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Tom's Guide
23-05-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Rega Planar 3 RS review
Price $1,799/£999Connectivity RCAWeight 13lbsColors BlackCartridge Rega Nd5 MMStylus Elliptical diamondTracking Force 1.75g The world of premium record players is a difficult one to parse at the best of times. So let's make it easy for you — if you've got $1,799 or £999 in your budget and you want a turntable, buy the Rega Planar 3 RS. It's wrapped in a 'metal skin,' comes with a glass platter out of the box; oh, and it sounds really, really, really good. There's a dedicated power supply with a speed controller housed in a separate enclosure to reduce electronic interference, a snazzy laminated plinth that stays rigid while reducing mass for fewer vibrations stolen from Rega's more expensive models, and easily one of the best-looking designs to ever come out of a turntable factory. There are so few cons (apart from, perhaps, the price) that I don't think I can think of a bad word to say about the Planar 3 RS. It's one of the best turntables you can buy. Let me tell you why. You can't call the Rega Planar 3 RS cheap. At all. No matter where you are in the world, it's a costly piece of equipment. In its home U.K., it costs £999, bringing it up against some excellent options from the likes of Pro-Ject, Dual, and other more premium options. In the US, its $1,799 price point makes it slightly more expensive than its traditional competitors by a small margin. It's well worth both prices, though. In the U.K., it's almost a bargain, presenting excellent value thanks to its separate power supply and speed controller, glass platter, and glamorous style. In the U.S., it stands up with similarly priced decks with its head held high, more than matching them and even beating them in key areas. It's not cheap, but it's well worth the price. You won't have any problem getting hold of one either, although you'll have to look beyond Amazon and into more dedicated audio outlets in order to pick one up. One look at the Rega Planar 3 RS tells you everything you need to know: From its metal skin to its glass platter and custom tone arm, the Planar 3 RS is a gorgeous piece of equipment that will take center stage in your home audio setup. The little logo in the bottom right corner, the circles punched out of the strip that sits below the platter — it all serves a minimalist look that gives plenty of interest for the eye without being too busy. I think it looks stunning. Unlike much of the competition, Rega moved the speed controller to the outside of the deck as opposed to housing it within the plinth or an extra plastic housing underneath. That means you can put the controller away from the deck, and avoid the potential for unwanted electronic interference when listening to records. It also means it's easier to turn on than other turntables – just click the power button on the front, and press the other button to switch between 33 and 45. Neat. There's some really clever stuff going on in that lovely-looking chassis as well to make sure that it sounds as good as possible. That metal coating is actually what Rega calls a 'HPL,' or High Pressure Laminate, adding extra rigidity to the deck. It's wrapped around a plinth that's not just particulate as you'll find on other decks at this price — instead, Rega has used its special phenolic resin in parts of the deck that need even more rigidity, namely between the tonearm mount and the main hub bearing. Phew! If that all sounds like a lot, it's because it is. Despite looking super simple, the Rega Planar 3 RS is actually rather complicated — just know that it's in pursuit of the best sounding turntable possible. Has it worked? Yes, it has, rather well in fact. If you're looking for a turntable with loads of next-generation features like Bluetooth or even WiFi, you're barking up the wrong musical tree. This turntable forgoes a lot in the pursuit of sounding epic, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The only way to connect the turntable to anything is with the RCA connectors that come pre-attached to the device — that's it. There's no built-in pre-amp and no wireless connection protocol, so you can use it with the best wireless headphones. It's unapologetically an analog device. There is one very cool feature that I really like, though — the separate power supply that I've alluded to up top. I'll go into a bit more detail here now. Power supplies and other electronic devices have a nasty habit of introducing noise to analog signals. It's why you see grounding wires. Move those electronic components away from the deck and the electronic interference doesn't get a chance to get to the