Sony XL-55 PRO specifications

Category : Pickup

Brand : Sony

General

Technical data

Special features

The Pro version of the XL-55 scanning system is mounted in a magnesium headshell (EMT calls this construction a clay can). This scanning head was part of the basic equipment of the professional turntable PS-X9 and later also the HiEnd turntable PS-B80 (with Biotracer tonearm). It was recommended for the Sony turntables PS-X7, PS-X70, TTS 4000 and TTS 8000, among others, but could also be used on tonearms with SME mounting if the overhang could be adjusted accordingly.

The XL-55 Pro is a hand-selected XL-55 scanning system, installed in a scanning head. In order to reduce the moving mass and to linearize the magnetic field, iron in the moving coil was dispensed with. Sony largely compensated for the resulting reduction in the output signal by a coil in 8-form. The carbon-coated needle carrier consists of a beryllium-aluminum alloy. With its compliance of 15 mm/N, the scanning system is adapted to the heavier or longer tonearms of studio record players.

Other models of the same series: XL-55 Pro Mono, XL-55, XL-55 II and (extremely rare) XL-55 Pro II.

The physical and thus also electrical properties of all these systems no longer correspond to the manufacturer's specifications today! Due to aging of the elastic needle suspension, e.g. the scanning capability has greatly decreased and, along with this, the scanning distortions have increased dramatically. Example: A very rarely used XL-55 Pro, which scanned 90 µm horizontally in 1980, was already slightly unclean at 50 µm in 2010. The frequency spectrum showed high-frequency components at higher levels that were not present on the test sound plate. In a parallel case, an Internet forum derived the claim that the record had a wider frequency spectrum than the magnetic recording. It was forgotten that the magnetic tape - then as now - is an intermediate medium in the production of a normal vinyl record.

Warning: XL-55 scanning systems that have suffered damage over time (broken or bent needle carriers, polished diamonds) cannot be repaired due to their design! ("irreparable cartridge") The XL-55 (Pro) is irreparable. Four current sellers on ebay (March 2022) do not shy away from the attempted fraud on the buyer despite greatly exaggerated price expectations. With the instructions "Stylus need change or fix" or "Stylus is broken need to be change" or "cantilever is slightly bent", you leave the impossible restoration of the system to the buyer.

Manufacturer: Sony or its subsidiary 'Sony SoundTec Corporation'
Model: XL-55 Pro
Years of construction: 1976 - 1985
Manufactured in: Japan
Color: Silver (magnesium shell)
Weight: 22 g incl. Pickup head
Factory price 1979 in DE: ~750 DM

Principle: Moving Coil
Frequency response: 10 - 50,000 Hz
Channel separation: > 30 dB (1 kHz)
Channel balance: < 1 dB (1 kHz)
Output voltage : 0.2 mV (1 kHz, 5 cm/sec, 45°)
Induction: 40 Ω (1 kHz)
Needle type: elyptic (0.3 x 0.8 mil), naked diamond
Recommended contact force: 2 g (1.5 - 2.5 g) Corresponding to the pressure of the 20 mN (15 - 25 mN)
Needle compliance: 15*10-6 cm/dyn = 15 mm/N