"Fill Your Soul with Happiness" with This Revolutionary, Truly Audiophile-Quality Automatic Turntable
Pro-Ject has always had one purpose since its founding in 1999: to bring music enjoyment to as many people as possible. This particularly applied to turntables. Pro-Ject was constantly looking to make turntables easier to install and use, especially considering that many people thought turntables required installation challenges and complicated operation.
Pro-Ject Audio is proud to announce that it has finally found access to exactly the kind of technology that allows the company to make automatic turntables without degrading the sound quality in any way. Handmade in Germany by a traditional manufacturer with a wealth of experience in making automatic turntables, the new Pro-Ject AUTOMAT series of turntables represent a new pinnacle of automatic turntable design.
"This is a huge step in the right direction," reports Randall Messman, The Audiophile Man (aka cheapaudioman), in his January 2022 YouTube review of the A1. "I think the automatic functionality is awesome… Binge-listen with your new Pro-Ject automatic turntable and fill your soul with happiness."
Revolutionary AUTOMAT Technology
The revolutionary AUTOMAT technology in the new AUTOMAT A1 allows Pro-Ject to bring its sound and philosophy to an entirely new audience. The A1 has fully automatic start/stop with the automatics being completely disengaged and decoupled during the entire runtime of the record. They are engaged when you press 'Start' and the tonearm is automatically moved to the lead-in groove of the record. Once the record has started to play, the automatics are completely taken out of the equation and do not affecting the playback quality, including the free movement of the tonearm and platter. Because the automatics work entirely mechanically with no additional electronics needed, they neither influence nor degrade sound quality during playback!
Pushbutton 33/45 RPM Electronic Speed Change
Switching speeds with the A1 is easy when playing a LP and then a few 45 rpm singles, and the turntable speeds are precise and reliable. In typical Pro-Ject fashion, the motor is electronically controlled for the most accurate and stable playback speeds. All it takes to change the A1's speed from 33 rpm to 45 rpm is the push of a button.
Switchable Built-in Phono Preamp
The majority of receivers and integrated amplifiers on the market lack a dedicated phono input for hooking up a turntable. They require an outboard phono preamp. The A1 solves this problem for you. The built-in phono preamp makes the A1 incredibly versatile and allows you to connect it directly to any input on your amplifier or to a set of powered speakers. The phono preamp can also be switched off, which allows you to use your own phono preamp or your amplifier’s phono input, if you wish.
Ultra-Light-Mass Aluminum Tonearm and Ortofon OM10 Cartridge
The A1 features an 8.3” ultra-light-mass aluminum tonearm pre-fitted with the Ortofon OM10 moving magnet (MM) phono cartridge, which is the perfect partner for this tonearm. The result is extraordinarily fast response and detail in terms of transients and microdynamics. A little-known fact about the OM series of cartridges is that they have their developmental roots and legacy in ultra-light-mass tonearm designs.
Tracking force and anti-skating are factory pre-adjusted, which make the A1 plug and play-ready within a few seconds. This is ideal for vinyl beginners and experienced listeners alike. Who doesn't like this level of convenience in the service of great sound?
Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Anti-Magnetic Headshell
The headshell is a completely new design that was created especially for the A1. It is made of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer, which makes it super stable and rigid, while keeping the weight low to work complement the ultra-light-mass tonearm design. The polymer/carbon composite material results in excellent internal damping of resonances.
Heavy MDF Chassis
The chassis consists of a body made out of 8mm thick MDF panels. The automation mechanism, platter bearing, and tonearm are mounted on a solid 0.78"-thick MDF base plate. Hollow areas are avoided wherever possible, allowing just enough space to precision fit the inner workings of the A1. The heavy mass of the chassis reduces unwanted resonances to a minimum and decouples the A1 from outside influences.
Damped Aluminum Platter
The A1's aluminum platter is made in Germany according to a strict requirements for optimum performance. In three operations, it is first stamped, bent and perforated with a hole in the middle. After that, it goes directly to Pro-Ject's next local German supplier for phosphating and de-oiling. A damping ring on the inside is added to increase weight and reduce resonances. Additionally, it is then turned and precision balanced to create its fine edges and lowest wow and flutter deviations. Finally, it receives its smooth paint job, adding to the all-black stylish and clean looks of the A1.
Semi-Symmetrical Phono Cable with Gold-Plated Connectors
The A1 comes with Pro-Ject's Connect it E phono cable. It is a semi-balanced, low-capacitance cable, with superior shielding. Compared to other digital and analog music sources, the signal coming from a turntable cartridge is very fragile in nature, and cheap RCA cables often do not provide the ideal conditions for getting a phono signal to an amplifier. The Connect it E is purpose-designed for this exact application and unique in this price class.
New Feet with Silicon Damping
The new turntable feet designed for the AUTOMAT A1 effectively decouple the turntable from the supporting surface using an internal silicon damping layer. This is an essential feature for every good turntable. It acts as yet another mechanism to ensure your vinyl playback is not influenced by outside interference and resonances.
Dust Cover Included
To make this a complete package with nothing else to buy, Pro-Ject went the extra mile by including an attractive acrylic dust cover with the AUTOMAT A1. The dust cover helps keep your A1 looking new, and when used between listening sessions, it keeps airborne dust and dirt from settling on the platter and ending up on your LP.
Handmade in Germany
The A1 is fully handmade in Germany and looks back on decades of experience in turntable manufacturing. It is 100% assembled and adjusted by some of the best engineers in the business. The individual components of the A1 are 98-99% made and produced in Germany – in the factory and its immediate vicinity. The entire region is rich in turntable manufacturing tradition, resulting in totally unique quality and products, as exemplified by the superb AUTOMAT A1.
