Pro-Ject 1Xpression III Comfort has arrived

Yesterday I got my new record player, the Pro-Ject 1Xpression III Comfort (with Ortofon 2M Red) to replace the Dual CS 1249 I inherited from my mother.

The Dual has had a good spell but the little belt that drives the pitch control has worn and I can't get a replacement. I finally gave up and decided to buy a new record player because I can't stand that the player runs too fast.

The Pro-Ject is a very understated deck which looks really good in the black finish. I decided to get the Comfort version because that has a speed box built in which makes switching between 33 and 45 a doddle. I also like the automatic switch off at the end of a side (I know that's blasphemy in the audiophile world). Setup was quite easy, except for the anti-skating counterweight which is a bit fidgety. Also connecting the ground cable to the Denon took some time.

I can really recommend the Pro-Ject. I really like the sound, connected to my now 12 year old Denon receiver which fortunately has a phono in.

Rather than just playing all the vinyl I inherited (hundreds of classical LPs from the 1960s to 1980s) we have also bought a couple of new records.

Paul Simon - Graceland: great sound compared to CD. The LP gives you also free 320 kbps mp3's to download.

Caro Emerald - Deleted scenes from the cutting floor (2 LPs, red vinyl, CD included)

Cannonball Adderley/Bill Evans - Know what I mean

They all sound great. Nice pressings.

I have to say that the old records still sound great. I just listened to a Haydn symphony from a Decca box my father bought in 1974 (Philharmonica Hungarica conducted by Antal Dorati). Unbelievable that so many people got rid of their vinyl. All they needed was a decent record player! My personal theory is that many people just never had a decent record player and therefore just don't know how good vinyl can sound.