Onkyo PX-100M

September
1 9 8 1 september 1981
1 9 8 3
Plus
1983+

Ultimate direct-drive : the platter IS the rotor.

The 10kg and 33cm pure copper platter has no magnets inside and is moved solely by implementation of induction coils creating Foucault currents - linear induction.
Despite the theoretical perfection of linear induction, variations of temperature on the shaft's lubricant calls for Quartz regulation through a frequency generator and a PLL loop....

The PX-100M started very much like a contemporary Micro Seiki with a separate tonearm base ; it then became a sort of "in-between" with a custom dustcover and then what was finally produced, with perhaps a penultimate sample with a layer of glass added atop the platter...


Despite making the cover of Radio Technology (01'82) and Sound Mate (03'83) and seeing an in-depth article in MJ, the 100M is an x-rare item with a production run of probably 100 units (or less) which was barely advertised in Japan, like the contemporary Lo-D TU-1000 (also Micro-engineered) : the highest s/n spotted so far is #59 (#1211 0059).

It seems, however, that the PX-100M is a very fragile item, difficult to restore with predictible results regarding stability. Maybe why Onkyo quickly stopped mentioning it in its japanese catalogs - or not.

There are two known units in the UK, one of which was imported from Germany, the other from a much more southern area, outside Europe. Another is still in Germany and there should be at least two in France...


A NOS/NIB PX-100M here, and a bashed one here (s/n 1205 0033).

Onkyo PX-100M, image 1 Onkyo PX-100M, image 2 Onkyo PX-100M, image 3 Onkyo PX-100M, image 4
Onkyo PX-100M specifications
Title Value
Platter / Rotor : pure copper
Platter / Rotor weight : 10kg
Platter / Rotor diameter : 33cm
Speeds : 78rpm
45rpm
33 1/3rpm
Full speed ahead : 1/2 revolution
Inertia moment : 2000kg/cm3
Wow & flutter : 0,005%
S/N ratio : 78dB (DIN-B)
Motors : 1x Quartz regulated DD
1x for startup help
Dimensions : 56 x 20,6 x 37,4cm
Tonearm base : AB-100
List price : 500,000¥ (1982)
page online since : 2006
page updated : march 2010
page type : LGT / KNB
page weight : 310.75 Kb / 134.77 Kb
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