Vinyl lovers at the audiophile end of the spectrum can pay a small fortune for a top notch turntable. But Austrian hi-fi manufacturer Pro-Ject has added a new turntable to its X line that promises true audiophile sounds at an affordable price.
The Pro-Ject X1 is a straight hi-fi turntable. It doesn't have modern bells and whistles like Bluetooth and USB, but the company believes that's a good thing and concentrates on delivering a quality listening experience instead. "We often get a minus in reviews for a missing feature, we think it is a plus," quipped the company in press release.
The latest addition to its X line of turntables is handmade in Europe. It features an isolated motor that drives the belt which spins the turntable's 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) resonance-free acrylic platter for 33.3, 45 and 78 rpm playback speeds. Wow and flutter (variation in pitch) is reported to be 0.15 percent at 33.3 rpm and 0.13 percent at 45.
There's a 8.6 inch (218.4 mm), one piece "superstiff" carbon/aluminum tonearm with anti-resonant counterweight to the right of the platter, with the X1 available with or without a cartridge. The turntable comes supplied with the company's own Connect-IT E RCA semi-balanced, low-capacitance, shielded cables to ensure a quality connection to the living room hi-fi system.
The 415 x 125 x 335 mm (16.3 x 4.9 x 13.1 in) X1's heavy chassis is made from a new MDF material finished in walnut veneer or black or white gloss that's made up of eight layers of paint and hand-polished for a premium look. Height adjustable aluminum feet help isolate the turntable from the surface it's placed on.
The Pro-Ject X1 is priced at €699 (about US$790) without a cartridge, or €799 with an Ortofon Pick it S2MM cartridge that's been voiced by Pro-Ject. Either way, the turntable comes supplied with a dust cover.
Source: Pro-Ject