Having written a blog the other day regarding bringing my late brother’s turntable below back into useable status, I have now received the amplifier, a made in the 1970s Pioneer SA500 model, a couple of days ago.

My brother’s Pioneer PL-12D turntable below.

The Pioneer SA500 amplifier below has been serviced really well.

Below: Back View.

Below is the service list of what has been done re: cleaning up and improving the amplifier.

Next up will be to find a compatible set of Pioneer speakers. Their CS series seem to be ideal. Models I’ve looked at are the 33, the 34 the 53 and the 66. Hard to find in a decent state, it may take a while to get some. Expensive at times too!

But can I use headphones in the meantime?

I have the really nice beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO Studio Headphones – 250 Ohm below which are used with the Mac M2 mini home recording set up in The Den. However, at 250 ohms the resulting sound will be awful. Thin, weak and lifeless. And dangerous if the amplifier volume is turned up too causing distortion and damage. You don’t want to ruin the headphones. Or the amplifier.

THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CHECK COMPATIBILITY.

I also have some OneOdio A71 Hi-Res Studio Recording Headphones – Wired Over Ear Headphones with SharePort, Professional Monitoring & Mixing Foldable Headphones with Stereo Sound. See below. These are 32 ohms. Not top quality, but a decent bass to high response.

HOWEVER. THE AMPLIFIER MAY BE TOO POWERFUL AND DAMAGE THESE LOW IMPEDANCE 32 ohm HEADPHONES.

Below: The OneOdio headphones.

And so! These are considerations that are vital to research.

Below: THE DEN. The Mac M2 with all the added equipment for the recording desk system for capturing songs.

In truth? I need the speakers and drop the idea of headphones!

So. Need to keep searching.

Patience is a virtue…..as someone once said.

Patience is a virtue is a phrase believed to have originated from the poem “Piers Plowman” which was written in 136O by the English poet William Langland. 

Always research. It builds inexpensive knowledge that results in avoiding expensive mistakes.

And so……..the story continues. Little Ditty video below.