Pro-Ject A1 (opened)

The Pro-Ject A1 is the first fully automatic turntable from this Austrian manufacturer. It aims to appeal to a wide range of aspiring audiophiles who prefer convenient operation and user-friendliness. The A1 is handmade by a traditional manufactory with extensive experience in the production of automatic turntables. Combined with Pro-Ject's technology and innovation, the A1 thus sets new standards in automatic turntable design and has the ambition to become the ultimate companion for comfortable listening to vinyl records.

The A1 has a fully automatic start/stop system, where the automatic is completely disconnected and decoupled throughout the entire playback of the record and thus has no effect on the playback quality. The A1 features an 8.3" ultra-lightweight aluminum arm. Together with the Ortofon OM10 cartridge, which perfectly suits this design principle, it offers exceptionally fast response and fine detail, including surprising microdynamics. The clamping force and anti-skating are preset from the factory, making the A1 completely plug & play. So it's ready to play within seconds of unpacking. This makes it ideal for vinyl beginners and experienced listeners alike, because despite its low price, all design rules have been followed with the utmost attention to sound quality.

The headshell is made of carbon fiber reinforced polymer which is super stable and rigid even while maintaining a super light weight. The composite material results in excellent internal resonance damping. The chassis of the instrument is made of lightweight but very strong high density particleboard with minimal voids. As a result, the high weight of the chassis keeps unwanted resonances to a minimum.

The damping ring on the inside of the platter not only increases weight, but above all reduces resonances. In addition, the platter is precisely balanced and guarantees the lowest wow and flutter (speed variation). In designing the turntable, maximum listener comfort has been kept in mind, and in addition to being a fully automatic turntable, it also offers automatic rotation speed change and a built-in phono preamplifier. So out of the box, just connect the supplied high-quality semi-symmetrical cable to a standard HiFi system and you're ready to listen.