Pro-Ject’s new flagship turntable weighs 35kg and costs $15,000… without cartridge
You can buy a lot for $15,000 even these days – that amount can get you 54 years of Netflix Premium, about 94 pairs of Nike sneakers, or even a Caddy (albeit one of the, ahem, slightly less commercially successful models). Or you can buy the huge slice of analog hi-fi heaven you see in the image above – and I bet it will follow just as smoothly…
What you’re looking at is Pro-Ject’s latest flagship turntable, the Signature 12.2. It weighs more than 35 kg (the saucer alone weighs 23 kg) and consists of more than 100 “high-precision CNC-machined parts”.
The company tells me that all production is done in-house at Pro-Ject’s factory, “keeping costs down and passing the savings on to serious vinyl enthusiasts” (so it’s actually a bargain – but if it’s budget-friendly, you might want to look at the company’s new three-strong T1 Evo range instead of this top model).
The 12-inch tonearm uses a new three-point hinge for added stability, with the DIN plug conveniently located at the rear of the arm base. Pro-Ject says the anti-skate and counterweight sections have also been simplified to provide a finer degree of adjustment and the vertical tracking angle (VTA) can be adjusted with a single thumbscrew.
I feel the need, the need for speed…
That enormous plateau is TPE-cushioned at the bottom with an integrated vinyl mat at the top. Your chosen record is also clamped to the turntable using the Signature Record Puck, which comes with your purchase. How has Pro-Ject relieved the stress on what it calls the “flawless ceramic ball bearing”? A magnet around the inverted bearing well faces another magnet embedded in the baseboard surrounding the stainless steel shaft. Everything here is focused on speed stability, with Pro-Ject’s DC-powered AC generator in the driver’s seat.
Pro-Ject says the MDF baseboard is “mass-loaded” with steel pellets, which pulls resonance away from the platter and cartridge. The conical, spring-loaded legs can also be adjusted from the top of the plinth – a big plus considering the weight (you don’t want to be lifting this thing regularly if you value the health of your spine).
The Pro-Ject Signature 12.2 will ship in the US in November 2024 and will cost $14,999, which works out to around £11,497 or AU$22,350 – and remember, that doesn’t include a cartridge. Will it be one of the best turntables out there? I really hope so. I mean, look…