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Pro-Ject E1 Turntable – The new benchmark in the entry-level segment

Pro-Ject E1 Turntable, this new record player is to set new standards, the company Pro-Ject Audio Systems is convinced. It is a solution that is perfectly tailored to the needs of beginners, returners, but also experienced vinyl lovers and therefore comes on the market in three versions. Pro-Ject E1 Turntable, Pro-Ject E1 BT Turntable and Pro-Ject E1 Phono Turntable. For little money, a great sound experience is to be guaranteed here, whereby these are turntables that are manufactured in Europe.

Pro-Ject E1 Turntable – The record player for everyone

As the clear world market leader in the field of record players, Pro-Ject Audio Systems can point to a very, very broad product range that also covers all price ranges. It is all the more astonishing that the company is now talking about the market launch of the new Pro-Ject E1 Turntable and that it has a solution for everyone, as Pro-Ject Audio Systems explicitly emphasises.

The first record player of the Pro-Ject E-Line

Pro-Ject Audio Systems not only offers record players, but also a very fine line of electronic components, the Pro-Ject Box Design Series. For years, they have been offering a product line especially designed for beginners, the Pro-Ject Box Design E Series.

Based on this product line, which is characterised by a really excellent price-performance ratio, a Pro-Ject E-Line is now to be established in the record player sector, namely with the new Pro-Ject E1 Turntable.

As already mentioned, a great sound experience is to be made possible for little money, and in addition, a simple, but nevertheless elegant, but above all easy to handle turntable is to be available.

Foto © Pro-Ject Audio Systems | Pro-Ject E1 Turntable
Foto © Pro-Ject Audio Systems | Pro-Ject E1 Turntable

“Pro-Ject Audio Systems continues to strive to make the best-sounding hi-fi as affordable as possible. The Pro-Ject E1 is the first of our new E-Line turntables for the budget-conscious audiophile. The E1 expands our product portfolio and offers a high level of sound and build quality to enable a whole new generation to enter the hi-fi hobby without breaking the budget.”

Pro-Ject Audio Systems

A true plug & play entry-level solution

Pro-Ject Audio Systems calls the new Pro-Ject E1 Turntable a real Plug & Play solution, whereby the concept is based on that of the Pro-Ject Primary Turntable, but refined even further.

The new Pro-Ject E1 turntable is simply prettier and, thanks to a new sub-platter/main-platter design that does away with the outer belt, even easier to handle for the user. Instead of the belt running on the outside of the turntable, the new Pro-Ject E1 Turntable relies on a belt drive that is hidden under the turntable.

The new Pro-Ject E1 turntable uses an electronic speed control, so that the user can choose between 33 and 45 revolutions per minute at the touch of a button, always ensuring optimum speed control for impeccable synchronisation.

The Pro-Ject E1 turntable is driven by a damped DC motor, which is also hidden directly under the turntable platter and powered by an external 15 V 0.8 A DC power supply.

The tonearm design used in the Pro-Ject E1 turntable is also new, with an 8.6-inch tonearm with an aluminium tube that ends in a headshell that has also been redesigned.

The turntable is made of particularly low-resonance ABS, according to the manufacturer, who also refers to specially developed ribs that reinforce the turntable to create an ideal, resonance-free platform for the record.

The chassis of the turntable is made from a composite fibre material, using CNC, and is offered in a choice of high-gloss black, high-gloss white or a walnut finish.

The turntable rests on damped feet and is of course supplied with a matching dust cover.

Foto © Pro-Ject Audio Systems | Pro-Ject E1 Turntable
Foto © Pro-Ject Audio Systems | Pro-Ject E1 Turntable

Ortofon OM 5E MM cartridge pre-installed

How could it be otherwise, as a true plug & play solution, the new Pro-Ject E1 turntable is of course pre-fitted with a matching cartridge system ex works, this being a solution from the specialist Ortofon A/S.

Pro-Ject Audio Systems relies on an Ortofon OM 5E MM cartridge, which is adjusted directly in the company’s factory, i.e. both the contact force and the anti-skating are already optimally adjusted here, so that the user does not have to make any more adjustments, but can put the turntable into operation directly after unpacking.

