Munich 2013

Pro-Ject's "Elemental", A $199 Crosley Killer!

Michael Fremer  |  May 10, 2013

Pro-Ject founder and CEO Heinz Lichtennegger has decided to go after the cheap plastic turntable market with a high quality alternative that will sell for $199 complete with an Ortofon cartridge. The new Elemental 'table will be "plug'n'play" all the way. Even the counterweight is fixed. All the buyer has to do is remove it from the box, place the platter on the bearing, secure the belt around the platter, remove the stylus guard and plug it in. The only plastic is the stylus guard.

The secret to the new 'table's sonic success, Mr. Lichtennegger told me, is the mass placed directly below the platter bearing. The platter is of MDF, as is the plinth itself. The 'table appears to be simplicity itself, while maintaining high quality standards.

Now there's no reason to buy one of those cheap, plastic groove chewing Crosleys. Those "turntables" are currently chewing up vinyl coast to coast. Enough is enough! This should hopefully begin to put an end to it.

Lichtennegger says he's hoping to get the turntable into "alternative" retail spaces such as Target, Restoration Hardware, and other non-typical outlets that have started to carry vinyl related products.

COMMENTS
thomoz's picture
Submitted by thomoz on Sat, 2013-05-11 11:52

Unfortunately there are still two problems with this very nice "Crosley Killer". One is the $100 price point - most people will not pay more than $100 for a device with a single function, whether it be headphones or a coffee maker or a dress shirt. They don't care how durable it is or how high the quality. It's a mental thing. Two: amplifier and speakers are "extra" and most of the Crosley Zombies are looking for an all in one solution. Two watt amplifier? Two inch full range speakers? They don't care, just as long as its "all in one". This same foolishness has made the TV Soundbar the focus of the audio-for-video industry of late. Me: I'll take a tube amp and 5 speakers with nice wires any day of the week over that crap, but you know what I'm saying . . . 

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Sun, 2013-05-19 19:06

Considering that these cheapo turntables chew up records, and how easy it is to assemble a collection of records worth 100X the cost of the 'table, the foolishness of skimping on the turntable is obvous. At least to us. It needs to be communicated to a new generation of vinyl enthusiasts before it's too late

Mendo's picture
Submitted by Mendo on Sat, 2013-05-11 16:33

In the small town I live in, I fix, tune-up,  and tweak 'tables, install cartridges for people and help them buy gear (it's a service to analog, as I charge a pittanace, it's how I give back, like Mikey does). I've probably do 2-3 a month for a few years now. Anyway, every month or two, somebody wants me to work on their Crosley or the like (Mr. Fremer I'm the Yorx monoblock letter guy). I tell them as politley as I can it's a disposable piece of crap, and then set them up with something like a Sony PS-X5 (best used table for the $) an Ortofon 2M, some decent book shelf speakers and a decent receiver/integrated amp. They almost always call me back and tell me how awesome it is, how they discovered music again etc. etc. Then they feel bad they were fence sitting about spending a few hundred on something that mad them happy. Hopefully, this table will do that.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Sun, 2013-05-19 19:07

Thanks for all that you do!

alan shulman's picture
Submitted by alan shulman on Mon, 2013-05-13 06:43

It seems to me like this might be very welcome in the "junior audiophile" or young music lover camp.  Those first getting into the hobby are often dismayed at the high cost of audio equipment just to get started with a bare minimum, "musical" system.  Tell someone all you you have to do is drop $1,000 and you'll have a nice starter rig and they get bummed because its out of reach.  Anything that lowers that price point is a good thing in my book.

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