We often get hi-fi enthusiasts and more increasingly average music lovers come into the store for a chat, and the same question often gets put out there: what would your dream turntable be? The answers differ from time to time, but there’s always one particular turntable that comes up. Something iconic, something you would have definitely heard of.
The thing is… that particular turntable – considered a very long standing benchmark – is expensive. Rightly so, of course, but that doesn’t help those with more limited budgets for the likes of hi-fi. But thankfully, there is a new turntable out there that has been described as a poor man’s version of this very iconic turntable… and we can’t help but agree. Introducing…
That’s the new Pro-ject The Classic turntable, and judging by its name Pro-Ject have some very high hopes for it, hopes which have so far been very well founded. As you can see, it boasts a timelessly elegant and traditional design with a choice of three wood finishes: brown, rosenut and walnut.
But this is about more than just looks, as the carbon fibre tonearm will tell you! Tonearms made from carbon fibre traditionally only come with the highest end models. Not only that, but this is a tonearm that was specifically designed for use with this turntable. Its new rep at a very well-spec’d turntable doesn’t stop there, it comes with a fully-fitted and factory aligned Ortofon 2M Silver cartridge, which effectively sits just under the 2M Black (which sells for £295).With all of these features, plus the gorgeous classic design (it works on all sorts of levels!). you’re getting a great deal of turntable for your money.
The Classic has been released to celebrate Pro-Ject’s 25th anniversary, and in true Pro-Ject fashion it is exemplary in almost every way, nailing the tech specs at every level, not cutting a single corner and still managing to remain affordable. This turntable is the result of 25 years of acute turntable experience into a single piece… and the reports are saying it’s pretty bloody good.
Sadly we haven’t heard it with our own ears. Yet. Although from what we’ve heard from our friends with luckier ears than us, there’s a great deal to look forward to to. Well, if Pro-Ject’s class leading SB DC (at £1049) is the standard, then expectations are very high for The Classic. It’s a good job we’ll be getting one in to try soon.
When it does come in, we will be hooking it up to demo with a Pro-Ject phono stage. While we’re daydreaming about what to demo it with, we’ll probably try ours with a suitable Tube Box as well as a Trichord Dino Mk3, one of our favourite phono stages under £1000.
The Classic at a very reasonable £799 fits in between the aforementioned Pro-Ject SB DC at £1049 and the Carbon UKX at £575, however it is such a leap from the latter that we’re pretty shocked that they’ve managed to slide these high-end features into a £799 turntable. Expectations, as a result are naturally high… and so are the pre-orders!
If you’d like to be among the first to get your hands on this new Classic (already shaping up to be a benchmark for the price point) then subscribe to our newsletter by filling in the form at bottom of the page on www.audioaffair.co.uk and make sure you like our Facebook page too. We’ll be announcing it via both of those forums when we have these in stock, and of course once we have it wired up and ready to demo in our Birmingham showroom.