Pro-Ject E1 Phono

Pro-Ject builds in Europe, and the E series is its newest entry line. It comes in three variants: the E1, base, with no phono; the E1 Phono, with a switchable built-in phono stage; and the E1 BT, with Bluetooth. This review is of the E1 Phono.

The design leans on a CNC-machined composite-fibre plinth, an 8.6" one-piece aluminium tonearm, electronic speed and an ABS platter with anti-resonance ridges. The supplied cartridge is an Audio-Technica AT3600L, fitted and set at the factory.

Build is Pro-Ject's territory, and the E1 Phono does not disappoint. The composite-fibre plinth is CNC-machined with no hollow spaces inside, for resonance control; the one-piece aluminium arm with headshell is rigid and low-friction, factory-set for tracking force and anti-skate. ABS platter with ridges, felt mat, isolation feet, a DC motor and — a nice touch at this price — an acrylic dust cover with adjustable hinges.

The cartridge is the point to be clear about: it is an Audio-Technica AT3600L, an MM with a conical stylus. It is a basic cartridge, and the real ceiling of the package — not a hidden flaw, but the declared limit of the class.

The character is the lively, engaging one you expect from a well-made Pro-Ject arm. On Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine the voice has body and presence, and the rhythm stays firm. The machine itself plays above its number.

But it must be said plainly: the limit is the AT3600L. A conical stylus reads less of the groove than an elliptical — less detail, less refinement at the ends of sides and on sibilants, where on a busy record you hear the tip reach only so far. The good news is that it is a floor, not a wall: the arm takes better cartridges, and the step up is immediately audible.

The one-piece arm with headshell and the factory-set adjustments make the E1 Phono easy to live with and easy to grow. Swap the AT3600L for an Ortofon OM or a 2M Red and the deck moves up a class with nothing else to do: it is the first move I would make after a few months.

And the phono stage is switchable: you can turn it off and connect an external preamp when you want to take that step. It does not lock you in — you start from a single box and open the doors later.

The E1 Phono is the newer sibling of the Pro-Ject T1, and it is worth saying what really changes. Both are plug-and-play, with a built-in phono and electronic speed. The differences: the E1 has the newer CNC plinth, the one-piece arm with a detachable headshell — so you change cartridge more easily — and a switchable phono; the T1 has a glass platter and ships an Ortofon OM, and costs a little less.

There is no outright winner: they weight different things. The E1 Phono for the newer design, the switchable phono and the ease of upgrading the cartridge; the T1 for the glass platter and the Ortofon OM at a lower price. Worth comparing the two carefully, because they are close.

Here is the E1 Phono's main argument, and it is practical: the switchable built-in phono stage means it connects to any amplifier — including the many modern integrateds and receivers with no phono input — or straight to powered speakers. It is the deck for anyone who has a good amp but no phono stage, and it is the same logic that simplifies the choices in our integrated amplifier ranking and underpins a system like the £800 one.

That the phono is switchable matters: you turn it off and use an external preamp when you upgrade, without being stuck. A note on distribution: outside Italy the E1 Phono goes mainly through specialist hi-fi dealers, and in the United States it is absent from the generalist channels. It is not a fault of the product — it is how entry-level hi-fi is sold.