The entry-level turntable market has a pattern that rarely changes. A manufacturer adds Bluetooth, a built-in preamp, USB output, and auto-stop into one device, prices it somewhere between $100 and $250, and markets it to people who wouldn’t otherwise know what to do with a separate phono stage. The result is usually a table that does many things poorly rather than one thing well, and the vinyl experience that follows tends to confirm whatever doubts that person had about the format.
Pro-Ject has spent three decades making a different argument. The E1.2, which launched last year as a stripped-down, fully manual belt-drive turntable with no Bluetooth and no built-in preamp, was that argument restated clearly at a more approachable price. It borrowed the sub-platter design from the company’s Debut line, fitted a 730 g die-cast aluminium platter with a TPE damping ring, and used an 8.6-inch aluminium tonearm with a carbon-reinforced headshell. No extras, no compromises to the core hardware.
Designer: Pro-Ject
The new E1.2 BT and E1.2 Phono editions extend that platform rather than rethink it. The BT version adds Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX HD and aptX Adaptive codec support, allowing it to stream vinyl wirelessly to speakers, headphones, or compatible amplifiers. The Phono edition, in contrast, adds a built-in phono preamplifier for anyone connecting to an amplifier or active speakers that don’t already include one. The hardware underneath each variant is identical; the choice between them is a question of what your listening setup actually needs.
The Bluetooth functionality is a meaningful step up from the aptX implementations that have become common at this price tier. AptX Adaptive, in particular, transmits at near-lossless quality with variable bitrate, which makes a practical difference when the source material is a well-pressed record played back through a properly aligned cartridge. You’re not losing most of what the stylus picks up before it reaches your ears. For a household where the stereo system is in one room and the better speakers are elsewhere, that matters.
The Phono edition solves the other common access problem. Most modern integrated amplifiers, AV receivers, and streaming systems don’t include a phono stage, and asking a newcomer to source a separate one before they’ve even put their first record on is a reliable way to end the conversation. Having the preamp built in removes that step without downgrading the deck’s core components. The factory-fitted Pro-Ject Pick it MM E cartridge, a moving magnet design with a conical diamond stylus and miniature neodymium magnet, stays the same across all three variants.
Both new models come in the same finishes as the standard E1.2 and add additional color options. The BT sits at £399 / €399 in High Gloss Black or Walnut, stepping up to £449 / €449 for color finishes including Satin White and Satin Golden Yellow. The Phono edition is priced at £319 / €359. The standard E1.2, still available, remains at £249 / €329 for those who already have a phono stage and don’t need wireless output.
What makes the three-variant strategy work is that it doesn’t try to collapse every possible need into one model. Each one handles a specific friction point between a first-time buyer and their record collection, and none of them compromise the mechanical quality that the E1.2 built its reputation on in the first place. The BT streams well. The Phono connects simply. The standard version gets out of the way and plays records.
