Pro-Ject Automat A1 Turntable: Making Automatic Cool Again

I really wish the Pro-Ject Automat A1 Turntable had been released 3 years ago. It would have saved me a lot of grief.

A few years ago, I decided to be the “good” son and purchased a new turntable for my parents.

My mother never got rid of her records and she thinks any music recorded after 1975 is garbage so it seemed like the perfect kind of gift. Dad still has his McIntosh rig from 1981 and it seemed like the perfect way to keep them from killing one another now that they are retired and living in Florida.

There’s nothing wrong with the U-Turn Orbit+ Turntable; unless you are someone like my parents; my 75 year-old parents with imperfect vision and less than steady hands.

Mom didn’t love what she called “the flimsy record player that I have to cue up on my knees wearing my reading glasses” and wondered why her “audiophile” son who runs a stereo magazine couldn’t find her an automatic table like they used to make that isn’t built like a toy.

She was awesome on report card day. I love her like crazy but don’t mess with a former prosecutor born in a DP Camp to Holocaust survivors.

She did break a few carts in the process and eventually told me to take it back.

Ouch.

“If I can’t push a button and it plays my records…who needs it,” she remarked while my poor father installed a plexiglass shield around his vintage McIntosh gear out of fear she would find a way to break that too.

Is she wrong?

She does speak German and Yiddish and it wouldn’t surprise me if she reached out to the kind folks at Pro-Ject behind my back on this one.

Handmade in Germany, the new Pro-Ject Automat Series of turntables are the latest in high-quality HiFi automatic turntable design, while remaining accessible for modern homes and listening environments.

So what inspired the new Pro-Ject Automat A1 Turntable?

“The project was inspired after our team listened to our customers seeking maximum simplicity in their vinyl experience.”

I knew it. Einfachheit.

If you don’t think there is a market for this — you are really not paying attention. Consumers want something built by a reputable brand that comes with a good cartridge and requires very little “fiddling” and set-up.

I shared this with my mother prior to publication and she asked some smart questions.

“Do I have to do anything but put a record on the platter and press a button?”

No.

“Do I need more than one cable? Because you know how much I hate your father’s mess of cables.”

One power cord and one cable to his McIntosh system.

“Is it made in China?”

Germany. Like your Mercedes.

“Do we get a discount because you’re our son?”

They’ll probably charge you more.

“When can we get one?”

My daughter at SUNY-Binghamton had a similar reaction.

Automat A1 Key Features

• Factory installed and aligned Ortofon OM10 cartridge
• Built in, switchable phono preamp
• 8.3” aluminium low-mass tonearm
• Precise mechanics with automated start and stop
• Aluminium platter with damping ring
• Carbon fiber reinforced non-magnetic headshell
• Resonance damped chassis
• Silicon damped isolation feet
• Electronically controlled playback speeds
• Premium semi-symmetrical Connect it E phono cable
• Gold plated RCA cable connectors
• Dust cover included
• Handmade in Germany

For more information: project-audio.com

Price & Availability

The Pro-Ject Automat A1 Turntable will be available for $499 in February 2022.