The A1.2 is a fully automatic belt-drive turntable with an 8.3-inch ultra-low-mass aluminium arm, an Ortofon OM10 cartridge and a defeatable built-in phono stage. Put the record on, press start and the arm does the rest.
A1.2: automation and mechanics
On the A1.2 the automation is entirely mechanical. Press start and the arm travels to the lead-in groove by itself; from then on the mechanism disengages and stays decoupled for the whole side, so it plays no part in tracking. When the record ends the deck stops on its own. The automatic mechanism is built by hand in Germany, while final assembly is carried out in the Czech Republic.
Compared with the A1, the drive system and the platter have been revised. The platter is now die-cast aluminium, finished by CNC and balanced, damped by a silicone ring that runs around the rim. The chassis is MDF and stands on feet with a silicone core. Speeds are 33 and 45 rpm and change at the press of a button, without touching the belt.
The arm is an 8.3-inch ultra-low-mass aluminium design with an effective length of 211 mm and a non-magnetic headshell in polymer and carbon. It carries the Ortofon OM10, an MM cartridge well suited to such a light arm. Anti-skating and tracking force come pre-set from the factory, so getting started is quick. The built-in phono preamplifier can be bypassed if your amplifier already has a phono input; the supplied lead is the Connect it E, semi-balanced and low in capacitance. The mains adaptor is external.
Specifications
- Speeds: 33 and 45 rpm, switched electronically
- Drive: belt, with fully automatic operation
- Platter: die-cast aluminium, damped
- Wow and flutter: ±0.27% at 33 rpm, ±0.25% at 45 rpm
- Speed drift: ±0.75% at 33 rpm, ±0.65% at 45 rpm
- Signal-to-noise ratio: 65 dB
- Tonearm: 8.3-inch aluminium, ultra-low mass
- Tonearm effective length: 211 mm
- Overhang: 19.5 mm
- Cartridge supplied: Ortofon OM10 (MM)
- Phono stage: built in, can be bypassed
- In the box: 15 V DC 0.8 A mains adaptor, lid, 7-inch adaptor, felt mat, phono lead
- Consumption: 1.5 W
- Dimensions: 430 x 130 x 365 mm (width, height, depth)
- Net weight: 5.6 kg
- Finishes: black, white
