Pioneer Direct Drives - Now and then?

PS - If you have a 2nd turntable you haven't used in years and want to donate it to a good cause, I'm a very good cause. ;-)

twoleftears, Clearly, you are correct.  The SL1200 Mk7 does have a coreless motor.  Basically, I couldn't imagine how they could sell it for so little and still retain the coreless motor, or why that would be a wise marketing decision.  Anyway, the SL1200 Mk7 rises in my esteem.

I have the Pioneer PL530

it was my first turntable.  Sort of. 
Interesting how I came to own it.  
After looking for TT’s in thrift stores for something that looked of decent quality, and not finding anything, and not knowing much about TT’s at the time, I just about gave up. Then one day, while walking to my car at the apartment complex I lived in,  I found a PL530 thrown in the garbage by someone.  
I took it out, cleaned it up.  It appeared to work. It was missing a cart and counterweight. Found the counterweight on eBay and ordered an entry Grado cart.  It then sat for several years after that since I lacked the resources to buy a phono pre, then one day I decided to buy an entry Music Hall phono pre unit. 
I wasn’t blown away compared to my Digital set up, so I let it sit. Several more years past and I decided to try vinyl again.  This time I bought a VPI scout with a dynavector 20x2L and dynavector phono pre.  Mkiii I do believe. Now I was starting to get all the hubbub. I then plugged the Pioneer into the Dynavector phono pre, and while it wasn’t quite as good as the VPI (owing to the cart mostly) I was well impressed. 

Now it sports a Nagaoka MP200 and still feeds the dynavector pho on pre in a side system. 

I have been listening to Pioneer PLX-1000 from time to time for over a year, if not two, now. For hours at the time. A friend of mine owns it and I even had to set it up. The cartridge is Ortofon 2M Red, amplifier one of the recent Yamahas, and speakers Monitor Audio, Silver (I think).

Turntable seems well-built, feels more substantial than Technics SL-1500C. I have not had a chance to compare it to new Technics 1200 (any of them). Everything works as intended, arm lift, all the buttons, etc. I know, it should go without saying but check Technics SL-1500C reviews regarding arm lift. This Pioneer comes with an adapter for singles and a place for it. It starts quicker than you will ever need and stops the same way.

What you are probably more interested in, until you lose your singles adapter that is, is the sound. Unfortunately, I cannot properly describe it as I have never compared this Pioneer to some other turntable in the same system. I hear no real flaws, though. Maybe that tapping on the plinth while playing may get noticed? Yes, but not even close to some of those cheaper Projects. We play music for hours and it always sounds "engaging", if that even means anything.

I suspect that some corners must have been cut on this turntable, but, if I were looking for a new turntable and would rather spend $700 than $1700, I would look no further than Pioneer PLX-1000. If $1700 would be ok, I would probably pick Technics. For the good old times sake.

I think the SL 1200 Mk7 has the older iron core motor from the older 1200 series. Which is one reason why it is so relatively inexpensive.

@lewm this is why i recommend Technics for the newbies, no one can compete with this brand in terms price/quality today on Direct Drive territory. The price for this mk7 with new coreless motor is $999. I’m not sure how anyone can buy a better brand new turntable, even belt drive turntables are more expensive and it’s the biggest mistake to accept their price for belt drive. Technics mk7 is the best deal when a user looking for complete turntable with nice tonearm (vta on the fly) with removable headshell, with warranty etc. This mk7 can be easily upgraded with some inexpensive tweaks (better mat, fluid damper if needed, maybe even rewire). But at $999 it’s great start and a ticket to Technics world of perfection.

Direct Drive Turntable System SL-1200MK7:
Coreless Direct Drive Motor Achieving Stable Rotation

"The direct drive system uses a slow-turning motor to directly drive the platter. This system has various advantages. It offers high performance, such as rotation accuracy and powerful torque, does not require replacement of parts and maintains high reliability over a long period of time. On the other hand, the direct drive system was said to produce a rotation irregularity called cogging. For the SL-1200MK7, a new coreless direct drive motor was developed. This motor employs a coreless stator. The removal of the core (iron core) from the stator eliminated the root cause of cogging. Furthermore, the magnetic force of the rotor magnets was improved to the highest possible level, and the gap between the coreless stator and rotor magnets was optimised, thus achieving high-torque-performance equaling that of the SL-1200MK5. Boasting smooth rotation and powerful torque, this motor reproduces sound accurately and faithfully from the groove on an analogue record."

MORE SPECS

This is better turntable than new Pioneer. It was Technics answer to all the cheap clones other brands copied from iconic SL1210mkII when Technics was temporary out of business in this category. 

I have no respect to the brand that copied Technics look instead of creating something unique. But the target audience for those brands was djs/clubs where the price is the key point (and where the Technics is iconic turntable), so it was a compromise. Now it makes no sense at all to buy Pioneer.