PRO-JECT LAUNCHES RANGE OF 24 NEW PRO-JECT EVO TONEARMS

Pro-Ject Audio Systems, the Austrian HiFi brand, has announced the availability of its new Pro-ject EVO tonearms.

This new comprehensive offering features models of different shapes, sizes and aesthetics for the affordable high-end turntable market.

Pro-Ject EVO 9 AS

PRO-JECT EVO TONEARMS

The new EVO tonearm range consists of 24 different tonearms including optional finishes and different lengths, but they were all developed following the same design process. Through extensive listening and technical tests, the Pro-Ject design team told us that they entered the final development phase for the new tonearm range with 10 key insights:

A conical tonearm tube reduces the moving mass of the tonearm/headshell and pushes resonances to the bearing block.

A precision tonearm requires precision machinery for tolerances within 1/1000mm.

Correct tonearm and cartridge matching, with regard to resonance, is critical for clean tracking and accurate bass reproduction.

Counterweights that sit near the bearing assembly when balanced with the fitted cartridge perform best due to increased stability.

Damped counterweights and high-mass bearing gimbals damp resonances.

High-mass flange designs are crucial for a secure connection between turntable and tonearm.

High-purity conductors offer a significant improvement in transporting low-level cartridge signals.

Low compliance cartridges require tonearms with high effective mass.

Massive tonearm holders reduce overall resonances around the tonearm.

Single-piece tonearm tubes increase stiffness and reduce mass, increasing sound transparency.

The outcome of these findings is a four-strong tonearm range, each available in 9”, 10”, or 12” effective tonearm lengths.

Pro-Ject EVO 12 AS Premium

HIGH MASS GIMBALS

Each of the models in the EVO tonearm range focuses on the idea of super-high-mass gimbals with ultra-low-friction four-point bearing assemblies. Pro-Ject uses four pin-point cardan bearings due to their stability and very low friction, and the result is clean tracking across the whole record surface. All of the models in the range boast sturdy tonearm supports, damped counterweights (in multiple sizes), liquid-smooth lift/lower mechanisms and fine adjustments for VTA and azimuth.

HIGH-GLOSS FINISHES

As standard, all EVO tonearms are available with metal parts finished in matte-black paint. However, for an additional charge, you can substantially upgrade the cosmetic appearance of your turntable and buy one of the high-gloss (HG) finishes. For £450 with the CC and CA models or £550 with the AS models, you can upgrade to a hand-polished HG finish, a professional process that takes 6-8 hours to complete per tonearm.

Pro-Ject EVO 12 CA Premium

PRO6JECT PREMIUM X-LINE

Pro-Ject turntables across the premium X-Line and RPM Line ranges feature EVO CC tonearms as standard. The new EVO tonearms mean customers can now choose to upgrade their new turntable purchase with a CA Premium, AS or AS Premium equivalent for the cost difference between their turntable’s standard tonearm and their selected tonearm upgrade. Henley Audio completes the installation before it sends out the deck, so there’s no manual work required on the customer’s part.

Pro-Ject EVO 12 CA Premium

UPGRADES

A similar upgrade is also open to all existing Pro-Ject turntable owners, where you can trade-in your current 9”, 10” or 12” tonearm and save on a new, improved EVO model.

Finally, users with non-Pro-Ject tonearms can also trade-in any other 9”, 10” or 12” tonearms and receive 30% off the SRP of their chosen EVO tonearm. Further, Pro-Ject can also supply high-quality mounting flanges for many common high-end turntables. In cases where the part is unavailable,

Pro-Ject can make a custom flange to suit the required measurements, so no turntables are out of reach for the new EVO range.

PRO-JECT EVO CC IN DETAIL

The EVO CC tonearms are high-precision designs with a stiff and light carbon fibre tube, available in 9”, 10” or 12” effective lengths.

Pro-Ject EVO 9 CC

The EVO CC uses ultra-low friction ball bearings with four stainless steel tips. This high-quality bearing arrangement ensures the installed cartridge can pick up all the delicate musical information in the record groove. For added security, Pro-Ject mounts the bearing in a full aluminium housing.

The EVO CC boasts a one-piece carbon fibre tonearm tube, which is lightweight and strong, displaying excellent characteristics for the installed cartridge. The conical arm tube keeps mass lower at the headshell end and avoids the risk of standing waves, directing any unwanted resonances towards the bearing block.

Pro-Ject EVO 12 CC

The EVO CC is internally wired with high-quality copper cabling and terminates into a 5-PIN DIN tonearm cable connector. The gravitational anti-skating force system ensures that anti-skate is correctly applied across the record surface. The tonearm rests in a heavy CNC-machined tonearm holder secured by a magnet locking system. Fine-tuning the set-up can be achieved thanks to the tonearm’s adjustable VTA and azimuth.

The EVO CC is supplied with two damped aluminium counterweights in the box, suiting most cartridge weights. Additional counterweights are available.

Pro-Ject EVO 10 CC

PRO-JECT EVO CA PREMIUM IN DETAIL

The EVO CA Premium tonearms are high-precision tonearms with an innovative carbon fibre and aluminium sandwich tonearm tube for increased effective mass and improved electrical isolation, available in 9”, 10” or 12” effective lengths.

