Home > Reviews > Vestax PDX-2000 Pro Turntable

Key Features A.S.T.S. Anti skip tone-arm system.  9mm Height adjustment, 0-7g tracking force. Very High Torque Motor Ultra pitch fader +- 50% Variable start/stop mechanism. Reverse play. Detachable cue light.

Review Date : December 2000

It looks as though the boffins at Vestax have been spending many a sleepless night trying to create a turntable that will knock the Technics SL1200/1210 from their lofty perch.  Previous attempts, PDX a1 & PDX D3, have come close but failed.  With the PDX-2000 however, Vestax appear to have a turntable that brings vinyl mixing into the 21st century.

The first thing that strikes you is the overall design, it's gorgeous to look at!  The buttons have a nice feel to them and the faders are smooth to the touch.  At 9.5kg it isn't the heaviest of decks but it is certainly sturdy enough for the most enthusiastic DJ, although as the case is made of plastic instead of metal some DJs are bound to raise questions of durability especially mobile DJs. 

So how does it perform?  Perfection isn't the word!!  The first key feature is the motor, as the platter is actually screwed onto the spindle, it generates an unbelievable starting torque of 2kg-cm.  If that means nothing to you, basically the platter is up to speed in less than 1/5th of a revolution!  When cueing, the force is amazing, no* deck gets close, just let go of the record and rest assured it will be spinning at the desired speed.  Adjustment of either pitch fader, as you would imagine, results in instant change of speed to the platter, +50 to -50 is so quick it puts a big grin on your face :-) obviously don't try that during a set otherwise you'll get one or two stares from the floor!  If like me, your style of mixing is based around long running mixes you won't be disappointed with the performance as the wow & flutter is a minimal 0.07% w.r.m.s.

Another of the key features is the tone-arm, it has the usual 0-7g tracking force but also has the added bonus of a 9mm height adjustment.  The ASTS has been improved also, comprised of a brass arm with an aluminium cover it provides the best protection against hum & feedback that you can get.  If you're into scratching, you'll love the new tone-arm as you can hit the deck with a hammer and the needle will stay in the groove!  I have been reading in some articles that using a straight tone arm reduces the overall sound quality all I can say to this is that if this is true, the overall difference is negligible.

The start/brake adjustment knobs allow you to alter the length of time start/stop the platter, you no longer have to have the instant start/wind down stop of the other decks. 

All in all this is, in my opinion, the best deck you can get your hands on for under £350, so if you have £650 lying about in your bank account get a pair.  When I originally posted this review, about December 2000,  they were around £850 and they were worth it at that price.

* Since writing this review, newer decks (Numark's TTx1 & Gemini's PDT-6000) have been released with superior torque ratings.

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