deck anywhere near as easily. Hence, that's why there's a separate power supply and electronic speed control that you can put further away from the Planar 3 RS. Smart! If you spend $3,000, you're obviously going to get something that sounds even better than the Planar 3 RS — but given how many of the differences are going to be small, I'd wager you don't need to. The Planar 3 RS sounds sublime, with that same energetic, rock-solid sound profile I loved so much in the Planar 1 Plus, but boosted up a few notches. The Planar 3 RS was played through the Tom's Guide reference system — a pair of KEF LS50 Metas, the NAD C399 amplifier, and an iFi Zen phono 3. That latter component is more important than you might think — you'll need a separate pre-amp (or one built into your amp or speakers) or the turntable isn't going to do much beyond spin and spin. Starting the turntable revealed my only critique of the turntable — as the motor spins up to move the weighty glass platter, there's a little squeak of motor noise. This could be my review unit, but it's worth noting. It quickly evaporates however, and the motor is otherwise silent in operation. It lost me in the music with an instantly enveloping sound, as if I were amongst the band members themselves. One of the biggest things I loved about the Planar 1 Plus was the turntable's ability to make me forget that I was in my own home. I felt like I was in the crowd at a concert. The Planar 3 did something similar, although it took things one step further: It lost me in the music with an instantly enveloping sound, as if I were amongst the band members themselves. In realistic terms beyond personal intangibles, the Rega Planar 3 RS excels in most key areas. The high end is clear and effervescent, while the mids are wide and immaculately formed. The low-end is strong and deep, and it all works together for some top-notch tonal balance. Imaging and soundstage are a particular strength as well. Instruments are easy to pick out amongst the din, and if properly set up with the right speakers, the soundstage is more spacious than other options. It all coalesces in a big mixing bowl of sound for a wonderfully immersive experience — one that I can't get enough of. I started, as always, with Bloodbath's Survival of the Sickest, and found a blistering death metal tour-de-force. "Zombie Inferno" built up the distorted guitars edgy and provocative, threatening in its slow slide to cacophony. The kick drum hit like a freight train, accurate and quick. Some turntables really struggle to let the instruments breathe, but the Planar 3 RS gives the bass ample room to distinguish itself from the guitar lines and drums. It's a wonderful-sounding turntable. Led Zeppelin was next on the testing block. Zep IV was my album of choice — I really wanted to see how it would handle the dynamism of "The Battle For Evermore" and its jangling opening guitar line. It did not disappoint. The space on offer in older recordings was impeccable, and the cartridge picked out every detail with accuracy. Over the course of my three weeks of testing, I've had a stunning time testing the Planar 3 RS. Its effortless presentation of my favorite tracks cement its place in the Tom's Guide reference system — and a place on our list of the best record players. The Planar 3 RS takes the design and perfomance that I loved so much when I tested the cheaper Rega Planar 1 Plus, and just makes them all… more. You'd hope so for something three times the price, of course, but still Rega has made an excellent turntable that outperforms options that cost even more. It is expensive — if you're looking to spend less, you should pick up the Rega Planar 1 Plus and its built-in Phono Pre-amp. That's $1,100 less than the 3 RS, but still sounds excellent. If you've got the money and want a new turntable though, this is your best bet.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
We're bringing you the latest hi-fi news and product launches from the High End Munich show 2025
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Today marks Day 2 of the High End Munich show! It's the last time Europe's biggest hi-fi trade show takes place in Munich (the show moves to Vienna next year), and it's going out with a splash. There are over 500 exhibitors and 1000 brands showcasing the latest and greatest audio products throughout the week. The show started on Thursday, 15th May and ends on Sunday 18th. The What Hi-Fi? team are on the ground at the MOC Event Center Messe München to bring you all the latest hi-fi news and launches, while raising a stein (or two!) to the venue's last hurrah. High End Munich 2025 info When: Thursday 15th & Friday 16th May (10am-6pm) – trade visitors only; Saturday 