Pro-Ject has become one of the leading turntable manufacturers in today’s modern hi-fi renaissance because of its combination of high-quality components and relatively affordable price tags. The result? You get beautiful and excellent-sounding turntables that’s not going to blow your wallet to shreds.
This week, the Austrian hi-fi company has taken things a step further by introducing a new E1 line of entry-level turntables. They start at $349, making them the most affordable line of turntables the company makes. (Pro-Ject’s Elemental is technically still the company’s most affordable turntable, but it has a less-conventional — or “radical” — design with a narrow plinth.)
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The E1 stays true to the company’s ethos of using high-quality components. Each model has a true sub-platter design — a low-mass synthetic platter rests on top of high-density resin sub-platter — to dampen out vibrations and reduce noise. It has a solid MDF plinth that comes in one of three finishes: glossy black, glossy white or satin walnut. And it comes decked out with the Ortofon OM5e cartridge, which costs roughly $70 on its own.
Pro-Ject will offer the E1 turntable in three different configurations: one bare bones (E1, $349), one with a built-in phono preamp (E1 Phono SB, $399) and one with a Bluetooth audio transmitter (E1 BT, $499). All of these E1 turntables have the same core components and design.
The bare bones E1 turntable is the best option for those who have their own external phono preamp. If you don’t want to deal the hassle of that extra component, you can get the E1 Phono SB, which is probably the best option for people who want a straightforward plug-and-play solution. (Also, this built-in phono preamp can be switched off, allowing you to add your own external phono preamp down the road.) And the E1 BT is the best option for those who want to stream audio from the turntable to a Bluetooth-enabled device, like a pair of headphones, speaker or soundbar.
Pro-Ject’s E1 turntables will be available in May 2022.
Pro-Ject