Pro-Ject Colourful Audio System – A Touch of Colour

The new Pro-Ject Colourful Audio System is a solution for music lovers on a smaller budget, says the company Pro-Ject Audio Systems about a newly put together package that presents itself in the form of a record player, a stereo integrated amplifier and a pair of bookshelf speakers. The declared aim of this fine compilation is to bring fine sound, but also a little colour, into living rooms. After all, the Pro-Ject Colourful Audio System, consisting of three very familiar components from Pro-Ject Audio Systems’ broad product range, is available in six different colour variants.

No Stereo – No HiFi

Once again, Heinz Lichtenegger, CEO of Pro-Ject Audio Systems, is very concerned with this new package to point out what he considers to be an erroneous trend. The main reason for this is the increasing popularity of all-in-one systems, so-called wireless speakers. Of course, this does not refer to solutions that present themselves in the form of full-grown, fine active loudspeaker systems.

Rather, we are talking about those solutions that are offered as particularly compact systems in the area of streaming and are often advertised by the respective manufacturers as the only necessary system, as well as soundbar systems and so-called Bluetooth speakers.

Even if these are marketed as stereo systems, they never deliver real stereo sound; the solutions are simply too small for that and cannot reproduce a realistic sound stage in practice. Ultimately, these systems deliver nothing more than mono. Moreover, most of the solutions are made of plastic and have very small drivers, so that no solid bass foundation can be reproduced. A linear frequency response is therefore in no way possible, even with the inclusion of DSP-based signal processing.

Of course, such systems have their justification, Pro-Ject Audio Systems admits, but not as a substitute for a real hi-fi system, but primarily for the playback of background music in rooms where one only listens to music on the side. HiFi with stereo still means a classic configuration with two speaker systems, says Pro-Ject Audio Systems.

A realistic sound experience needs real stereo

And this is exactly what the new Pro-Ject Colourful Audio System aims to offer, which is ultimately made up of familiar components. The heart of the system is a Pro-Ject MaiA S3, the source is a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO, and the crowning touch is a pair of Pro-Ject Speaker Box 5 S2.

Amplifier, record player, speakers and essential accessories

From Pro-Ject Audio Systems’ point of view, this set offers everything you would expect from a modern hi-fi system. This starts with the flexible connection options of the stereo integrated amplifier in miniature format, the Pro-Ject MaiA S3. Be it Bluetooth, analogue and digital inputs up to the phono preamplifier, this solution is not only the basis for the Pro-Ject Colourful Audio System, it also offers room for possible extensions. A headphone connection is not missing here, nor is an output to bring a subwoofer into play at any time.

The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO is a record player that concentrates on the core aspects of analogue music reproduction, namely excellent sound and simple handling, which means that absolute beginners will find exactly the right system here.

Last but not least, the Pro-Ject Speaker Box 5 S2 is a compact bookshelf speaker system that is supposed to excel with detailed and spatial sound and is perfect for small and medium-sized rooms.

As part of the Pro-Ject Colourful Audio System, the Pro-Ject Speaker Box 5 S2 also comes with matching rubber feet for optimal insulation of the speaker systems, which are especially essential when the speakers and the record player are placed on the same piece of furniture, such as a sideboard or lowboard. This is the Pro-Ject Damp it.

Also included are matching loudspeaker cables in the form of Pro-Ject Connect it LS S2, each three metres long and ready-made with banana plugs for simple use. Of course, a dust cover for the drive is also included in the scope of delivery.

Prices and availability

The new Pro-Ject Colourful Audio System is now available from specialist dealers. While the electronics, i.e. the Pro-Ject MaiA S2, are only available in black and silver, the record player Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO as well as the Pro-Ject Speaker Box 5 S2 are available in six colour variations, whereby the speaker and turntable are of course matched to each other. There is a choice of five matt satin lacquer finishes (Golden Yellow, Steel Blue, Fir Green, White, Black) and a real wood veneer finish in walnut. The recommended retail price is € 1.799,-. Pro-Ject Audio Systems also explicitly points out that all products are solutions that are exclusively manufactured in Europe. Furthermore, they guarantee the availability of spare parts for 25 years.

Getting to the point

The new Pro-Ject Colourful Audio System, consisting of the extremely flexible Pro-Ject MaiA S2 stereo integrated amplifier, the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO record player and the Pro-Ject Speaker Box 5 S2 bookshelf loudspeaker system, is designed to bring more colour into your life. Colourful can be understood in two ways with this new set from Pro-Ject Audio Systems, firstly quite simply by the fact that you can choose from five lacquer finishes and a real wood veneer finish for the turntable and the speakers, but also in the sense that this solution provides real stereo and thus an appealing sound experience in the living room. From streaming via Bluetooth including aptX or aptX HD to connection options for TV sets, CD players and other streaming solutions to playback of records, the customer is presented with a system that plays all the pieces at a very attractive price.