Analog Gear News

Pro-Ject has staked a claim for coming up with some truly amazing Artist Collection turntables in recent years — including ’tables feting The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Metallica — and their latest offering under this signature series umbrella is a clear beauty: The Dark Side of the Moon limited edition turntable.

This special edition ’table quite symmetrically ties in with the 50th anniversary celebration of the release of Pink Floyd’s seminal March 1973 LP The Dark Side of the Moon, which itself saw a separate 50th anniversary 180g 1LP release on October 13.

According to Pro-Ject, the impetus for creating this visually striking ’table was simple: “The Dark Side of the Moon album is recognized for its artwork almost as much as the music,” the manufacturer noted in an official statement. “It shows an enigmatic prism that reflects beams of light into space. It’s a magical and mystical theme that illustrates the band’s complex sound pallet. For us, it was a no-brainer to create a turntable based on this concept & image. . . . With high-quality materials, [we] were able to implement the core aspects of the artwork.”

The prism plinth of the Pro-Ject Dark Side turntable is made of 28mm thick MDF. The stainless-steel axle of the heavy aluminum subplatter rotates in a bronze bushing. An AC motor drives the subplatter and the tempered, heavy glass platter (10mm thick) with a silicon drive belt.

The low-resonance 8.6in straight acrylic tonearm is “a completely new design,” according to Pro-Ject, and it boasts a combination of black aluminum and acrylic parts. The Dark Side ’table is supplied with a Pick it PRO Special Edition MM phono cartridge.

Additionally, Pro-Ject feels that, quote, “With the addition of the LED-backlit rainbow, the turntable looks even more impressive in low light.”

Included with The Dark Side of the Moon turntable — which, like all Pro-Ject ’tables, is handmade in Europe — are a semi-symmetrical phono cable, gold-plated RCA connectors, precision belt drive with electronic speed control, 33rpm and 45rpm operation (manual belt change), felt mat, 15V DC 0.8A power supply, and a 7in singles adaptor.

Specs for the Dark Side ’table include wow & flutter of ±0.16% at 33rpm and 0.14% at 45rpm, speed drift of ±0.40% at 33rpm and ±0.30% at 45rpm, signal-to-noise ratio of 68dB, effective arm length/mass of 218.5mm/6.0g, overhang of 18.5mm, power consumption of 4W (0W in standby), dimensions of 19.49 x 5.31 x 15.94in, w/h/d (495 x 135 x 405mm, w/h/d), and a weight of 13.23lb (6kg).

Pro-Ject’s The Dark Side of the Moon limited edition turntable has an SRP of $1,999. It will be available via special order only, and it ships in November.

For more about Pro-Ject, go here.
To find an authorized Pro-Ject dealer, go here.