Проигрыватели виниловых дисков — Pro-Ject T2 Super Phono

The T2 Super Phono is a belt-drive record player that Pro-Ject calls an audiophile entry level model and positions as a step beyond its T1. Its main additions are a newly developed moving magnet phono preamplifier built into the plinth, a Sumiko Rainier cartridge fitted at the factory and a spring-based anti-skating mechanism that can be adjusted. The deck is made in Europe, and Pro-Ject presents longevity and sustainability as goals of the design.

Key specs that matter

Changing between 33 and 45 rpm is done electronically. Measured speed variance is 0.6 percent at 33 rpm and 0.5 percent at 45 rpm, and wow and flutter come to 0.19 and 0.17 percent for the two speeds. The glass platter is 10 mm thick, weighs 1.7 kg and carries a felt mat, and it runs on a stainless steel shaft in a brass bushing. Pro-Ject specifies 67 dB signal to noise. Its 9 inch tonearm, made of aluminium, measures 230 mm in effective length, an overhang of 22.0 mm and an effective mass of 9.5 g. A universal 15 V DC adapter rated at 800 mA powers the deck, which draws 4.5 W when playing and under 2 W in standby. With its lid closed the unit measures 465 x 135 x 347 mm (width, height, depth), and net weight is 5.5 kg.

Engineering and use context

Inside, the phono circuit uses two gain stages with the RIAA equalisation split passively between them, a topology Pro-Ject calls dual-stage split-passive. Pro-Ject states that it was laid out afresh for this model with more circuit board space than the preamplifier inside the T2 W, which gave room for a better layout. A switch takes the stage out of circuit, so the output can instead carry the raw cartridge signal to an external stage - for example when the Rainier is replaced by a moving coil cartridge. The Rainier itself is an MM unit assembled by hand in Japan. Anti-skating works through a spring rather than a thread and weight, and its force is set by the user. Plinth finishes come in three families - high gloss, satin and wood. The box holds a dust cover, felt mat, an adapter for singles, the power supply and a phono RCA cable.

Pairing

With the built-in preamplifier active, the T2 Super Phono can be plugged into any line-level socket, such as AUX or CD, of a receiver or integrated amp, or straight into a set of active speakers. Systems that already include a phono stage can use it by switching the internal circuit off.

Alternatives

The Pro-Ject T2 W uses the same T2 platform with a phono preamplifier and adds wireless streaming to the package.