New flagship of the Pro-Ject turntable catalog (without a doubt the largest and most complete of its specialty, as corresponds to the world number one in sales of vinyl players) the Signature 12.2 takes advantage of the technical advances ready by the renowned Austrian manufacturer and offer levels of excellence even superior to those of its predecessor, the celebrated Signature 12. As a product of absolute referencethe new Pro-Ject represents, adopting the widely proven principle of belt drive, the latest in technology, materials and finishes, to the point of being made entirely by hand by the “top” professionals of the brand. In order to get an idea of the demands involved, it is enough to know that all the metal parts, which exceed one hundred and are CNC machined, are produced at the firm’s facilities central european and manually polishedtaking no less than 2 days to complete each unit of the Signature 12.2.
Going into the details of this fabulous machine destined to push the possibilities of the dean of analog audio formats to the limit, we should first highlight the use of a high mass MDF chassisrounded corners and free of hollow spaces and a luxurious finish which requires no less than 10 coats of paint. Added to this is the presence of a subframesomething common in lightweight turntables but which can also be extraordinarily useful in massive designs. Thus, in the new Pro-Ject the arm and the platter are mounted on a elaborate version of the aforementioned component, built in aluminum alloy with anti-resonance and decoupling treatment via TPE, increasing the separation of those from the main plinth and the motors. As for the fundamental turning system, it combines a opulent aluminum plate of 10.5 kilos (with recycled vinyl glued to its upper area that provides extra acoustic neutrality) that rotates on an inverted bearing with a ceramic ball in its upper area (a solution that ensures minimal friction) and a magnetic support, in order to reduce to its minimum expression noises associated with rotation and resonances. Another key element, the reading arm, has also received exceptional care.
12” (effective length of 304.8 mm) and in “S”, it has been the subject of several new innovations in the counterweight and the anti-slip device (“anti-skating”), the first of which includes a fine thread for the purpose of additionally smooth the adjustment of the support force, while in the second a elaborate adaptive system which accurately reflects the force required between the inner and outer grooves of the disc. But the most significant change is in the arm swing systemwhich has gone from being unipivot to a 3 point pivot schemewhose precise alignment allows a extra reduction in friction and improved stabilityexhibiting overall performance superior to any previous engineering solution used by Pro-Ject. Another relevant feature of the Signature 12.2 must also be highlighted: the presence of two motors (powered by an alternating current generator excited by direct current and electronically controlled) mounted on separate aluminum blocks with a flywheela refinement that provides extreme absorption of vibrations and visual appeal in equal parts. Pro-Ject’s new absolute reference vinyl player comes complete with robust support feet adjustable, formed by conical tips with high precision springs to achieve perfect decoupling, to which a High End grade cable must be added Connect it Phono DS 5P.
