Get your metal horns ready, Metallica fans, and make some room on your hi-fi console. Audiophile equipment maker Pro-Ject has announced a special-edition turntable in collaboration with the legendary heavy metal band.
Paying homage to the group’s iconic ninja star logo, the handmade turntable’s plinth features four jagged blades with a mirrored finish visible through the clear glass platter and protruding from the edges of it in a striking starlike formation. In line with Pro-Ject’s previous artist-themed record players produced with the likes of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, this Metallica deck will be available in limited quantities and through select retailers this summer for $1,600.
The turntable’s plinth is made from heavy, non-resonant MDF material that’s typical of what can be found in several of Pro-Ject’s high-end turntables. The heavy glass platter sits atop an aluminum sub-platter that’s belt-driven, making for the quiet, precise operation that audiophiles prefer and that Pro-Ject Audio is known for. It also has a speed selector switch, so you won’t have to fuss with manually moving the belt.
While there’s no telling just how involved the members of Metallica were involved in this collaboration, they’re likely pleased with the choice of the Ortofon/Pro-Ject-designed Pick it S2 C cartridge. Known and loved by DJs and audiophiles alike, the cartridge is based on the popular Ortofon Concorde plug-and-play design, which is easy to install and change. Here, the S2 C comes factory installed and aligned, according to the press release, and its 8.6-inch, aluminum, S-shaped tonearm features adjustable vertical tracking angle (VTA), tracking force, and anti-skate settings, making it a pretty feature-stacked turntable.