17th (10am-6pm) & Sunday 18th (10am-4pm) – open to the public Where: MOC Event Center Messe München, Lilienthalallee 40, 80939, Munich, Germany Tickets: €10 Saturday, €10 Sunday. Buy tickets here We've already seen multiple launches from some of the biggest hi-fi brands out there, including high-end amplifiers from Mark Levinson, Audiolab's new DACs, a high-end streamer from dCS, a new phono stage from Chord Electronics, and a special Charlie Brown turntable from Pro-Ject. Scroll down for all the key news and highlights. We'll be bringing you exclusive product news, hands-on images, first impressions and more insights from the event, so keep an eye on the website, our Instagram and Facebook channels for exclusive photos and videos from the show floor. AudiolabAudiolab has started things off with a bang, announcing two new standalone DACs – the D7 (£499) and pricier D9 (£1099) – that are descendants of the much-loved, well-regarded Audiolab M-DAC. The D7 (pictured above) and D9 are packed with new technologies and the full Audiolab D7 and D9 story AudiovectorThe Danish speaker company will be demoing its new flagship R10 Arreté floorstanders, which cost a cool £127,5000 / $165,000 / €147,500 per pair. We've already had a first look and listen to these new floorstanders, and you'll get a chance to hear them yourselves at the show.I listened to Audiovector's flagship floorstanders, and they're an incredibly fun way to spend a small fortune AuralicAuralic will be unveiling its new Aquila X3 streaming media processor at Munich, which promises "a cutting-edge feature set and true modular design, offering users unmatched flexibility and upgradability." The X3 will be on demo to showcase Auralic's LightningCast technology that is said to be "revolutionising high-resolution streaming". Audio-TechnicaThere's a new flagship turntable in town. Audio-Technica has launched the AT-LPA2 (pictured above), with chassis and platter made of clear acrylic to achieve that striking transparent look. It comes fitted with the AT-OC9XEN dual moving coil cartridge, has a separate power supply unit, and is yours for £1699 / €1999. Read the Audio-Technica LPA2 story Advance ParisThe French brand will be launching a number of new products at the show, details of which are under wraps for now. But if you like the look of the beefy A12 Classic integrated with VU meters, keep an eye out for its new releases. Astell & KernA&K has a brand new flagship portable music player – the A&ultima SP4000 – which is packed with more ways of playing high-resolution music than you would think was possible from a portable device. We don't have official pricing yet, but the previous five-star SP3000 flagship cost £3799 / $3699 / AU$5499, so expect a similarly lofty price. BurmesterNot content with one product launch at High End Munich, Burmester has refreshed its entire Reference line of products. This sees the arrival of the 257 turntable, 249 preamplifier and 259 stereo power amplifier, which are all brand new designs and share nothing from their the Burmester story Chord ElectronicsChord teased a new flagship product for its Ultima Reference range, and we now know it's the company's flagship Ultima Phonostage (pictured above). We don't have a price at this stage, but it was on display at Munich High End together with some initial the Chord Ultima Phonostage story Cyrus AudioCyrus has dropped some huge news at High End 2025 with the launch of its first-ever full-width products. The new 80 Series features casework which, according to Cyrus, is simply an extension of that used for its 40 Series. Besides giving its rengineers more room to work in, the new chassis also allows the company to accommodate its external power supply (the 40PSU) in 80 Series the Cyrus Audio story DaliDali has brought the bass to High End 2025 with the V-15F, its most powerful subwoofer yet. Weighing over 50kg, it's a bit of a beast with a huge 16-inch driver and no fewer than four continuous flare reflex ports. A serious speaker for stereo and AV the Dali V-15F story dCSThe new Lina DAC X music streamer launched earlier this month and we hope to have a peek of the new £13,500 / $15,500 player at the show. We were impressed with the Lina DAC (five stars), so have high hopes for this evolved step the dCS Lina DAC X story ElectrocompanietElectrocompaniet will be launching a new product called the EC 5.0, a fully analogue preamplifier, at the show on Friday 16th May. ElipsonThe French brand will be showing off three very different speakers at High End Munich. First up are the eye-catching, globular Planet L Performance speakers, which will be on demo. Also on show are a new version of the Prestige Facet II bookshelf speakers and an updated