In line with his obsession with ensuring that true high fidelity be the most accessible possible, the veteran and prestigious Austrian firm Pro-Ject Audio Systems has just launched the E1first model in the new range of E turntables. The E1 expands the Pro-Ject product portfolio to offer a musicality and quality high-level construction so that a new generation of users can access the universe of sound with capital letters. Added to this is the versatility provided by the availability of the E1 in three versionsall of them with belt drive, equipped with electronic speed control (33 and 45 rpm) and manufactured by hand in Europe: E1 Standard (includes pickup capsule), E1 Phono (includes pickup cartridge and phono preamplifier) and E1 BT (includes pickup cartridge, MM phono preamplifier and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity).
As usual with Pro-Ject, the E1 takes advantage of the powerful economies of scale which can afford the world number one in turntables, which means that it is equipped with components and materials absolutely impossible to find in similarly priced versions. The first element to highlight is a stylized plinth of fiber composite manufactured with computer-assisted tools (CNC) to avoid the presence of hollow spaces in it. Equal care has been put into the three finishes available (glossy black, glossy white and walnut) so that they integrate perfectly into any space.
For his part, the reading arm is an 8’6” (218’5 mm) model that combines low mass and low friction that has been optimized to extract the full potential of the pickup cartridge Ortofon OM5e fitted as standard. As for the plate itself, it is built in ABS polymer new generation reinforced with dedicated bridges to create a antiresonant platform Ideal for reading vinyl. For his part, the engine -direct current- is carefully damped to avoid the transmission of vibrations that could affect the pickup capsule. The E1 is completed with a high-quality phono cable and, in the case of the Phono and BT versions, with gold-plated RCA connectors.