Project Audio Sub-chassis Turntable With 9 Inch Carbon/alu Sandwich Tonearm - PJ97820181

The Classic meets the 175 VPO to melt design-ideas

The new Classic Evo is based on the successful EISA Award winner Pro-Ject The Classic. The main improvement is the sub-platter, where we used the experience we gained from designing the 175 – Vienna Philharmonic Recordplayer to add key changes to the Classic Evo. The main bearing construction we use is a similar system as the one on the Vienna Philharmonic Recordplayer. For improved comfort, an electronic speed change was built in, which lets you switch from 33 to 45 rpm (and vice versa) with the push of a button. Compared to the old Classic, we improved the subchassis; we tried to make it heavier and stiffer to reduce resonances. Isolating the platter and tonearm from the resonances of the motor and main plinth is the target. The heavy aluminium main platter construction utilises advanced thermo plastic elastomers (TPE) for optimising resonance behaviour.

The tonearm tube is made out of a sandwich of carbon and aluminium: carbon for stiffness and speed, alu for better damping. The bearing has been upgraded to the same type that is used on our Pro-Ject CC EVO tonearms. It facilitates frictionless vertical and horizontal movement, guaranteeing precise tracking across the entire duration of the record. The counterweight incorporates a TPE* damper which allows us to reduce the amplitude of the tonearm cartridge resonance frequency by 50%. As typical for Pro-Ject we offer also azimuth and VTA adjustment to use a variety of cartridges.

We supply as standard the Ortofon Quintet Red moving coil cartridge. However, as the tonearm offers excellent damping and flexibility as well, its effective mass can be called middle heavy, so it is also a very good partner for MC cartridges.