According to Michael Fremer (ANALOG PLANET) - the PRO-JECT T1 turntable was developed by PRO-JECT out of frustration that cheap 'starter' level 'plastic' turntables were giving new vinyl record enthusiasts "a bad vinyl experience".

So, PRO-JECT set about developing "a physically attractive, high performance, well-constructed turntable that’s competitively priced and built to “no plastic” higher construction standards".

3 versions are available:

US$349 - T1 turntable (with factory mounted Ortofon OM5e MM cartridge)
US$399 - T1 Phono SB (with electronically regulated precision-speed A.C. motor, push button 33 1/3/45rpm speed selection and a built-in switchable MM phono preamplifier)
US$449 - T1 BT (Bluetooth streaming added)

Features:

- Belt-drive
- Anti-resonant sub-platter design
- Heavy 8mm, zero-resonance blasted-glass platter
- 'Massive' precision CNC‘d chassis with no hollow spaces, no plastic
- 8.6“ 'highly precise' and light aluminium 1-piece tonearm with integrated headshell & low friction bearing
- Super shielded, semi-symmetrical, low-capacitance phono cables purpose designed by Pro-Ject
- Vibration absorbing feet
- Dust-cover with adjustable hinges
- Available in gloss black, matte white, walnut foil
- Made in Europe (Czech Republic)


" The overall timbral balance was super-satisfying if slightly on the warm side but not too much so. "

" Seriously, you’d never know you were listening to a $399 turntable... No sonic apologies necessary from this well designed budget ‘table. "

" ...competently designed built-in phono preamp. "

" Everything about this low cost, full featured Pro-Ject turntable impressed: the design, construction, feature set, measured performance and of course the sound. "

(Fremer's review of the T1 Phono SB)

( *Interestingly listening to Mr Fremer's lossless aiff files, you can compare the built-in PRO-JECT phono stage with the new iFI Zen phono. )

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Pity though that the BT streaming seems to be bog standard Bluetooth Class II.
Browsing around their various websites, I thought I'd spotted one that used the aptx codec, maybe the the Essential III Bluetooth, which at least has an Ortofon OM 10 cartridge, but I can't find it to confirm again.

At some time I want to play with a Bluetooth aptx TX & RX pair, even if prosaically just to get sound in to the bathroom, and maybe bedroom, wirelessly.
At my old rambling place I had every room wired at line level (a slight HF trade-off on the longer runs, but still not too bad) but impossible here.

Perhaps the next step for TT's (should be minimum Aptx Bluetooth) might be wirelessly networked with a nice DAC & RIAA stage internally? Or ... ?

Certainly I've imagined for some years an air bearing tangential arm without those pesky wires, however lightweight. (Do they affect tracking?)

Could one have batteries in/as the counterweight, a (very) sub-miniature RIAA & Bluetooth or better, a very high sample rate DAC & WIFI on board?
Sub-miniature pcb in the arm containing all that?
The batteries would recharge at rest. Maybe the signal just needs to get from the tone arm (such a quaint term) to further circuits in the chassis.

There, I've given away my idea ... note the date! ;=})

Innovation proceeds incrementally, bottom-up, fortuitously with human exchanges, collaboratively, collectively with trial and error improvements.

So I've been reading...

Nov 8, 2020 20:44:20 GMT 12 RdM said:

Certainly I've imagined for some years an air bearing tangential arm without those pesky wires, however lightweight. (Do they affect tracking?)

No, because tracing of the groove takes place at high frequencies & movement of the tonearm is VERY slow - regardless of whether the arm is linear tracking or pivotted.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Thanks for that quite clear answer.

I suppose I just wondered whether tension toward the end of the upward and randomly placed curve of the wires might influence the arm movement.

Or are the wires so light-weight ... that everybody has decided that they don't have any significant effect on lateral movement?

Thanks!

Arm wires can add friction & impede arm movement - track skipping, etc.
Especially at low tracking forces, maybe.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com