Turntables — Pro-Ject The Classic Evo

The Classic EVO is a Pro-Ject Audio Systems subchassis turntable fitted with a 9 inch carbon and aluminium sandwich tonearm. It builds on the earlier The Classic and on lessons from the 175 VPO, the Vienna Philharmonic Recordplayer, from which it takes its sub-platter design. It comes without a cartridge or with a pre-adjusted Ortofon Quintet Red moving coil, and the wooden frame is offered in walnut or eucalyptus satin finishes.

Key specs that matter

Speeds are 33, 45 and 78 rpm, with electronic switching between 33 and 45 rpm by push button. Rated wow and flutter is 0.10% at 33 rpm and 0.09% at 45 rpm, speed variance is 0.13% and 0.10%, and signal to noise is 70 dB. The platter is 300 mm aluminium on a stainless steel bearing. Effective arm length is 230 mm, with 13.5 g effective mass and 18 mm overhang, and the arm accepts 10 to 30 mN of downforce. Power draw is 5 W maximum and under 0.5 W in standby, from a 15 V DC 0.8 A supply. Lid down, the deck measures 462 x 131 x 351 mm (WxHxD), or 462 x 423 x 390 mm with it open, and weighs 10.5 kg.

Engineering and use context

Compared with the old Classic, the subchassis was made heavier and stiffer, with the aim of isolating platter and tonearm from motor and plinth resonance. A metal and MDF sandwich top plate floats on six TPE balls above the internal chassis that carries the motor. The main platter is machined from a special aluminium alloy and damped with thermoplastic elastomer against ringing, and below it turns a diamond cut sub-platter of aluminium. The inverted EVO bearing uses four ABEC7 ball races, with a hardened, polished spindle in a brass bearing on a teflon plate. In the arm, carbon adds stiffness and aluminium adds damping, and the bearing is the type used on Pro-Ject CC EVO arms. A TPE damper in the counterweight halves the amplitude of the arm and cartridge resonance. Azimuth and VTA are adjustable, the solid ring bearing housing is open to avoid resonance, and the decoupling feet adjust in height.

Pairing

The medium-heavy effective mass suits moving coil cartridges as well as moving magnet types, and optional counterweights take cartridges up to 25 grams. A Connect it E RCA cable and an acrylic dust cover are included, and the deck needs an external phono stage.

Alternatives

The Pro-Ject T2 is a belt-drive turntable with a 1.7 kg glass platter and an aluminium arm, without a subchassis.