Revered turntable maker Pro-Ject just unveiled a complete vinyl package with amp and speakers, and I love its boldness

LovabledanielsFebruary 20, 202575 Views

Pro-Ject unveils new ready-made audio systems
Turntable, amp and speakers in a single, unified package
Starting at £1,099 and available from March

Pro-Ject has unveiled a pair new, ‘ready-made’ audio systems for vinyl fans that go big on colour and small on complexity.

The Colourful Audio System 2 and Colourful Audio System E are self-contained hi-fi systems that include a turntable, amplifier, and pair of stereo speakers in a single, simple package.

The Colourful Audio System E is the cheaper option at £1,099, pairing the Debut E turntable – available exclusively via this system – with a 40W-per-channel Stereo Box E amplifier, and Speaker Box 5 E Carbon bookshelf speakers with a one-inch silk dome tweeter.

The turntable features “a solid MDF plinth, aluminium tonearm, and Ortofon OM5e cartridge”, while the amplifier accommodates six different analogue/digital inputs alongside Bluetooth 5.0 streaming.

Notably, the Colourful Audio System 2 includes the Debut Carbon Evo 2 turntable, the sequel to Pro-Ject’s beloved Carbon Evo deck that currently tops our best turntable guide as “the best turntable for most people”. It features an 8.6-inch carbon fibre tonearm and “heavy, damped, aluminum platter” with Pro-Ject’s MM EVO cartridge.

That’s paired with a MaiA S3 amplifier – also 40W per channel, but with eight digital/analogue inputs alongside Bluetooth 5.0 streaming – and two Speaker Box 5 S2 bookshelf speakers, for a total of £1,799.

The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO 2 one-ups our favorite turntable. (Image credit: Pro-Ject)

Fir Green, or Wine Red?

Pro-Ject has made some of our favorite turntables in recent years, from the five-star Debut Carbon Evo to the eye-wateringly expensive Signature 12.2, which retails for $15,000.

But these Colourful Audio Systems have the advantage of being a complete turntable and speaker package, meaning vinyl devotees won’t have to go through the ordeal of selecting various separates (a source, and amplifier, a speaker setup) that work together optimally before getting started.

There’s also the added benefit of a unified aesthetic. These systems are as ‘colourful’ as the name suggests, in Black, Fir Green, Golden Yellow, Steel Blue, and White colorways, with an additional Wine Red finish for the higher-end System 2.

Both models are available to buy in March 2025 in the UK, so there’s not long to wait either. There’s no word of a launch in the US or beyond yet.