Automatic for the People: Fully Automatic Pro-Ject Automat A2 Turntable Blends Audiophile Performance and Worry-Free Ease, Features Handmade German Build and Innovative Sub-Chassis
Fully automatic operation and audiophile-quality sound have seldom gone hand in hand. The Pro-Ject Automat A2 bridges that divide. Hand-made in Germany (the chassis is constructed in Austria), this 16-pound belt-drive unit plays LPs with a full, rich, warm sound that will have you revisiting your vinyl collection — and scouring the crates for new finds. All the while offering the user-friendly ease practically every vinyl lover wants: freedom from having to race to get up when an LP side ends or stress about a spinning platter (or prematurely worn needle).
Want to listen to a record on Automat A2? How’s this for convenience: Simply flip the “start” switch. That’s it. The 8.3-inch aluminum tonearm will automatically move to the lead-in groove of your LP, and after the record starts playing, all automatic tonearm functions remain disengaged until the tonearm reaches the lead-out groove. Once there, it will automatically lift and return to its rest. The Automat A2 shuts down. Simple, easy, smart.
Equipped with a preinstalled Sumiko Rainier phono cartridge and damped counterweight that allows for massless tracking-force adjustments, Automat A2 plays at 33, 45, and 78RPM speeds by way of an electronically regulated DC motor. A damped aluminum platter, floating sub-chassis, and heavy MDF plinth hand-painted with eight coats of black-matte finish combine to reproduce music with pleasing quickness, transient detail, and revealing micro-dynamics.
The mechanics and architecture of Automat A2 inherently isolate the most critical components — along with the cartridge, its tonearm, complete with a four-pinpoint gimbal with steel-tip ball bearings, is decoupled from the main chassis — from external noise and interference for more optimal sonic results. Everything rests on silicon-damped aluminum feet and boasts a semi-symmetrical Connect-It E phono cable for superb signal transmission. A protective dust cover rounds out this sleek analog rig, which promises to let you relax more and worry less.
Want to know more about the fully automatic Automat A2? Reach out to a Music Direct audio consultant at 312-433-0200 and we’ll talk you through the details.
Heavy MDF Plinth and Floating Sub-Chassis
The heavy MDF plinth is hand-painted with a luxurious eight-coat matte-black finish. Its mass reduces unwanted resonance and isolates the turntable from external vibration. Automat A2 employs a system wherein the tonearm, platter bearing, and motor are affixed to a separate, floating sub-chassis. This approach isolates the most critical components of the turntable from external noise, resonance, and interference.
Suspended Sub-Chassis Design
Automat A2’s automatic mechanism is comprised of many parts — meaning it requires a substantial cutout from the main plinth. Enclosed hollow spaces in turntables tend to transmit vibration and resonance. By employing a suspended sub-chassis, Pro-Ject decouples the tonearm, cartridge, and drive mechanism from the high-mass main chassis, thus eliminating hollow spaces and their adverse effects on sound.
Massless Tracking Force Adjustment
Damping the counterweight makes the tonearm more robust. It also decouples the counterweight from the tonearm, reducing resonant frequencies. Tracking force can be set by adjusting a precision spring (from the wristwatch industry) affixed to the tonearm bearing. This keeps the center of gravity above the bearing center.
