In the “golden age” of audio, turntables with automatic mechanisms, when the user only had to put the record on and press a button, the automation did the rest, became the standard. During the vinyl renaissance of the 21st century, attention was focused on sound quality – so automatic mechanisms fell by the wayside. However, now we are seeing the response of automatic turntables at a new level of sound quality – and one of them, the just presented Pro-Ject AUTOMAT A1.2.
Pro-Ject AUTOMAT A1.2 starts a new line in the company’s model range – now Pro-Ject can made automatic turntables without degrading the sound quality. The secret is simple – with fully automatic play and stop control, the mecahnism is completely switched off and disconnected during the entire playback time of the record. So why give up convenience?
The Pro-Ject AUTOMAT A1.2 comes with a proprietary 8.3” ultra-lightweight aluminum tonearm and a Pro-Ject MM E cartridge. The platter is made of cast aluminum and CNC-balanced. The automatic drive is handcrafted in Germany. The turntable also has a built-in phono preamplifier, and factory settings for tracking force and anti-skating allow you to put the model into operation literally seconds after unpacking.
This product is in the Hi-Fi and High End Electronics and Acoustics database
Model name
AUTOMAT A1.2
Speed
33/45
Drive
Belt
Suspension
Fixed
Tonearm preinstalled
Yes
Tonearm model
Pro-Ject 8.3” ultra-light-mass aluminium tonea
Cartridge preinstalled
Yes
Cartridge model
Pro-Ject MM E cartridge
Platter
damped die-cast aluminium
Motor
DC
Wow and Flutter (%)
0,27 - 0,25
Signal to Noise (dB)
65
Rumble (-dB)
N/A
Dimensions (mm)
430 x 130 x 365
Weight (kg)
5.6
Official link
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