Проигрыватели виниловых дисков — Pro-Ject Audio EU

The EU Turntable is a special-edition belt-drive record player from Pro-Ject Audio Systems, whose production has been based in Europe since 1991. Its blue finish carries the twelve golden stars of the European Union on the top surface. The maker positions it at the upper end of its entry range, built on a solid wooden plinth with a heavy glass platter, and it is priced at EUR 549. The Ortofon OM 10 moving-magnet cartridge comes pre-adjusted at the factory.

Key specs that matter

Speeds are 33 and 45 rpm. Wow and flutter is quoted as 0.25 percent at 33 rpm and 0.23 percent at 45 rpm, speed variance as 0.7 and 0.6 percent, and the signal to noise ratio as 65 dB. The platter is 8 mm blasted glass with a felt mat, and its main bearing pairs a brass housing material with stainless steel. Its 8.6 inch arm is made of aluminium, with 218.5 mm effective length, an overhang of 22.0 mm and an effective mass of 8.0 g. A 15 V DC, 800 mA adapter accepts mains from 110 to 240 V at 50 or 60 Hz, and consumption peaks at 4.5 W. The deck measures 415 x 100 x 335 mm and weighs 3.8 kg net.

Engineering and use context

Pro-Ject lists an integrated phono preamplifier plus a wireless Bluetooth sender for this model, so the deck can feed a line input on an amplifier or send the signal wirelessly to Bluetooth speakers and headphones. Blasted glass gives the platter mass at a modest cost, and the felt mat sits between the glass and the record. The one-piece aluminium arm arrives with the Ortofon cartridge already aligned and its tracking force set, leaving the buyer with little more than fitting the belt, seating the platter and plugging in the leads. An acrylic dust cover, the felt mat, the power supply and a phono/line RCA cable are in the box, and the included cables are of a semi-balanced construction.

Pairing

Through the RCA output the deck connects to any line-level input when its internal stage is used, or to a moving-magnet phono input when a separate stage is preferred. Wireless playback suits powered speakers or headphones that accept Bluetooth, which avoids a cable run across the room. Amplifiers and receivers without any phono socket can still take the deck through its internal stage, so no extra preamplifier box is needed at the start. Because the Ortofon OM 10 is a moving-magnet design, an external MM phono stage is the natural upgrade path later on.

Alternatives

The Pro-Ject T1 EVO is a related belt-drive deck of the brand with a glass platter, an Ortofon OM10e cartridge and optional Phono or BT versions.