Legacy range of speakers. EversoloThe Eversolo Play streaming amplifier is a new product from the brand that we're keen to see first-hand. It combines extensive streaming features with a Class D amplifier in its compact box, yours for €699. There's also a version with a CD player built-in for €799 – that's a potent combination of talents for a modern do-it-all system!Read the full Eversolo Play story Fyne AudioA new addition to its F700SP line-up will be unveiled at Munich. The F704SP gets the 'Special Production" treatment, with IsoFlare driver technology and innovations drawn from the brand's flagship F1 Series. Price? £20,000 / $26,000 / €24,000 per the Fyne F704SP story GenelecFinnish audio brand Genelec will have its mammoth five-way 8381A speakers on demo at the show in a piano black finish. Alongside that are smaller Genelec The One three-way bookshelf speakers that come in a variety of colourful finishes. Gryphon Audio2025 marks the 30th year of Gryphon's Antileon Series power amplifier and at High End Munich 2025 the company has launched its fifth-generation version: Antileon Revelation. As with all Gryphon power amps, both stereo and mono versions are available, delivering 160 and 180 watts per channel (RMS) of Class A power, respectively. Read the Gryphon Audio story IsoAcousticsKnown for its isolation products, IsoAcoustics will be showcasing two new product ranges: the GAIA Neo and GAIA Titan Neo acoustic isolation feet. Designed to be more user-friendly and flexible than before, thanks to height adjustment and simplified installation. iFi AudioiFi has launched the UP Travel Bluetooth DAC – a compact transmitter and receiver that offers hi-res Bluetooth from in-car audio and in-flight entertainment systems to your devices, removing the need for cables and adapters. A 3.5mm connector, 10-hour battery and support for aptX Adaptive and LDAC codecs. JBL JBL's flagship, high-end Summit series of loudspeakers has gained three new models, all named after mountains. Joining the giant Everest and K2 models are the smaller-but-still-quite-large Makalu and Pumori floorstanders and Ama standmounter. They start at £14,998 / $19,995 per pair. Ambitious. Read the JBL Summit speakers story KlipschThe American speaker brand will have one of its latest flagship horn speakers – the La Scala AL6 – on demo throughout the show, alongside its Klipsch Ojas collaboration speakers. Over at the Motorworld hotel next door, Klipsch's Flexus 300 (the first ever soundbar with Dirac Live) and Reference Premiere speakers will be on the Klipschorn AK7 & La Scala AL6 story LuxmanCelebrating a monumental 100 years, high-end Japanese brand Luxman has launched the P-100 Centennial headphone amplifier and E-07 phono preamp, both of which we expect will be on the Luxman Centennial story Mark LevinsonMark Levinson has unveiled a whole new range of high-end amplifiers. Its 600 series comprises the No. 626 preamplifier, No. 632 two-channel power amplifier and No. 631 monoblock tower. With prices starting at £24,000 / €28,000 / $25,000 for the No. 626 this is a trio made for serious hi-fi the Mark Levinson 600 series story Meze AudioMeze Audio will be showcasing its open-back POET headphones at the show, which launched earlier this year at £1850 / $2000 / €2000. Also making their debut at the show are the new open-back 105 Silva – official price and launch later in the year. Read the Meze 105 Silva story Musical FidelityWe first saw Musical Fidelity's new midrange B1 series of hi-fi separates at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show earlier this year. The B1 xi integrated amplifier and B1c CD player are both on display at Munich, the Musical Fidelity B1 range story NADNAD has taken the wraps off two new amps for its Master Series range: the M33 V2 BluOS Streaming Amplifier (£4999 / $5999) and M23 V2 Stereo Power Amplifier (£3499 / $3999).Read the NAD story NagaokaThe Japanese cartridge brand is celebrating its 85th anniversary with a brand new flagship cartridge. The Nagaoka MP-700 promises "exceptional detail retrieval from vinyl grooves" and is yours for £1149 / $ the Nagaoka MP-700 story OnkyoWe're excited to see Onkyo's Icon series at the show, which marks the brand's return to hi-fi after many years of absence. The Icon includes a streaming integrated amplifier, a network preamplifier and a power amplifier, and they certainly look smart from the pictures we've seen so far. PMCPMC has confirmed that it will be demoing its new Prophecy range of speakers, which includes one pair of standmounters, three pairs of floorstanders and a centre speaker, with prices ranging from £2275 / €2775 to £8975 / €10,945. Pro-JectPro-Ject has unveiled a Peanuts-themed record player – to