Sony XL-55 PRO

Data

General

Manufacturer: Sony or its subsidiary'Sony SoundTec Corporation'.

• Model: XL-55 Pro
• Years of manufacture: 1976 - 1985
• Made in: Japan
• Colour: Magnesium
• Weight: 22 g incl. pickup head
• Original price 1979 in DE: ~750 DM (~375 EUR)

Technical data

• Principle: Moving Coil
• Frequency response: 10 - 50,000 Hz
• Channel separation: > 30 dB (1 kHz)
• Channel balance: < 1 dB (1 kHz)
• Output voltage: 0.2 mV (1 kHz, 5 cm/sec, 45°).
• Inductance: 40 Ω (1 kHz)
• Needle type: elliptical (0.3 x 0.8 mil), bare diamond
• Recommended contact force: 2 g (1.5 - 2.5 g) equivalent to 20 mN (15 - 25 mN).
• Needle compliance: 15*10^-6 cm/dyn = 15 mm/N

Special features

The Pro version of the XL-55 readhead is mounted in a magnesium headshell (EMT calls this construction a tone box). This readhead was part of the basic equipment of the professional turntable PS-X9 later also of the HiEnd turntable PS-B80 (with biotracer tonearm). It was recommended for the Sony turntables PS-X7, PS-X70, TTS 4000 and TTS 8000, among others, but could also be used on tonearms with SME mounting if the overhang could be adjusted accordingly.

Remarks

The XL-55 Pro is a hand-selected XL-55 system. To reduce the moving mass and to linearize the magnetic field, iron was omitted in the moving coil. The resulting reduction of the output signal was compensated by a coil in 8-shape. The carbon coated needle carrier is made of beryllium and aluminium. The scanning system with its compliance of 15 mm/N is tuned for heavier or longer tone arms.

Other models of the same series: XL-55, XL-55 II and (extremely rare) XL-55 Pro/II.

The family also included a model XL-55 Pro Mono.

Pictures

• Excerpt from advertising: Sony XL-35 A, XL-45 A, XL-55, XL-55 PRO

Reviews

On the time value of the pickup system:

If you are offered such a scanning system for sale, then you should ...

(a) note

:

• Scanning systems age - whether they have been used or not. All older systems offered for sale today no longer have the original sampling characteristics, even if the manufacturer's former data is presented to you again!

• The suspension of the needle carrier becomes less elastic or even dries out. Not only the value for compliance is no longer correct as a result.

• Any used diamond today may be largely ground down. An XL-55 (Pro) once had an
  elliptical cut.

This is all mostly concealed or denied by sellers.

The actual condition of a scanning system usually cannot be checked before an internet purchase. An XL-55 (Pro) should therefore only be bought by an enthusiast to enjoy its appearance or to use the headshell, it can hardly be used. Example: with an almost exclusively stored XL-55 Pro, only 50 μm (reasonably clean) could be sampled horizontally after 30 years. When new, it was 90 μm under the same measurement conditions. Highly modulated or overtone-rich records of recent manufacture (DMM) can no longer be sampled cleanly with an XL-55 Pro.

(b) Know

:

• Needle carrier and diamond are not interchangeable.

• There is probably no one left who can rework this system for you, no matter how high the cost may be.

• You will also not get a guarantee for compliance with the former data!

The last ebay offer in February 2011 (it was faded in at the bottom of this page) did not find a buyer. The immediate purchase price of 556 EUR incl. shipping costs was completely exaggerated. For the u.U. alone still usable headshell the price was clearly too high.

Links

• History (english) and pictures at [1]