My Favorite Affordable Turntable Just Got a Serious Hi-Fi Upgrade

The Austrian hi-fi maker’s new affordable turntable is still a stone-cold stunner.

Published September 25, 2024

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I’ve owned Pro-Ject’s T1 turntable for the last several years and absolutely love it. It’s a gorgeous belt-drive turntable — primarily thanks to its signature tempered glass platter — that’s both affordable yet high-end. And it’s an excellent first step for those just getting into vinyl.

Well, now the Austrian hi-fi maker has introduced a new-and-improved version of its entry-level T1 turntable (which was released in late 2019 and is seemingly being phased out).

Enter the Pro-Ject T1 Evo

Pro-Ject T1 Evo

Specs

Turntable	Belt-drive, manual
Cartridge	Ortofon OM10 (MM)
Built-in phono preamp?	Depends on the model

Pro-Ject T1 Evo — Like the T1, the T1 Evo’s standout feature is its high-mass tempered glass platter.

Another evolution

Pro-Ject has given several of its turntables an “Evo” or “Evolution” upgrade in recent years. Just this summer, for example, it introduced the Debut Evo 2, an upgraded version of its popular Debut Carbon Evo (and Debut Carbon before it). And now it’s doing the same thing with the T1.

Like those others, the T1 Evo maintains mostly the same design as its predecessor, the T1 — including the same precision-machined chassis, one-piece aluminum tonearm, and signature high-mass tempered glass platter — but boasts a few key hardware upgrades.

The big upgrades

The Pro-Ject T1 Evo boasts three big upgrades over its predecessor.

First, it features an upgraded Ortofon OM10 MM phono cartridge instead of the T1’s Ortofon OM5E MM phono cartridge. (For reference, the OM10 MM on the Evo model goes for $75 on its own, which is $15 upgrade over the T1’s OM5E.)

Second, the T1 Evo features a larger sub-platter — it’s the same size sub-platter as the ones in Pro-Ject’s higher-end Debut series — which should help with dampen vibrations, speed control and, ultimately, improve its sound.

Finally, the T1 Evo features an electronic speed change, so you don’t have to remove the platter and physically adjust the belt every time you want to switch between 33 RPM and 45 RPM speeds. Instead, you press a side switch.

The three models

Like the T1, the T1 Evo is available in three different models: the T1 Evo, the T1 Evo Phono and the T1 Evo BT.

The base T1 Evo model doesn’t have a built-in phono preamp, so you’ll have to add your own external one. The T1 Evo Phono adds a phono preamp, as its name suggests. And the T1 Evo BT adds a phono preamp and built-in Bluetooth, so you can stream your vinyl to speakers or headphones that support Bluetooth.

Price and availability

The Pro-Ject T1 Evo — all three models — is available in three different finishes: gloss black, satin white and satin walnut. They’re available to order now and will start shipping at the end of October.

As far as price, the T1 Evo line starts at $449. The Phono and BT are both are a little more expensive, at $499 and $599, respectively.