Pro-Ject Essential II Digital Turntable

Feature-Packed 'Table with Built-in Phono Preamp and Optical Digital Output

The Essential II Digital turntable from Pro-Ject comes packed with goodies. Featuring a Pro-Ject 8.6" aluminum tonearm factory fitted with an Ortofon OM5e moving magnet phono cartridge, this 'table delivers excellent sound quality at a ridiculously affordable price.

Here's an especially great feature. The Essential II Digital includes an optical digital output. This allows you to plug it directly into a receiver, integrated amp, or soundbar that has an optical input. The Essential II Digital's 24-bit/96kHz optical output gives you a hi-res data stream that really makes your vinyl comes alive and makes it easy to integrate a turntable into a modern AV system.

"Spot-On Imaging and Tremendous Instrumentation Detail"

"Pro-Ject knows how to make a good budget turntable. The many five-star reviews and Awards we’ve given the company can attest to this," reports England's What Hi-fi? magazine. "The Essential II Digital will reward you with a fine performance."

"The Pro-Ject Essential is a great choice for an entry-level turntable, delivering spot-on imaging and tremendous instrumentation detail," reports Arlen Schweiger in his review for CEPro.com. "With more pristine records, the Essential makes it so you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between vinyl and CD in terms of sound cleanliness."

Features for Accurate Playback

A resonance-optimized particleboard platter helps to quell plinth vibration. A two-step pulley drives the platter’s outside edge via a precision silicon belt. The Essential II Digital incorporates a chrome plated stainless steel axle that rests on a polished steel bearing in a bronze housing for low wow-and-flutter and speed accuracy.

Quality Tonearm Included

A single-piece fixed headshell 8.6" tonearm features hardened stainless steel bearings and rigid aluminum tube to provide superb tracking and resonance reduction. Accurate adjustment cartridge azimuth is easily accomplished.

Built-in MM Phono Stage

Another unique feature of the Essential II Digital is the addition of a built-in MM phono preamplifier. The phono preamp allows for direct connection to a preamplifier, receiver, or integrated amplifier’s auxiliary input for analog recording playback. Or use the optical digital output for connection to an amp, receiver, or soundbar with an optical digital input.

Product Features

Two-speed belt-drive turntable
Built-in MM phono stage
Optical digital output with 24-bit, 96 kHz A/D converter
Resonance-optimized particleboard platter
Quiet running DC motor with a two-step pulley
Precision silicon belt
Polished steel bearing in a bronze housing for low wow-and-flutter and speed accuracy
8.6" aluminum tonearm with sapphire bearings
Chassis-fitted RCA interconnect jacks
Dust cover included
Fitted Phono Cartridge: Ortofon OMB5e
Amplifier Connection: MM Input
Nominal Speeds: 33 / 45
Tonearm: Pro-Ject 8.6 Uni-Pivot

Product Features

Two-speed belt-drive turntable
Built-in MM phono stage
Optical digital output with 24-bit, 96 kHz A/D converter
Resonance-optimized particleboard platter
Quiet running DC motor with a two-step pulley
Precision silicon belt
Polished steel bearing in a bronze housing for low wow-and-flutter and speed accuracy
8.6" aluminum tonearm with sapphire bearings
Chassis-fitted RCA interconnect jacks
Dust cover included
Fitted Phono Cartridge: Ortofon OMB5e
Amplifier Connection: MM Input
Nominal Speeds: 33 / 45
Tonearm: Pro-Ject 8.6 Uni-Pivot

Product Specs

Turntable / Tonearm

Effective Tonearm Length: 8.6"
Effective Tonearm Mass: 8.9g
Overhang: 18.5mm
Supplied Counterweight: Cartridge Weight 4-9 g
Optional Counterweight: Cartridge Weight 8-15 g
Down Force Range: 10-30nM
Speed Variance: ±1.5%
Wow and Flutter: ±0.25%
Signal to Noise: -65dB
Platter Weight: 0.8kg
Platter Diameter: 300 mm
Power Consumption: 2W
Dimensions (Lid Closed): 16.4" wide, 4.4" high, 13.2" deep
Dimensions (Lid Open): 16.4" wide, 14.4" high, 15.4" deep
Weight: 8.6 lbs.

Phono Preamplifier / A/D Converter

Noise Floor: 88dB
THD: 0.005%
Input Impedance: 47k ohms/100pf
Power Consumption: 16V/40mA AC
Gain: 32dB
Output Voltage: 160mV/1kHz at 4mV/1kHz
RIAA Equalization: > 0.5dB, 20Hz-20kHz

Product Specs

Turntable / Tonearm

Effective Tonearm Length: 8.6"
Effective Tonearm Mass: 8.9g
Overhang: 18.5mm
Supplied Counterweight: Cartridge Weight 4-9 g
Optional Counterweight: Cartridge Weight 8-15 g
Down Force Range: 10-30nM
Speed Variance: ±1.5%
Wow and Flutter: ±0.25%
Signal to Noise: -65dB
Platter Weight: 0.8kg
Platter Diameter: 300 mm
Power Consumption: 2W
Dimensions (Lid Closed): 16.4" wide, 4.4" high, 13.2" deep
Dimensions (Lid Open): 16.4" wide, 14.4" high, 15.4" deep
Weight: 8.6 lbs.

Phono Preamplifier / A/D Converter

Noise Floor: 88dB
THD: 0.005%
Input Impedance: 47k ohms/100pf
Power Consumption: 16V/40mA AC
Gain: 32dB
Output Voltage: 160mV/1kHz at 4mV/1kHz
RIAA Equalization: > 0.5dB, 20Hz-20kHz

"All in all, the Essential II is a basic turntable that is a good pick for someone just starting out or anyone that is looking for one of the best affordable turntables around that sounds awesome. The fact that it won an award just two years ago for being the best turntable under $4 says quite a bit."

- Michael, Devoted to Vinyl

"The Pro-Ject Essential is a great choice for an entry-level turntable, delivering spot-on imaging and tremendous instrumentation detail."

"The Essential delivers a high performance level for a turntable costing only a few hundred bucks… With more pristine records, the Essential makes it so you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between vinyl and CD in terms of sound cleanliness."

- Arlen Schweiger, CEPro.com, April 27, 212

"It’s best to place it on a rigid support, away from the speakers or any other source of vibration. Do this and the Essential II Digital will reward you with a fine performance… It’s a well-organised and enthusiastic performance that rarely gets flustered, even with more demanding recordings."

- What Hi-fi? magazine, August 4, 215

"All in all, the Essential II is a basic turntable that is a good pick for someone just starting out or anyone that is looking for one of the best affordable turntables around that sounds awesome. The fact that it won an award just two years ago for being the best turntable under $400 says quite a bit."

- Michael, Devoted to Vinyl

"The Pro-Ject Essential is a great choice for an entry-level turntable, delivering spot-on imaging and tremendous instrumentation detail."

"The Essential delivers a high performance level for a turntable costing only a few hundred bucks… With more pristine records, the Essential makes it so you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between vinyl and CD in terms of sound cleanliness."

- Arlen Schweiger, CEPro.com, April 27, 2012

"It’s best to place it on a rigid support, away from the speakers or any other source of vibration. Do this and the Essential II Digital will reward you with a fine performance… It’s a well-organised and enthusiastic performance that rarely gets flustered, even with more demanding recordings."

- What Hi-fi? magazine, August 4, 2015

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