Robert Taussig is the go-to consultant for all things audio and visual, providing expert knowledge and installation of the highest quality. We’re vinyl fans at Critical Popcorn, and so we thought they’re the perfect people to recommend this really impressive Colourful Audio System from Pro-Ject Audio Systems – direct from the people who know their stuff!

The Colourful Audio System

If you’re anything like us, then you’re probably aware that vinyl overtook CD sales last year and there’s little doubt that the technology of the Compact Disc has failed to defeat the musical texture and richness of vinyl. One early factor in this revival may be simply attributed to nostalgia, although there is now some definitely a new wave of young converts purchasing record players for the first time, which is great to see.

Last week a prospective customer visited our showroom in Marylebone enquiring about purchasing a turntable. My immediate reply should have been to ask a little about the rest of the current system to get a gauge of what to recommend. But I quickly realised they were new to the format, there was no system, and they were starting from scratch.

Of course, this isn’t unique, and so I delved into the explanation that a record playing system is actually a combination of a turntable, an amplifier and speakers, but with an underlying worry that these costs could expand beyond her budget.

With this in mind, and many similar situations, it took me to the Colourful Audio System from Henley, the UK importer and distributor of Pro-Ject turntables, named ‘colourful’ because the turntable and speakers come in a range of matching finishes; steel blue, black, fir green, white, golden yellow and walnut – and they’re all really impressive.

Henley have put together a high quality ‘System-In-A-Box’ for just under £1600 which includes a turntable, amplifier with built in phono stage, plus a pair of compact bookshelf speakers. They have also included isolation discs to place beneath the speakers – which is very important for a record playing system.

A Brief Intro

Until 1950, records were made out of shellac and turned at 78rp, but this belief isn’t exactly true as they actually varied from low 60’s to just over 80rpm and collectors can work out the correct pitch by adjusting the speed on the player.

In 1948, the 33 1/3rpm standard was introduced, and made out of vinyl with over 20 minutes playing time on each side. The 45 arrived a year later designed for semi portable players with one track lasting up to 3 minutes per side, it was all revolution in the making. If you’re a fan of the technical, and it’s easy enough to learn, Singles (45rpm) and LPs (33rpm) are played using the same stylus, with 78s require a broader, heavier duty mono stylus.

If you turn down the sound from your speakers, put your ear to a record and listen to the sound made by the stylus on the record, it sounds thin and scratchy. That is actually what has been recorded and it requires a Phono Stage to convert it and make it sound normal. The reason is simple. Analogue sound is in the form of waves and the lower the frequency, the larger the wave. But you see, this took up too much groove space, hence the decision to adjust the sound balance and convert back on replay.

In the world of turntables, there are two types; Belt drive, best for sound quality as it decouples the motor from the record and direct drive, which is much tougher, less vulnerable to vibrations and suitable for DJs, scratching etc. Virtually all Hi-Fi turntables are belt drive.

Turntable

Pro-ject Audio Systems make a range of record players from £200 to £4000. The turntable in this system is the Debut Carbon Evo with an RRP of £499 and is a standout product in the range. It’s a minimal clean design with an excellent Moving Magnet pick-up cartridge and carbon fibre pick-up arm, it has received Best Buy reviews from all.

For those with real nostalgia, with a change of stylus, it can also play 78 rpm records from the 1950’s and earlier.

Amplifier

We’re a huge fan of the MaiA S3 amp, which is tiny and amazing. It isn’t powerful nor is it designed for high volume listening but for detail and sound quality it is our recommended amplifier at the price.

Apart from an inbuilt phono preamp, it has analogue and also digital connections and Bluetooth HD connectivity.

Speakers

A great compact bookshelf speaker (271H x 160W x 215D), perfect balance for the amplifier and really designed for a small Apartment rather than a large room, as is the amplifier.

Accessories

2 x 3m Connect-IT LS2 speaker cables

6 x Damp-IT isolation feet – 3 for each speaker to isolate transmissions from speaker back to turntable

Summary

The purpose of this system is not simply to play vinyl, it’s to also demonstrate just how good a record playing system can be. Oh, and it comes in a great range of colours to fit your lifestyle – brilliant!

Some Advice

Record player stylus’ last for a long time, they don’t seem to mind scratched records and will cope with being left playing when the record finishes (most turntables don’t switch off when the record ends).

Most never reach the end of their useful life, but can get damaged by careless cleaning or being caught by a fingernail. The manufacturer’s warranty doesn’t cover that so take care – a replacement stylus isn’t cheap.

Some golden rules for buying vinyl

Second Hand: Look at the state of the cover and the inner sleeve as a measure of usage and care. The surface of the disc should be free of large scratches and shiny which means less wear. There are many second-hand records which have never been played.

New: Buy from a reputable source. Though there are numerous respected companies re-releasing old recordings from Master Pressings on heavy duty vinyl, there are also less reputable companies making fakes disguised as something special.

Author Bio

Robert Taussig is the go-to consultant for all things audio and visual, providing expert knowledge and installation of the highest quality.

Colourful Audio System