Turntables — Pro-Ject T2 W

The T2 W is Pro-Ject's first Wi-Fi streaming turntable, built on an upgraded version of the company's T1 platform. It combines a conventional belt-drive deck, a factory-fitted Sumiko Rainier cartridge and a built-in phono stage with a wireless transmitter that sends the record's signal to network speakers, streamers and AV receivers. It received the EISA award for Best Vinyl System 2023-2024 and is handmade in Europe in Gloss Black, Satin White or Walnut.

Key specs that matter

The belt-driven platter supports 33 and 45rpm with electronic speed change, driven by a 9V AC motor. Speed variance is 0.6% at 33rpm and 0.5% at 45rpm, wow and flutter is 0.19% and 0.17%, and signal-to-noise ratio is 67dB. The glass platter is 10mm thick and weighs 1.7kg, running on a stainless steel and brass main bearing. The one-piece 9-inch aluminium tonearm has an effective length of 230mm, 22mm overhang and 9.5g effective mass. Wi-Fi covers IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax with 2x2 MIMO on 2.4 and 5GHz. The deck weighs 5.5kg.

Engineering and use context

The platter is heavier and thicker than on the T1, and the CNC-machined plinth was enlarged for stability and built without plastic or hollow spaces inside, which avoids cavities that could resonate. Purpose-selected feet isolate the deck from surface vibration. The tonearm uses a longer one-piece tube with an integrated headshell, removing the joint where detachable headshells can add vibration, and new low-friction gimbal bearings. Anti-skating is set with a spring mechanism instead of a hanging weight. The Rainier arrives pre-set for downforce and anti-skate, and its stylus can be upgraded with any Sumiko Oyster-series stylus. The phono stage is a dual-stage split-passive MM design, the highest-quality integrated phono stage Pro-Ject had fitted at launch, and it feeds both the analogue RCA output and the digital wireless transmitter. The Pro-Ject Control app handles setup, source routing and the choice between a compressed stream for maximum compatibility and a 24-bit/48kHz lossless stream.

Pairing

The line-level RCA output connects to any amplifier input with the supplied cable. Over Wi-Fi, the T2 W streams via UPnP to compatible network speakers, streamers and AV receivers, works with Sonos after setup through the app, and can feed multiple receiving devices at once for multiroom playback. Lossless 24/48 streaming requires a compatible high-end receiver such as Pro-Ject's Stream Box S2 Ultra. The deck is also eligible for Pro-Ject's EVO tonearm upgrade scheme.

Alternatives

Pro-Ject's own T2 is the wired version of the same deck without Wi-Fi, for systems that only need a conventional analogue connection.