weight and price, is the tonearm which was quite different from the simple-but-incredibly-engineered P3's and filled with electronica, automatic functions and a "Dynamic Resonance Absorber" system. But it is made of Polymer Graphite nevertheless. And the 707 lacks some 15dB in S/N ratio when compared to the P3a. But it still reaches... 80dB !

And the brushless, PLL-driven Hall motor with its Stable Hanging Rotor was the heart of the PL-707, just as that of the P3/P3a, the PL-L1, the PL-L1000 or the later PL-90. And the 707 was (depending on market) delivered with a high-output PC-6MC MC cartridge, too.

Come to think of it, the PL-707 was very much high-end. But if it still was too expensive, the PL-505 could do exactly the same, in all points, while being even cheaper. Or: how to efficiently corner the market.