Pro-Ject T1 Phono SB Turntable with Electronic Speed Change and built-in Phono Preamp (Walnut)

Product Information

If making those kind of adjustments is indeed important to you, you just might want to pay a little bit more money and get the ProJect Debut Carbon DC or the Pro-Ject T1 Phono SB. If, for example, you have an amplifier or receiver that has no PHONO input, or you don’t have an external phono preamp, you’ll need to buy the ProJect T1BT or ProJect T1 Phono SB. Unlike the standard version of the T1, this SB version features electronic speed change. Rather than having to lift the platter and physically change the belt to another pulley, the speed is changed at the touch of a button. If you regular switch between 33 and 45rpm records, this feature proves to be a great convenience and time saver.

The Classic is a traditional sub-chassis turntable designed for a user who needs to have their speakers close to the turntable, perhaps in a more restricted living environment," Heinz Lichtenegger says. "[It has] a nostalgic appearance with its retro design reminiscent of the 1960s and 70s, but upgraded with modern technology such as precision CNC’ed pulley, diamond knife-cut sub and main platters created for the highest precision, and sub-chassis isolation by modern rubber dampers (TPE, thermoplastic elastomers) instead of the traditional springs." The X Line is for people seeking the highest sound quality in a traditional design — including dustcover and hinges," Heinz Lichtenegger says. "From the X1, these units are ‘no compromise’ and 100-percent correctly designed turntables including all of the features an audiophile dreams of." With vinyl showing no indication of slowing down whatsoever, more and more people are looking for a place to dip their toe in the pool. Unlike many other turntables around this price, the Pro-Ject T1 Phono SB has all the elements of a proper hi-fi turntable - just at a lower price. Rather than plastic, the CNC machined plinth is made from MDF. This gives lower resonance for reduced distortion. Mounted to the plinth is a steel/brass bearing that’s the same as the award-winning Essential III and, combined with the new heavy glass platter, provides smooth and stable running for perfect pitch. My very first turntable was the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon, and although I have upgraded since then, I still have a strong fondness for this record player.

Scores

That said, we are reviewing the base model T1, which means it doesn’t come with a phono pre-amp nor Bluetooth. Design Well, it’s first important to remember that the Pro-Ject company has been making turntables for decades. They are the model of consistency when it comes to making affordable, high quality record players. Okay, before we go further in this review, I’d like to briefly take some time to show you everything you need to know in terms of the Pro-Ject T1 setup. Think of this as a mini tutorial.

The platter is made from medium density fiberboard and a wood-look veneer finish. While nicely built, the turntable is extremely light and doesn’t damp vibration as well as other turntables in the price range. I’m going to list some of the notable features on the T1 here, and then below that, I’ll go into depth about why some of these features are so important. Pro-Ject should simplify its complex range of turntables and thus make it clearer to customers. That, however, did not happen, even though the Xpression and Experience lines were shut down. In the meantime two new types of devices were added so there are 12 turntable lines again. In the last few years, Pro-Ject has paid the most attention to basic models intended for those who would enter the world of turntables with less effort and investment. Design & Adjustments It may not offer tons of bells and whistles, but with its solid construction, glass platter, and ability to play both 12” and 7” records, the Project T1 is a fine addition to one’s entertainment room. If you can get past that hurdle, then the next determining factor should be your upgrade options, and whether that’s important to you.Sparser arrangements are also beneficial, however, because this isn’t the most spacious of soundstages and can sometimes be cluttered by a throng of instruments. Detail can be lost, and the presentation somewhat muddied.

So, while there is some semblance of upgradability with the T1 line, it’s still considered to be relatively entry level as far as turntables go, which is why you cannot adjust additional things like tonearm height or the anti-skate setting. Conclusion But there’s one company that’s been making turntables for decades, and with one of their latest product offerings, might just have found a perfect way to give consumers an audiophile experience on an affordable budget.

Conclusion

This is great for convenience and speed of setup, but might be something you feel hinders you as time goes on and your experience (and love of vinyl) increases. The RPM Line is designed for audiophiles who want to have the best quality available within its price range and are happy to live with slightly unconventional product design," Heinz Lichtenegger says. "The RPM Line’s teardrop shape plinth and non-rectangular chassis cause less resonance (as in high-end speaker designs) and the motor is free standing and isolated at 100 percent to eliminate rumble or vibration. There are many little audiophile features (such as spiked cones and inverted bearing) that target the product to the discerned audiophile.” Going for broke, listening begins with a MoFi one-step version of Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water. The T1 presents a solid musical foundation on this stellar pressing. That Ortofon OM-5 is a real sleeper and one of the best low key values in audio. Should you want just a bit more performance out of your T1, when the removable stylus needs replacing, you can put the stylus from an OM10 or OM20, it plugs right in. Personally, I’m a fan of acrylic platters (which is something you can find or upgrade to on other turntables), but a glass platter is certainly a nice option here. ProJect T1 vs T1BT vs T1 Phono SB The Pro-Ject T1 is classic Pro-Ject design with clean lines and no frills. The turntable houses a built-in belt drive motor and spindle, which should help with isolating some vibration from the motor.

The T1 Line is one of Pro-Ject’s new lines of mid-range turntables. It is priced between the Essential and Primary lines, so it’s still relatively affordable. Still, one of the biggest reasons you’d buy a T1 Line over something else is its visuals: It has a striking platter made of tempered glass. It only comes in three models. There’s the baseline T1, which requires an external phono stage and a powered amplifier; the T1 Phono SB (above), which has a built-in phono stage; and the T1 BT, which also has a Bluetooth transmitter for connection to a powered speaker or AV receiver. With its standard Bluetooth output, the T1 BT opens up a whole range of new connection possibilities. Perfect for connecting to a Bluetooth speaker or a Bluetooth enabled hi-fi system, the wireless connection lets you place the turntable much further away from the system than would otherwise be possible. Plus, it’s clutter-free!One of the first things most vinyl fans want to know, especially those that are new to the hobby, is what’s the best turntable available for a reasonable amount of money. The other changes are harder to spot but no less significant. Unlike every Pro-Ject turntable we’ve looked at before, the T1 has a platter and sub platter assembly. This means that the belt acts on the sub platter rather than the platter itself. This means that the motor can also be moved closer to the spindle which - in theory anyway - should help control unwanted oscillation. On a much more practical note, it means that fitting the belt on the T1 compared to the outer edge models is a complete and utter joy.