Pro-Ject presents its first fully automatic turntable in the form of the Automat A1: just put the record on and listen.
According to Pro-Ject, the new Automat A1 is designed for people who want to listen to vinyl, but find the complex operation of a regular turntable too difficult. With the Automat A1, you don’t have to worry about anything. Put some vinyl on, press start and listen. The needle is automatically placed on the record. At the end the player is just as automatically stopped and the arm returns. During playback, the automatic mechanism is disconnected so that it should have no further disturbing effect on the sound quality.
Accurate
The new Pro-Ject is placed on a heavy wooden chassis, in which the complete interior is also built. The electronically controlled motor should guarantee an accurate speed – 33 or 45 rpm – while the manufacturer also built in a phono pre-amp. This can be bypassed if desired, so you using your own phono preamp is an option too. The Automat A1 is handmade, in Germany. It has a price tag of €399, so that’s very reasonable.