Pro-Ject Automat A2 Fully Automatic Turntable - Black - Sumiko Rainier Cartridge

Pro-Ject Automat A2 Fully Automatic Turntable - Black - Sumiko Rainier Cartridge

What It Does in Your System

Full Automation Without the Usual Sonic Penalty

Flip the start switch and the tonearm moves to the lead-in groove on its own. At the end of the side it lifts, returns to the rest, and the turntable shuts down. No cueing, no watching the clock, no stylus left riding the run-out groove because you fell asleep.

Here's the part that matters to a listener: the A2's automatic mechanism is entirely mechanical, and it fully disengages during playback. There's no motor or servo doing anything while the record plays, so the convenience costs you nothing in sound quality.

A Floating Sub-Chassis That Keeps the Room Out of Your Records

The tonearm, platter bearing, and motor are all mounted to a separate floating sub-chassis, isolated from the plinth. That matters most when your speakers sit close to the turntable — acoustic energy that would otherwise find its way into the stylus gets intercepted first.

Underneath, a heavy MDF plinth in a hand-applied eight-coat matte black finish adds mass to damp resonance further. Pro-Ject also rebuilt the automatic mechanism itself around a new aluminum die-cast top, replacing plastic parts from the original German design — the first significant revision that mechanism has received in fifty years.

A Cartridge You Can Grow Into Without Replacing

The A2 arrives with a Sumiko Rainier moving magnet cartridge mounted and aligned at the factory. It's a smooth, warm-sounding cartridge that pairs deliberately with the arm — the suspended sub-chassis delivers fast transient response and fine microdynamics, and the Rainier adds body and musical warmth on top of it.

When you're ready for more, you don't buy a new cartridge. The Rainier body accepts the Sumiko Olympia, Moonstone, and Wellfleet styli — a straight swap with no realignment, no tracking force reset, and no fuss.

Is This Right for You?

A few things to know before ordering:

• You want to play records, not set up a turntable. The cartridge is mounted, tracking force and anti-skating are pre-adjusted, and the automatic operation handles the rest. This is genuinely ready out of the carton.
• You need a phono input somewhere in your system. The A2 has no built-in phono stage, so you'll need a receiver or amp with a phono input, or a separate phono preamp. Tell us what you're running and we'll confirm.
• 78s need a different stylus. The speed selector includes 78 rpm, but shellac records have wider grooves that the Rainier's stylus isn't cut for. Sumiko's RS 78 stylus drops into the same cartridge body — sold separately. Note also that 10" 78s require manual tonearm placement using the cueing lever.

Setup & Installation

Unpack, fit the platter and belt per the manual, and level the turntable on a solid surface. The cartridge is already mounted and aligned, with tracking force and anti-skating pre-set at the factory. Connect the included RCA cable to a phono input on your amp or to an outboard phono stage, then flip the start switch.

Set the size dial for 7-inch singles or 12-inch LPs so the arm drops in the right place, and select your speed electronically — 33⅓, 45, or 78 — with no belt-swapping required. If you ever need to adjust tracking force, the A2 uses a dial directly on the tonearm bearing rather than a sliding weight, which keeps the center of gravity over the bearing and makes the adjustment fast and repeatable. Anti-skating adjusts at the tonearm base.

Features & Specifications

Fully Mechanical Automatic Operation
Automatic start, lift, return, and shutdown that disengages completely during playback, so it can't affect sound quality.

Floating Sub-Chassis
Tonearm, platter bearing, and motor mount to an isolated sub-chassis, a real advantage when speakers sit near the turntable.

8.3" Ultra-Low-Mass Aluminum Tonearm
A larger-diameter arm tube accommodates a wide range of cartridges, on a 4-point gimbal bearing with steel-tip ball bearings made in-house.

Electronic Speed Selection
Switch between 33⅓, 45, and 78 rpm at the push of a button, with no belt or pulley changes.

Specifications

• Type: Fully automatic belt-drive turntable
• Speeds: 33⅓, 45, and 78 rpm, electronically selected
• Cartridge: Sumiko Rainier moving magnet, factory-mounted and aligned
• Tonearm: 8.3" straight, ultra-low-mass aluminum with carbon-fiber-reinforced headshell
• Tonearm bearing: 4-point gimbal with steel-tip ball bearings
• Tracking force: Set by dial at the tonearm bearing, pre-adjusted at the factory
• Anti-skating: Spring-based, adjustable at the tonearm base
• Chassis: Heavy MDF plinth, eight-coat hand-applied matte finish, with floating sub-chassis
• Platter: Damped aluminum
• Outputs: Gold-plated stereo RCA
• Phono stage: Not included — requires a phono input or external phono preamp
• Finish: Black
• Included: Turntable with mounted cartridge, semi-balanced low-capacitance RCA cable
• Manufactured: Handmade in Germany

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the automatic mechanism hurt sound quality?
No — and that's the A2's central design argument. The mechanism is entirely mechanical and disengages completely once the arm reaches the lead-in groove. Nothing is moving or drawing power in the arm path while your record plays.

Do I need a phono preamp?
Yes, unless your amp or receiver already has a phono input. The A2 outputs a phono-level signal and doesn't include a built-in stage. If you're not sure what your system has, give us a call and we'll sort it out.

How do I upgrade the sound later?
Swap the stylus, not the cartridge. The Rainier body accepts the Sumiko Olympia, Moonstone, and Wellfleet styli, so you can step up without remounting or realigning anything. It's the least disruptive upgrade path in vinyl.

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