This new version of the Pro-Ject E1 is the first turntable in the E-Line range.
However, this 1.2 version has been designed to offer unparalleled sound reproduction at the proposed price point, while highlighting the "handmade" manufacturing in Europe!
PRO-JECT E1.2 TURNTABLE: CHASSIS
The Pro-Ject E1.2 is available in 3 finishes: gloss black, satin white (matte), and wood imitation. The plinth is made of MDF machined by a CNC machine.
It is manufactured to ensure the absence of hollow spaces inside and therefore to be as dense as possible in order to limit resonances and offer maximum rigidity.
It rests on three absorbent feet that make it very stable, and their damping factor prevents coupling with speakers (feedback).
To protect the Pro-Ject E1.2 turntable from dust, an acrylic cover with adjustable hinges is included as standard.
PRO-JECT E1.2 TURNTABLE: PLATTER AND DRIVE
The Pro-Ject E1.2 is equipped with a new die-cast aluminum platter weighing 730g. It provides an ideal anti-resonance platform for playing vinyl records. Additionally, its mass and design offer excellent inertia.
To ensure perfect playback, the platter is reworked and precisely balanced during an additional step to achieve perfect rotation.
This new platter is equipped with a TPE rubber damping ring around its periphery, a principle found on the Austrian manufacturer's high-end models.
This platter rests on a glass fiber-reinforced ABS sub-platter machined with 0.001% precision. The spindle/bearing rests on a stainless steel ball in a lubricated bronze well, ensuring smooth and silent rotation.
The assembly is driven by a servo-controlled DC motor equipped with electronic speed change (33 rpm and 45 rpm). This drives, via a belt, a molded ABS sub-platter.
The Pro-Ject E1.2 turntable comes with a felt platter mat.
PRO-JECT E1.2 TURNTABLE: TONEARM
The 8.6-inch tonearm is made of aluminum. It is lightweight (7g) and offers low friction. Although derived from the previous model, it receives numerous modifications, including a new headshell. Its massive gimbal bearing offers precise tracking and excellent stability. The precision bearings are adjusted without play and guarantee smooth arm movements.
This tonearm has been optimized for the Pro-Ject Pick It MM E cartridge (included as standard) and allows its potential to be fully exploited. The counterweight is damped with TPE.
The Pro-Ject E1.2 turntable comes with a captive phono cable with a length of 123 cm.
PRO-JECT E1.2 TURNTABLE: CARTRIDGE
The phono cartridge is one of the most important elements of a turntable for sound formation and sonic impact. It transforms the grooves of a record into an electrical signal. This signal determines the quality of music playback.
The Pro-Ject Pick It MM E uses a low-mass system, made with a miniature neodymium magnet generator. Thanks to its low inertia, reading precision is significantly improved. The conical diamond offers high-quality audio reproduction that is smooth and fluid, with low background noise.
PRO-JECT E1.2 TURNTABLE: SETUP
Setup is simple: just plug it into a phono input and press the power button...
On our end, before shipping it to you, and even though this is a so-called "Plug & Play" turntable, we naturally check the settings of the phono cartridge and tonearm, which are sometimes rather approximate.
PRO-JECT E1.2 TURNTABLE: TEST AND LISTENING
This Pro-Ject E1.2 turntable is the most affordable European-manufactured turntable on the market! Upon listening, we can immediately notice that enormous progress has been made between the Pro-Ject E1.2 turntable and previous entry-level models!
The manufacturing quality is vastly superior, and in terms of finish and reproduction, it is much closer to the Pro-Ject T1 turntable.
The reproduction is very lively and transparent, without making you forget that you are indeed in the presence of an analog turntable! Its flattering balance combined with a rich and lively sound as well as an elegant aesthetic certainly make it THE BEST choice in this price range, especially since it remains handmade in Europe, and at this price with this quality, it's quite an achievement!
