The Pro-Ject A1 is the first fully automatic turntable in Pro-Ject's Automat series, combining the convenience of automatic operation with the company's established approach to analogue playback. Built around a mechanism developed by Alfred Fehrenbacher GmbH in Germany's Black Forest region, the A1 handles the entire playback cycle at the touch of a button — the tonearm lifts, moves to the record, lowers automatically, and returns at the end of the side, stopping the motor to protect both stylus and vinyl.
Construction
The A1 is built on an MDF plinth with silicon-damped feet to isolate the chassis from surface vibrations. The aluminium platter is lined with TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) to damp resonances and provide a stable, low-noise surface for the record. A sub-platter belt-drive system handles speed selection between 33 and 45 RPM.
Tonearm & Cartridge
A pre-set 8.6-inch aluminium tonearm with a reinforced headshell is factory-fitted with an Ortofon OM 10 cartridge. The OM 10 uses an elliptical diamond stylus and arrives pre-aligned and pre-set for tracking force, allowing immediate playback without any setup. The tonearm has an effective length of 211mm and an overhang of 19.5mm.
Built-in Phono Stage
A built-in moving magnet (MM) phono preamplifier enables direct connection to any amplifier or powered speakers via the fixed RCA output cables, without needing a separate phono stage. A bypass switch allows the built-in stage to be disabled for systems that already include an external phono preamplifier, outputting the raw phono-level signal instead.
In the Box
The A1 ships with the Ortofon OM 10 cartridge pre-fitted, a detachable dust cover, Pro-Ject Connect-IT E RCA cables, and an external 15V DC power supply.