Project 1 XPRESSION CARBON UKX (Bordeaux)

"Clearly one of the class leaders. Nothing else at this price digs up as much detail or delivers it with such precision." 'What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision magazine.' 5-star review. Tested at £575.

The original - continuously developed
Back in the early 1990s, the first turntable produced by Pro-Ject was the Pro-Ject 1. Since then it has undergone continuous improvements to motor, chassis, platter and tonearm to get to today's incarnation; the 1 Xpression Carbon UKX. The deck may be greatly enhanced in every area but it still holds true to the essentials that made the original 1 such a hit.

Isolated motor unit
The motor configuration for the 1 Xpression Carbon uses the unique combination of a new AC motor with DC power supply. The DC supply is changed to AC via an AC generator underneath the turntable. This seemingly elaborate power supply actually gives a very clean and stable power supply for accurate speed consistency. As with the original 1, the motor is isolated from the plinth via two, Ortofon designed, rubber grommets. This avoids resonance transferring from the motor to chassis.

Acrylic platter for precise sound
Swapping the platter of the standard model for a hugely improved acrylic one makes a big difference. The resulting improvement in sound quality is marked with improved timing, cohesion of sound and superior detail. This comes about through the material of the platter closely matching that of a vinyl record.

Evolution inspired carbon-fibre tonearm
Inspired by the Evolution version of the famous 9cc carbon-fibre tonearm, this tonearm is impressively engineered. Highlights include an oversized outer ring and one-piece carbon-fibre arm. The oversized outer ring is open to avoid resonance yet also very rigid to provide the most stable platform for the arm to work from. As ever, a carbon-fibre tonearm tube provides significant benefits to the sound quality. Being stiffer than steel, the tonearm is more rigid than usual. This helps convey the music more accurately as there's also reduced arm resonance. In short, the music sounds tighter, punchier and more detailed than before.

Factory fitted Ortofon 2M Silver cartridge
The final flourish to this irresistible turntable is the inclusion of an Ortofon 2M Silver cartridge. Based on the 2M Red but with silver spools for optimum signal generation, it's a fantastic bonus to have this bundled in with the turntable. With its tipped elliptical shaped stylus, it provides a balanced and distortion-free sound that's also kind to your records in terms of its low wear rate.

Available in special Bordeaux red finish, the 1 Xpression Carbon UKX both looks and sounds unique.