Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

As the PD-171 (now in PD-171A guise) only appeared in 2011, Luxman's earlier turntables may still seem vivid and fresh. But in fact there was a 28-year gap, from 1983 until the PD-171's launch, with no Luxman record decks whatsoever in the CD era. As Luxman's future is now on a secure footing under the same corporate umbrella as Quad, the company has been able to return to turntable manufacture with conventional decks. But devotees are most likely praying for the return of the brand's legendary vacuum hold-down turntables. What is now only found among very costly high-end decks, Luxman did so at more approachable price points, nearly 40 years ago.

Luxman unveiled its PD-555 Vacuum Disc Stabiliser (VDS) turntable in 1980, believed to be the first to employ a vacuum hold-down system to iron-out record warps and suppress resonance, and this was followed by the more affordable PD-300. Luxman's system forced the LP to stick to the platter, with no air gap in between. It immediately inspired a cult following and the deck, which was only available until the mid-1980s, became an immediate collector's item. The original price of the PD-300 converts to £2000-£2500 in 2019 money – exactly the values we've seen for excellent examples on eBay.