coincide with comic strip's 75th anniversary – and Charlie Brown's round head on the platter just looks adorable. Previous years saw the launch of the ultra-cool Metallica turntable, the beautiful Pink Floyd one, and the lovely Yellow Submarine the Pro-Ject Peanuts record player story QobuzFinally, the long-awaited Qobuz Connect feature has launched at High End 2025. In line with Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect, Qobuz's version will hopefully bring a more seamless streaming experience to your hi-fi system and a simpler way of controlling your Qobuz music library across the Qobuz Connect story SennheiserHead to the Sennheiser booth and try out its "immersive mirror box", which offers a short "multi-sensory light and sound experience, followed by visual snippets with behind-the-scenes insights." We're excited to find out what this experience entails. T+AA new streaming integrated amplifier called Symphonia will be on demo, paired with the Talis S 330 floorstanding speakers. Visitors will also get their first look at a new E Series receiver concept running the latest T+A OS user interface – both are currently in development. TADThe high-end Japanese brand will be showcasing its ultra high-end TAD-ME1TX standmount speakers, which boast "meticulous engineering and superior materials", with the price tag starting at a wallet-busting £17,500 / $18,200 / €17,300 per pair. TechnicsWhile we don't have any indication that Technics will be unveiling something brand new at the show, the legendary Japanese brand is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, so expect to see their latest launches – SL-1300G turntable and EAH-AZ100 wireless earbuds (both five stars) – on display. WharfedaleWe've seen a new range of speakers from Wharfedale at High End 2025. Evo 5 replaces the well-received Evo 4 line and boasts five different models with updated cabinets, drivers and crossovers and new damping technology. Prices start at £549 / €699 / AU$ the Wharfedale Evo 5 story WiiM WiiM had a big High End Munich last year, launching the WiiM Ultra (five stars) and WiiM Amp Pro (currently being tested). Munich 2025 will be similarly significant thanks to the launch two new product types: the HomePod-looking WiiM Sound smart speaker and the WiiM Sub Pro subwoofer. We're also excited to see the new WiiM Amp Ultra streaming amplifier (pictured above), which combines the Ultra's touchscreen display unit with 100W of amplification, along with plenty of streaming features and the WiiM Sound storyRead the WiiM Amp Ultra story You can see the full list of brands exhibiting this year. MORE: Revisit the highlights from last year's High End Munich 2024 8 tracks we've been using to test in the What Hi-Fi? listening rooms this month The rise of small, complete hi-fi systems that are more accessible for newcomers is a great direction for the industry The best music streamers across all budgets
Stuff.tv
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Stuff.tv
Good grief, this Pro-Ject vinyl player is perfect for Charlie Brown fans
If you're a vinyl lover that's ever dreamed of spinning vinyl with Snoopy, then your wallet should be concerned. Pro-Ject has just dropped the perfect deck for Charlie Brown fans. The Peanuts Turntable is the latest limited-edition vinyl player from Pro-Ject, celebrating 75 years of the beloved comic strip in gloriously musical style. Read more: Best Bluetooth speakers in 2025 reviewed and rated Built on Pro-Ject's tried-and-true T1 BT platform, this isn't just a pretty plinth, it's got the guts to match its nostalgia. You're getting an Ortofon OM 10 cartridge right out of the box, a glass platter thick enough to double as Linus' blanket, and Bluetooth to keep it wire-free for the modern-day listeners who want to connect their tunes to a speaker. But let's be honest, you're here for the looks. Pro-Ject's Peanuts Turntable wears its love for the strip proudly, with comic panel art splashed across the base. There's a bespoke acrylic record plate that captures Charlie Brown in his timeless, if slightly tragic, pose. If vinyl is your medium of choice, this is probably one of the best turntables you could buy. Handmade in Europe, the build on this turntable is some serious business. It's made with precision CNC machining, an anti-resonant sub-platter design, and an aluminium tonearm. This Pro-Ject player is ready to belt out everything from jazz standards to indie deep cuts, whether through classic RCA cables or beamed to your headphones like Woodstock taking flight. The Pro-Ject Peanuts Turntable will be available from June via authorised Pro-Ject retailers, with a price tag of £579/€599. In the UK, you can order it directly with Henley Audio.
