There’s something wonderfully visceral about vinyl. A pulsating tactility that makes the music played on it seem “alive”.
Ever since the invention of sound recording and playback, music reproduction has experienced several epochs of advancement – the wax cylinder, hand-cranked gramophone and vinyl records, the magnetic spool, followed by the cassette tape and then the compact disc, and finally digital music in the form of MP3 and various other file formats. But even as most such ways and means to consume audio have come and gone, the humble vinyl record has stayed on while all other formats of music hardware and devices bit the dust in front of digital music.
But vinyl has not just stayed on — it has pretty much turned the tables on digital music of late by becoming the audio purist’s and the audiophile’s medium of choice to enjoy high-fidelity music on. Given the hardware available for playing vinyl, that’s hardly a surprise. One look at the new turntable from Austrian hi-fi and turntable specialist Pro-Ject, and you know how the tables have turned from the days when vinyl records and turntables were dismissed as relics of a less advanced old era in favour of the cassettes and then the compact discs.
But there is something enduring and endearing about music played on a vinyl record that has made dedicated, super high-end audiophile-grade companies such as Pro-Ject refine the turntable even further, coming up with such superlative products recently as The Classic Reference turntable, a stunner and perhaps this specialist brand’s most impressive yet.
Designed to be the gold standard for high-end turntables, it combines elements from two of Pro-Ject’s previous models — the Classic EVO and the VPO 175. The latter was created for the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra’s 175th anniversary, so it’s clear that the new The Classic Reference draws from some pretty elite parentage to form a truly exceptional limited-edition turntable.
True to Pro-Ject’s tradition, this is a turntable that is overengineered to perfection, using the best and costliest materials, with a sprinkling of the yellow metal thrown in. It features Pro-Ject’s EVO 9 ASHG tonearm, which uses high-precision Swiss ABEC7 bearings with four stainless steel tips, all housed in a robust aluminium gimbal for enhanced stability. The S-shaped tonearm includes internal damping, a removable headshell, and high-quality copper wiring connected to a gold-plated clip for superior signal transmission.
The heavy-duty aluminium platter is designed with advanced Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) to reduce unwanted resonance, eliminating the ringing effect often found in cast platters. Additionally, the precision-machined platter is dampened with TPE underneath and spins on a finely balanced aluminium sub-platter, which boosts rotational stability and increases the mass of the drive system for improved performance.
For connectivity, The Classic Reference includes both RCA jacks and standard XLR outputs, allowing for balanced signal transmission similar to professional studio equipment for cleaner sound with minimal interference and background noise. The power management, meanwhile, is made to support both its own turntable needs and Pro-Ject phono preamps simultaneously.
Available in two stylish finishes — Gloss Black and Silver, and Acacia Bronze — The Classic Reference is a visually stunning piece of electronic art in either finish, its mere presence lending a sophistication to any room even before it plays a single note.
But playing those notes is what it was meant for. When we listened to the demo at UAE authorised Pro-Ject dealer Virgin Megastore with the turntable hooked to Pro-Ject’s own phono pre-amp and integrated amplifier, playing through its 10E Carbon speakers, the warmth, mellowness and sweetness of the sound was like a pleasant shock to the ears.
Here was a turntable that exhibited the true essence of vinyl sound to the core, reproducing even the cackles and scratches of the recording down to a minute yet unedgy detail. Not for this system the sharp-edged tonality that the exactness of a CD player provides, which makes the music seem to have a sharp edge. If music can be made to sound round, soft, balanced and uplifting, then The Classic Reference can do it. When that vinyl record spins on the aluminium platter and the gilded tonearm glides over its tracks, the music seems alive.
At around Dh22,000 for the silver version and Dh26,000 for the gold-finished one, Pro-Ject is turning the tables on digital music with its hand-crafted-in Europe The Classic Reference, epitomising audio luxury and purity.
Hits• Stunning looks and build quality
• Superlative sound
Misses• Limited-edition run
PriceDh22,000 to Dh26,000
Rating5 stars
