Austrian hi-fi brand Pro-Ject has launched two new premium turntables. Both the flagship Signature 12.2 and The Classic Reference were previously shown off as prototypes, but they're now available to buy in the UK from Henley Audio.
The Signature 12.2 is said to be the most advanced turntable the brand has ever built, and the pinnacle of its design. It's made from more than 100 individually CNC-machined parts, with all metal parts meticulously hand-polished for two days before assembly. It certainly looks like they've been busy with the Mr Sheen.
The MDF chassis is hand-painted and finished in 10 layers of piano black lacquer. But it's also designed with performance in mind – the rounded edges reduce standing waves, while the adjustable feet are conical-tipped and spring-loaded for perfect levelling.
The 10.5kg aluminium platter is also precision CNC-machined, with a mat made from recycled vinyl records glued on top. This is precision balanced, with an inverted ceramic ball bearing with magnetic support beneath it to aid ultra-quiet running.
There's also a new 12-inch aluminium tonearm with a three-point pivot bearing for greater stability and less friction.
The Classic Reference is less premium, but still high end. It's essentially a greatest hits piece, taking parts from Pro-Ject's Classic EVO and VPO 175 Vienna Philharmonic to create a stunning limited edition turntable.
You get Pro-Ject's EVO 9 AS HG tonearm with ultra-low friction ABEC-7 cardanic bearings inside the aluminium housing, plus an SME connector for quick cartridge swaps.
There's also a precision-machined aluminium platter that's damped with TPE, plus an MDF/aluminium sandwich chassis with TPE-suspended sub-chassis for isolation. And you get both RCA outputs and balanced XLR sockets.
Just like the Signature 12.2, it houses a precision DC-driven AC generator to power the motor and create a clean sine wave for clean power and stable speed.
Both turntables are handmade in Europe, and can be upgraded with True Balanced cabling for superior performance with moving coil cartridges.
The Signature 12.2 costs £10,599 (around $14,000 / AU$22,000) while The Classic Reference is £4349 (around $6000 / AU$9000) for the Piano/Silver finish and £5199 (around $7000 / AU$11,000) for Acacia/Brass (pictured above).
Pro-Ject might be better known for its special edition themed turntables, but it has fared very well in the mid-range market. It'll be interesting to see how these high-end models perform.
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