PRO-JECT
19
THE VINYL RESURGENCE is well
documented – there is even an official
top 30 vinyl chart in the UK. However the
vinyl market is about to go 21st century
with the Pro-Ject Essentials 11 Digital
turntable (pictured right). Not only does
this turntable have a built-in phono stage
for connection to amplifiers without a
phono stage, it also has an optical output.
That’s right, it has an in-built A/D
(analogue-to-digital) converter, and will
connect into any device with a digital
input. This is ideal for any consumer whostill has a vinyl collection, or is
captivated by the technology but
has moved to an all-digital base.
At this stage we don’t have a definite
release date for this model, or even a
price, but it will be an intriguing product
when it arrives.
The other new offering from Pro-Ject
is more conventional. The 2 Xperience
is an extremely well-built 2-speed belt-
drive manual turntable. The plinth is
constructed from anti-resonant MDF,
and the platter employs a fully balancedanti-
resonant sandwich
construction. Most importantly the
well-respected 9CC tonearm has been
matched with the Ortofon 2M Silver
cartridge which, according to Hi-Fi Choice
magazine, is a ‘marriage made in heaven’.
For good measure the 2 Xperience also
comes with a record clamp.
The 2 Xperience sells for $1,995.Pro-Ject Gets Smart