  • Foto © Pro-Ject Audio Systems | Pro-Ject E1 Turntable
  • Foto © Pro-Ject Audio Systems | Pro-Ject E1 Turntable
  • Foto © Pro-Ject Audio Systems | Pro-Ject E1 Turntable

Pro-Ject E1 Phono Turntable – Phono Preamplifier on Board

In order to do full justice to the claim of a plug & play turntable that is aimed at the broadest possible customer base, especially in the entry-level sector, Pro-Ject Audio Systems is offering the new Pro-Ject E1 Turntable with an integrated phono preamplifier on request, namely as the Pro-Ject E1 Phono Turntable.

It goes without saying that the electronics of the Pro-Ject Box Design Series have been tried and tested over the years, so that users who do not yet own a phono preamplifier do not need to purchase an additional external solution for the Pro-Ject E1 turntable, but can start directly with the Pro-Ject E1 phono turntable and obtain an optimal overall solution.

Pro-Ject E1 BT Turntable – phono preamplifier and Bluetooth

The Pro-Ject E1 BT turntable goes one step further, because it not only includes a phono preamplifier for the MM cartridge system preinstalled ex works, but also an A/D converter with Bluetooth module.

This module uses Bluetooth 5.0 and allows the turntable to be directly connected “wirelessly” to Bluetooth speakers, soundbar systems with Bluetooth, or any other audio system with Bluetooth. Even Bluetooth headphones can be used directly to enjoy records all to yourself and without disturbing other people.

The models Pro-Ject E1 Phono Turntable and Pro-Ject E1 BT Turntable also offer gold-plated RCA connectors, which should be mentioned here for the sake of completeness.

Made in Europe

Because the new Pro-Ject E1 Turntable in the three available versions is a solution that addresses the entry-level segment at a particularly attractive price, it is all the more important to emphasise that it is a turntable that is manufactured in Europe and not in the Far East.

Prices and availability

The new Pro-Ject E1 turntable, just like its siblings Pro-Ject E1 Phono Turntable and Pro-Ject E1 BT Turntable, should be available in specialist shops within a few weeks. As already mentioned, you can choose between the design variants high-gloss black, high-gloss white and walnut finish for all three versions.

The recommended retail price for the Pro-Ject E1 turntable is € 299, for the Pro-Ject E1 phono turntable € 329 and for the Pro-Ject E1 BT turntable € 399.

In addition to the dust cover mentioned above, the new Pro-Ject E1 turntable comes with a matching power supply, a 7-inch single adapter and a 1.23-metre high-quality phono cable.

Getting to the point

Pro-Ject Audio Systems calls the new Pro-Ject E1 Turntable a real bargain, a turntable that is especially aimed at price-sensitive beginners and returners in the field of vinyl, but is so finely equipped that it also appeals to vinyl lovers who are looking for a second turntable for the study or similar. The new Pro-Ject E1 Turntable and the Pro-Ject E1 Phono Turntable and Pro-Ject E1 BT Turntable are designed to shine with high-quality materials, stylish aesthetics and, above all, a rich, lively sound at an affordable price. It is said to be an entry-level turntable designed as a plug & play solution that does not require any compromises in sound performance. The manufacturer itself does not make any compromises either and relies solely on manufacturing in Europe for this solution, which should be clearly emphasised once again.

PRODUCTPRO-JECT E1 TURNTABLE
PricePro-Ject E1 Turntable € 299,-
Pro-Ject E1 Phono Turntable € 329,-
Pro-Ject E1 BT Turntable € 399,-
BrandPRO-JECT AUDIO
ManufacturerPro-Ject Audio Systems
Distribution AustriaAudio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH
Distribution GermanyAudio Trade Hi-Fi Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH
Distribution SwitzerlandMarlex GmbH – Audiophile Produkte
More about this manufacturer at HiFi BLOG
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Michael Holzinger

Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of HiFi BLOG and sempre-audio.at, has been working for years as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics.

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