Pro-Ject Audio Systems have announced the immediate availability of a new, and they say “dramatically improved” version of the Essential II, the Essential III.

The Essential III boasts a series of improvements. It retains the simple yet elegant frame of the Essential II. Made from high-quality MDF for its acoustically neutral character, and now wrapped in a high-gloss paint finish (available in red, white or black). The plinth is then mounted on three anti-vibration feet, for decoupling from the surface on which the turntable is placed. One of the most obvious changes with the new model is in the use of an upgraded Acryl-IT E platter. Available separately for £85.00 (SRP), the Acryl-IT E provides an inert platform for your vinyl records to reduce the unwanted effects of resonance. Available for use with and without the supplied felt mat, the platter uses a stainless steel bearing in a bronze bushing with Teflon-linedbottom for smooth rotation.

The Essential III uses the same 9V motor as its predecessor, but it’s also the first to use a new integrated grounding link that dramatically reduces electrical interference to unprecedented low levels. The motor is a premium, synchronous AC design that’s driven by a built-in signal generator and there is a brand new aluminium pulley. The Essential III is pre-fitted with an 8.6” aluminium tonearm. The gimbal bearing assembly uses sapphire bearings to allow for smooth tracking across a record, and the supplied counterweight allows for a variety of pick-up cartridges to be installed. The tonearm is supplied with an Ortofon OM 10 cartridge installed. Superior to the Essential II’s OM 5E cartridge, the OM 10 uses an elliptical profile and precision micro-mechanics.

SRP £239.00