Forbes
27-03-2025
- Forbes
Pro-Ject Audio Updates Its A1 Automatic Vinyl Turntable With New Features
The new Pro-Ject A1.2 automatic turntable has plenty of new premium features and an easy-to-use ... More design. Sales of vinyl have been rising for almost two decades now, ever since millennials discovered the joy of music held on physical media. On the back of this revival, many turntable manufacturers like Pro-Ject Audio have seen healthy growth in their business. Pro-Ject Audio Systems has just unveiled the A1.2, its latest fully automatic turntable in the company's AUTOMAT range which makes the playing of vinyl more accessible. The new turntable retains the core design principles of the original A1 model, but the A1.2 refines the performance with a series of important upgrades. The A1.2's new die-cast aluminum platter is at the heart of the turntable's improvements, replacing the stamped platter of the original A1. Pro-Ject has also introduced a CNC machining process that ensures precise and consistent production of the platter which reduces resonance. The new A1.2 turntable has a new die-cast aluminum platter that replaces the previous model's ... More stamped version. The new deck has an 8.3-inch ultra-light aluminum tonearm with a redesigned headshell made from carbon fiber-reinforced polymer. This construction enhances the arm's stability but keeps its weight to a minimum—a key factor in automatic turntable design. The maker has paired the tonearm with a pre-adjusted Pro-Ject Pick it MM E cartridge. The engineering of the A1.2 extends to fully mechanical operation, eliminating motors or electrical components from the tonearm. By eliminating any potential source of interference, unwanted resonance is avoided. Once a record begins playing, the mechanics are disengaged completely, preserving the playback quality. Like its predecessor, the A1.2 is handmade in the same German factory but with the final assembly taking place in Czechia. The result, says Pro-Ject, is a 'super-reliable, high-performance product at an accessible price.' The chassis of the A1.2 is made from resonance-damped wood and has silicone-damped feet for isolation, while semi-symmetrical Connect it E phono cables continue Pro-Ject's reputation for making high-performance automatic turntable. The new A1.2 turntable from Pro-Ject has its counterweight and anti-skating mechanism preset at the ... More factory. Setting up the turntable is easy because the tracking force and anti-skating device are adjusted at the factory prior to shipping. The A1.2 also comes with a fitted cartridge that has been factory-aligned and is ready for playback straight out of the box. All the user needs to do is unpack the turntable, place it on a level surface and remove the platter's protection and the tonearm's twist tie. The user just needs to clip on the dustcover hinges before sliding them into the turntable's hinge holders. Finally, the power supply is plugged into the socket on the turntable's rear before turning on the mains power. The A1.2 includes an integrated phono preamp with an on or off switch which is set by lifting the turntable's mat and adjusting the switch manually. Once the turntable speed is chosen, the user just needs to lift the lever and press the Start/Stop switch. The platter begins spinning and the tonearm automatically moves to the correct position before gently lowering the stylus onto the record surface. Once the music is over, the tonearm automatically returns to its resting position. The new Pro-Ject A1.2 turntable is available in black and white finishes and will start shipping in April and is priced at £469. The turntable should be available in the U.S. soon but no price has been published. The Pro-Ject A1.2 turntable is available in the U.K. and Ireland from Henley Audio. In the U.S., Pro-Ject Audio is available here.
