Проигрыватели виниловых дисков — Pro-Ject AUTOMAT A1.2

The A1.2 is a belt-driven record player with full automation in the Automat line of Pro-Ject Audio Systems, a brand established in 1991. It replaces the A1 of 2022, the model that opened the Automat range, and brings an updated drive system and a new platter. Launch was set for April 2025, with a European price of EUR 499 to EUR 550 and GBP 469 in Britain. Black and white finishes are available.

Key specs that matter

Speeds of 33 and 45 RPM are selected electronically with a single button. Wow and flutter measures 0.27 percent at 33 RPM and 0.25 percent at 45 RPM, speed drift is 0.75 and 0.65 percent, and signal-to-noise is 65 dB. The ultra-light-mass tonearm in black aluminium has an effective length of 211 mm and an overhang of 19.5 mm, and it carries a factory-mounted Pick it MM E moving-magnet cartridge, with an Ortofon OM10 fitted in some markets. A 15 V DC, 0.8 A external supply powers the deck, which draws 1.5 W. The plinth is 430 mm wide, 130 mm high and 365 mm deep, and the deck weighs 5.6 kg net.

Engineering and use context

The automatic mechanism is entirely mechanical, with no extra electronics involved. A press of the start button carries the arm to the lead-in groove, and once playback is under way the mechanics disengage and stay decoupled until the side ends and the arm returns. This drive is handmade in Germany by a company with long experience of automatic turntables, while final assembly is done in the Czech Republic. The A1 had a stamped aluminium platter, and the A1.2 replaces it with a die-cast one that is then CNC machined and balanced. A new headshell of carbon fibre reinforced polymer is designed for rigidity at low weight and is anti-magnetic. The wooden chassis avoids hollow spaces where possible to add mass, and silicone-damped feet decouple the deck from its shelf. Tracking force and anti-skating arrive pre-adjusted, so no arm setup is needed.

Pairing

A built-in phono preamplifier can be switched on to connect the A1.2 directly to any line input, including powered speakers, or switched off when an external phono stage or an amplifier with its own MM input is used. The supplied Connect it E cable is a semi-balanced, low-capacitance design with gold-plated RCA plugs. The box also contains a dust cover, a felt mat and a 7-inch single adapter.

Alternatives

The Pro-Ject A2 is a fully automatic model on a sub-chassis, using the same arm length with an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge.