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Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition Turntable – Nothing else matters

The so-called Pro-Ject Artist Collection is already a good tradition at Pro-Ject Audio Systems and has now been extended by the new Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition Turntable. In keeping with its style, it presents itself in a particularly distinctive form and is equipped with "heavy metal", but also audiophile virtues.

Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition Turntable, Pro-Ject Audio Systems once again presents a turntable that is dedicated to an artist or even created in collaboration with them, namely, as the name suggests, with the heavy metal formation Metallica. This turntable is characterised first and foremost by its design, which can only be described as unique. But beyond that, the new Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition Turntable is also supposed to come up with features that distinguish it as an audiophile solution, at least that is the promise of the world market leader in the field of record players, Pro-Ject Audio Systems.

Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition Turntable – Premiere at the High End 2022

The new Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition Turntable celebrated its premiere at the High End 2022 in Munich, and as was to be expected, the aforementioned particularly striking design caused quite a stir in the M.O.C. exhibition halls.

The new Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition Turntable joins a multitude of turntables that Pro-Ject Audio Systems has designed over the years together with artists or dedicated to special musicians or bands. Just remember the turntables that Pro-Ject Audio Systems presented around The Beatles, or the one in reminiscence of The Rolling Stones.

Austrian artists have also been honoured, for example with the turntables designed in collaboration with Parov Stelar, DelaDap or the turntable that Pro-Ject Audio Systems presented in tribute to Hans Theessink.

It has to be said, however, that only the Pro-Ject The Beatles Yellow Submarine Turntable comes close to matching the design of the new Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition Turntable; this new model clearly outshines all other solutions of the so-called Pro-Ject Artist Collection.

Unique design

The new Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition turntable presents itself with a chassis that resembles a star with four long and also four shorter spikes, whereby one of these long spikes forms the tonearm base, while the platter bearing is located in the centre.

The chassis itself is made of classic MDF, while the top is covered with a metal plate that follows the star shape of the cabinet and has recesses underneath the turntable. This metal plate has a high-gloss finish and in order to show off these design accents to their best advantage, the turntable platter of the Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition Turntable is made of glass, making it completely transparent.

This means that the sub-platter construction of the turntable, which is set in rotation by means of a belt drive, is also naturally visible, whereby the said sub-platter, precisely manufactured from aluminium using CNC, is ultimately part of the design concept. This also applies to the motor pulley, which in this case is also made of aluminium.

Essential construction features

Apart from the design, there are some details in the construction that are also of great practical importance, such as the construction of the chassis consisting of MDF and the metal plate. The bottom line is that this is a sandwich construction, which naturally increases the rigidity of the cabinet and is thus ideal for optimal sound. The turntable made of glass is also supposed to ensure resonance-free playback with the highest accuracy of the rotation speed, as it is a construction with a particularly high mass.

Incidentally, the turntable rests on three height-adjustable, damped aluminium feet, which guarantee a perfect stand as well as playback free of acoustic feedback.

S-Shape tonearm with Pro-Ject Pick it S2 C cartridge

The tonearm here is a so-called Pro-Ject S-Shape tonearm with 8.6 inches, which in principle allows all relevant adjustments, but whose removable SME headshell is already equipped with a Pro-Ject Pick it S2 C pick-up system ex works and is thus also delivered pre-adjusted ex works. You can, but you don’t have to, so both beginners and ambitious vinyl lovers are addressed here.

Especially since the cartridge system chosen here is a solution that is supposed to be characterised by a very fine-drawing, dynamic performance, as the manufacturer explicitly states and at the same time points out that this is an MM cartridge system, so that a multitude of integrated phono preamplifiers in amplifier systems do not require any additional investment.

  • Foto © Pro-Ject Audio Systems | Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition Turntable
  • Foto © Pro-Ject Audio Systems | Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition Turntable
  • Foto © Pro-Ject Audio Systems | Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition Turntable

Electronic speed control

Pro-Ject Audio Systems’ Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition turntable features electronic speed control, with the user able to select between 33 1/3 and 45 as well as 78 revolutions per minute by means of a switch.

The new Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition turntable measures 430 x 120 x 430 mm and weighs 4.5 kg. Power is supplied via an external 15 V 0.8 A DC power supply unit, which is of course included in the delivery.

Also included is a round belt for 78 revolutions per minute, which replaces the flat belt used for the standard 33 1/3 and 45 revolutions. A felt mat as well as a 7 inch single adapter can also be found in the package.

Price and availability

According to Pro-Ject Audio Systems, the new Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition turntable will be available from specialist dealers from July 2022. The recommended retail price is listed at €1,499.

Getting to the point

When Pro-Ject Audio Systems was asked by the band Metallica if they wanted to design a record player together, the record specialist says the answer was simply “F*ck yeah!” and they got to work. The result is a turntable that is guaranteed to have the most eye-catching design of all the models in the Pro-Ject Artist Collection available to date, whereby the new Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition Turntable was also designed to provide the most appealing playback possible, thus creating a turntable that is also intended to have audiophile virtues.

PRODUCTPRO-JECT METALLICA LIMITED EDITION TURNTABLE
Price€ 1.499,-
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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