Khaleej Times
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Pro-Ject's The Classic Reference Turntable is a masterpiece of audio purity
There's something wonderfully visceral about vinyl. A pulsating tactility that makes the music played on it seem 'alive'. Ever since the invention of sound recording and playback, music reproduction has experienced several epochs of advancement – the wax cylinder, hand-cranked gramophone and vinyl records, the magnetic spool, followed by the cassette tape and then the compact disc, and finally digital music in the form of MP3 and various other file formats. But even as most such ways and means to consume audio have come and gone, the humble vinyl record has stayed on while all other formats of music hardware and devices bit the dust in front of digital music. But vinyl has not just stayed on — it has pretty much turned the tables on digital music of late by becoming the audio purist's and the audiophile's medium of choice to enjoy high-fidelity music on. Given the hardware available for playing vinyl, that's hardly a surprise. One look at the new turntable from Austrian hi-fi and turntable specialist Pro-Ject, and you know how the tables have turned from the days when vinyl records and turntables were dismissed as relics of a less advanced old era in favour of the cassettes and then the compact discs. But there is something enduring and endearing about music played on a vinyl record that has made dedicated, super high-end audiophile-grade companies such as Pro-Ject refine the turntable even further, coming up with such superlative products recently as The Classic Reference turntable, a stunner and perhaps this specialist brand's most impressive yet. Designed to be the gold standard for high-end turntables, it combines elements from two of Pro-Ject's previous models — the Classic EVO and the VPO 175. The latter was created for the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra's 175th anniversary, so it's clear that the new The Classic Reference draws from some pretty elite parentage to form a truly exceptional limited-edition turntable. True to Pro-Ject's tradition, this is a turntable that is overengineered to perfection, using the best and costliest materials, with a sprinkling of the yellow metal thrown in. It features Pro-Ject's EVO 9 ASHG tonearm, which uses high-precision Swiss ABEC7 bearings with four stainless steel tips, all housed in a robust aluminium gimbal for enhanced stability. The S-shaped tonearm includes internal damping, a removable headshell, and high-quality copper wiring connected to a gold-plated clip for superior signal transmission. The heavy-duty aluminium platter is designed with advanced Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) to reduce unwanted resonance, eliminating the ringing effect often found in cast platters. Additionally, the precision-machined platter is dampened with TPE underneath and spins on a finely balanced aluminium sub-platter, which boosts rotational stability and increases the mass of the drive system for improved performance. For connectivity, The Classic Reference includes both RCA jacks and standard XLR outputs, allowing for balanced signal transmission similar to professional studio equipment for cleaner sound with minimal interference and background noise. The power management, meanwhile, is made to support both its own turntable needs and Pro-Ject phono preamps simultaneously. Available in two stylish finishes — Gloss Black and Silver, and Acacia Bronze — The Classic Reference is a visually stunning piece of electronic art in either finish, its mere presence lending a sophistication to any room even before it plays a single note. But playing those notes is what it was meant for. When we listened to the demo at UAE authorised Pro-Ject dealer Virgin Megastore with the turntable hooked to Pro-Ject's own phono pre-amp and integrated amplifier, playing through its 10E Carbon speakers, the warmth, mellowness and sweetness of the sound was like a pleasant shock to the ears. Here was a turntable that exhibited the true essence of vinyl sound to the core, reproducing even the cackles and scratches of the recording down to a minute yet unedgy detail. Not for this system the sharp-edged tonality that the exactness of a CD player provides, which makes the music seem to have a sharp edge. If music can be made to sound round, soft, balanced and uplifting, then The Classic Reference can do it. When that vinyl record spins on the aluminium platter and the gilded tonearm glides over its tracks, the music seems alive. At around Dh22,000 for the silver version and Dh26,000 for the gold-finished one, Pro-Ject is turning the tables on digital music with its hand-crafted-in Europe The Classic Reference, epitomising audio luxury and purity. Hits • Stunning looks and build quality • Superlative sound Misses • Limited-edition run Price Dh22,000 to Dh26,000 Rating 5 stars KT Luxe