The EVO CA Premium uses inverted Cardanic Swiss ABEC 7-quality bearings with four stainless steel tips. This premium bearing arrangement ensures the installed cartridge can pick up even more of the delicate musical information in the record groove. The bearing is mounted in a heavyweight stainless steel housing for added protection.

Pro-Ject EVO 10 CA Premium

The EVO CA Premium boasts a hybrid tonearm tube with a one-piece carbon fibre layer wrapped around an aluminium inner-tube. The result is a tonearm with slightly higher effective mass than the standard CC version, improved damping, and better electrical isolation. The conical arm tube keeps mass lower at the headshell end and avoids the risk of standing waves, directing any unwanted resonances towards the bearing block.

The EVO CA Premium is internally wired with high-purity silver cabling and terminates into a 5-PIN DIN tonearm cable connector. The gravitational anti-skating force system ensures that anti-skate is correctly applied across the record surface. The tonearm rests in a heavy CNC-machined tonearm holder secured by a magnet locking system. Fine-tuning the set-up can be achieved thanks to the tonearm’s adjustable VTA and azimuth.

Pro-Ject EVO 9 CA Premium

The EVO CA Premium is supplied with two damped stainless steel counterweights in the box, capable of finer setting adjustments, suiting most cartridge weights. Additional counterweights are available.

PRO-JECT EVO AS IN DETAIL

The EVO AS tonearms are high-precision s-shapes with special aluminium tubes and detachable headshells, available in 9”, 10” or 12” effective lengths.

The EVO AS uses ultra-low friction ball bearings with four stainless steel tips. This high-quality bearing arrangement ensures the installed cartridge can pick up all the delicate musical information in the record groove. For added safety, the bearing is mounted in a full aluminium housing.

Pro-Ject EVO 12 AS

The EVO AS boasts an exceptional aluminium s-shape tonearm tube with outstanding damping characteristics and an SME-style headshell connector at the end. The perfectly manufactured s-shape design benefits from reduced groove angle distortion and achieves excellent tracking ability for the installed cartridge. The replaceable headshell enables easy cartridge changing and further modification by selecting different headshells for different applications.

The EVO AS is internally wired with high-quality copper cabling and terminates into a 5-PIN DIN tonearm cable connector. The gravitational anti-skating force system ensures that anti-skate is correctly applied across the record surface. The tonearm rests in a heavy CNC-machined tonearm holder secured by a magnet locking system. Fine-tuning the set-up can be achieved thanks to the tonearm’s adjustable VTA and azimuth.

The EVO AS is supplied with two damped aluminium counterweights in the box, suiting most cartridge weights. Additional counterweights are available.

Pro-Ject EVO 10 AS

PRO-JECT EVO AS PREMIUM IN DETAIL

The EVO AS Premium tonearms are the flagship models in the EVO range. They feature exceptional technical properties and a high-performance sound via their s-shape tonearm tubes, available in 9”, 10” or 12” effective lengths.

The EVO AS Premium uses inverted Cardanic Swiss ABEC 7-quality bearings with four stainless steel tips. This premium bearing arrangement ensures the installed cartridge can pick up even more of the delicate musical information in the record groove. Added security stems from the bearing mounted in a heavyweight stainless steel housing.

Pro-Ject EVO 10 AS Premium

The EVO AS Premium boasts a special aluminium s-shape tonearm tube with exceptional damping characteristics and an SME-style headshell connector at the end. The perfectly manufactured s-shape design benefits from reduced groove angle distortion and achieves excellent tracking ability for the installed cartridge. With improved silver wiring, the replaceable headshell allows for easy cartridge changing and further modification by selecting different headshells for different applications.

The EVO AS Premium is internally wired with high-purity silver cabling and terminates into a 5-PIN DIN tonearm cable connector. The gravitational anti-skating force system ensures that anti-skate is correctly applied across the record surface. The tonearm rests in a heavy CNC-machined tonearm holder secured by a magnet locking system. Fine-tuning the set-up can be achieved thanks to the tonearm’s adjustable VTA and azimuth.

Pro-Ject EVO 12 AS Premium

The EVO CA Premium is supplied with two damped stainless steel counterweights in the box, capable of finer setting adjustments, suiting most cartridge weights. Additional counterweights are available.

Pro-Ject EVO 9 AS Premium

PRO-JECT EVO TONEARMS PRICES

EVO Tonearms: £725 – £2,199  (UK SRP) including special finish options.

EVO 9 CC: £725               EVO 9 CA Premium: £1,249

EVO 10 CC: £775             EVO 10 CA Premium: £1,299

EVO 12 CC: £825             EVO 12 CA Premium: £1,349

EVO 9 AS: £999                EVO 9 AS Premium: £1,549

EVO 10 AS: £1049            EVO 10 AS Premium: £1,599

EVO 12 AS: £1099            EVO 12 AS Premium: £1,649

The full Pro-Ject EVO Tonearm range will be available in the UK during September 2023, from Henley Audio’s network of dealers.

HiFi PiG Says: A wide selection of tonearms from Pro-Ject to suit many audiophiles.