Downsides? If you ceaselessly change between 33 revolutions per minute and 45 rpm, then the T1 BT could be irritating. Unlike most turntables, there isn’t any easy change that toggles between speeds. Instead, it’s worthwhile to take away the glass platter, hook the belt drive to a completely different a part of the motor pulley, and put the platter again in place. I haven’t got any 45 rpm data, so this is not a problem for me. 

The larger downside is the dearth of an auto-stop characteristic, one thing that is discovered on many entry-level turntables (just like the Fluance) however is considerably uncommon on pricier report gamers. When one aspect of the report ends and the tonearm heads into the run-out space of a report, my Fluance RT80 stops the platter from spinning. The T1 BT would not cease till you manually toggle the change off. I’ve come to not thoughts this as a lot now, however I initially needed to get used to standing up and strolling over to it to show it off. There have been a few events the place I left it spinning a whole lot after the report stopped, which reduces the life span of the stylus ever so barely. It does imply I pay attention much more intently, which can be a good factor. 

Whenever I take advantage of the aluminum tonearm, precision is the phrase that involves thoughts. The locking mechanism that retains the tonearm resting securely in its cradle is a lot extra elegant than the flimsier one on the RT80. Also, shifting the Pro-Ject’s tonearm over a report simply feels extra, properly, exact. It would not flail round, which generally occurs on the Fluance. 

Pushing the cueing lever down is satisfying too, because the needle floats gently down into the groove. Better but, the factory-installed Ortofon OM5e cartridge would not have a big headshell, so I can really see the stylus needle. That makes it simpler to position it on the right start line of a report, which I generally had bother with on the RT80. 

Elegant Looks, Warm Sound

From the primary report I performed (Arcade Fire’s soundtrack for Spike Jonze’s Her), I picked up a barely wider soundstage from the T1 BT over the Fluance. I observed barely much less floor noise, and whereas songs total sounded clearer, bass can sometimes get overwhelming. To be honest, I related it to Klipsch the Fives audio system, that are very bass-heavy. 

The nice, heat sound nonetheless comes by means of. But is the general music constancy leaps and bounds higher than the cheaper RT80 I used to be beforehand utilizing? No. It’s a noticeable however very, very small enchancment. The downside is, should you spend simply $50 extra, you will get one of many best-sounding turntables on the market in the intervening time: Pro-Ject’s very personal Debut Carbon Evo, which my colleague Parker Hall raves about. It makes use of higher-quality supplies, like a carbon-fiber tonearm, however with no built-in phono preamp, it does require a little extra setup (and probably additional cash).

The T1 BT is nicer for newcomers, however there are a lot cheaper turntables you should purchase with extra options. Regardless, Pro-Ject Audio has them beat in design and really feel. The T1 is simply rather more nice to the touch and use, and the satin white and walnut finishes are beautiful. (If you do not take care of Bluetooth, the standard T1 is a full $100 cheaper.)

That mentioned, there’s one thing much more particular with the Houseplant-styled mannequin. The eggshell-like matte texture of the end is gorgeous, and the marginally off-white plinth generates a wave of nostalgia as if it rode a time-traveling rainbow straight from the ’80s. The little bit of coloration provides it some pizzazz and makes the Fluance look positively dreary subsequent to it. It’s a assertion piece, and it is freaking Seth Rogen’s report participant.

Houseplant says its report participant is a restricted run, so should you just like the look, you may wish to seize it quick. The firm says it is deliberating whether or not or to not produce extra as soon as the present inventory sells out.