Anyone own a Pioneer Exclusive P3 ??

Lewm, the space really isn't there for a second tonearm on-plinth, and if one tried, THAT would require major surgery on the plinth. If one wanted to put one on a pod behind the plinth, that might work, but it would have to be a loooong arm. According to the Pioneer tech who did the overhaul on mine, the existing arm can actually be removed and replaced quite easily without doing anything to the plinth/chassis. The replacement simply needs to be a very similar arm (282mm effective length or so, as long as the base-pivot relationship is similar). I would think the long Audiocrafts (4000, 4400), the Audio-Technica 1501, the Micro Seiki MAX-282 and MA-505L could be made to work, and I bet the long Sony arms (PUA 286, 1600L), and the long Victor and Denon arms would also work. I have not tried it (not sure if I would want to - as a straight arm, it works really well). I cannot, offhand, think of any modern arms with similar length but I am sure someone could find one or two. That said, the arm on it is pretty darned good. I would think it would compete pretty well with the best of the arms mentioned above (which if I had to choose, I would say is likely to be the Max-282, based on my experience with the Max-237).

Lewm

the 10k was only a reference point that I wanted to convey. ie Is the P3 competitive with the top % of tables available these days, not a rega 3.

me, I still luv the look of the P3.

cheers

Thanks, T_bone and Downunder. I have heard good things about the stock tonearm on the Exclusive P3, also (probably from T_bone by private e-mail). Still you must admit that the choice of tonearms is limited and needs to be of similar length to the stock one. Someday I have got to hear a P3 myself in order to make my own judgment. It was significant to me that a P3 owner told me that he favored one of his belt-drive tts (a Micro Seiki, I think) over the P3, altho the P3 was his second favorite of his many turntables. Meantime, I have been happy with my SP10 Mk2A in a slate plinth with RS-A1 tonearm and Ortofon MC7500 cartridge. Downunder, I think there are many $10K tts that are very good and many others that are way over-priced and could not compete with a tweaked Garrard 301/Lenco L75/SP10/etc. But I tend to think the Exclusive P3 (not the Rega P3) is at least competition for ANY $10K tt sold today. If anyone can figure out what I just wrote, let me know.

Well I managed to pick up an Exclusive P3 and have been playing it for just over a week now.

Built like a tank, looks gorgeous and has great in built isolation. What a great table period and I am a very happy chappy.

Obviously early days, but I feel I now have two ref tables (for me) that sound different enough that I can play any of my records and be truely happy with the sound.

Both the Raven AC-3 and P3 sound absolutely sublime with the amazing new Ortofon MC A90 cart.

Congrats, Downunder. I thought you had settled on, or settled for, a P10. I've now got a Kenwood L07D and an SP10 Mk3, neither of which are yet in service. But can a P3 be far behind?