aroostookme

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Price Paid:  $300.00 from eBAy

Summary:
I submitted a full review of this table and it is here. I wanted to add a few things I have discovered in the last month that may help you in choosing the Pro-ject 6.1. First, you can get a new 6.1 dustcover from Needle Doctor for $40. Just a great thing to know. I replaced mine and my table looks like a million. Second, I have changed my power cord to a grounded cord. I can use my Grado Platinum cartridge with no hum. Third, the inner plinth of this table is a second platform for balancing and leveling the table. I had not recognized that initially. the process is to put the upper leveling screw in midway. Level the table with the bottom leveler feet (use that gorgeous little Pro-Ject wooden level that comes with the deck), and then level the platter (isolated) with the three surface screws. What a really nice piece of equipment and engineering. Fourth, the gold output RCAs allows you to change the interconnects to your personal faves. After switching out several brands I would pass on that Kimber's KCAGs are fantastic with either the Grado Platinum or Sumiko's Blue Point Special. This table sounds as good as any other table I have heard. If you can get one grab it. Because it looks terrific with the new dustcover, and sounds terrific with a new power cord.

aroostookme

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Price Paid:  $300.00 from eBay

Summary:
A step above. The missing link between bare essential tables like the low end Rega and Music Halls and the high end stuff that costs as much as a home. This is a great value.

Strengths:
Solid table. Great platter system and I find the isolation system on this table so good I got rid of my turntable isolation platform. I am using the same two cartridges on this table (Shure V15 and a Sumiko Blue Point) as I use on my Music Hall MM-7 and my Rega P-3. Only switching out the tables. The P-3 has a great Grace tonearm but does not out play this table. The MM-7 has a tonearm much like the Pro-ject arm. The MM-7 is significantly quieter than either of the other two. Buy this table anytime it is under $400. It has gold RCA out plugs for easy adding of your favorite cables. An incredible resonant-free chasis system, a really nice arm no one can seriously fault in the real world, built in spirit levels, fantastic three-part platter system. And it is beautiful to look at. People look at it and say "How much does something like that cost?" Gorgeous.

Weaknesses:
That darn dust cover thing. Who thought this approach was a good idea? I suggest serious owners have a custom base built that closes the sides and includes some sort of box-in ability to completely close this table. It's a gem, but it get dusty due to poor cover engineering. Imagine this level of a machine -- it's terrific -- and they fall down on the dust cover.

Similar Products Used:
Linn LP12, Rega P-3, and Music Hall MM-7.

Price Paid:  $360.00

Summary:
review also relevant to project 6.9!!

I bought this turntable, as it offers a great price to value ratio. It is cheaper than the Regas nevertheless offers a subchassis construction. This also means that it plays in the league of much more expensive decks - of course it cannot compare to them completely due to the price tag. Last but not least it got good reviews!

The turntable construction(same as 6.9):
The chassis is quite solid, haevy has a nice finish. Not so clever is the dust cover that lets the dust get in. The motor is quiet, but it is not shielded just as the motor electronics so you can hear a little hum, but that is really very minor. The subchassis stands on springs, which is a cheap construction - better decks let the subchassis hang on springs. But of course you have to be fair and not compare it to a 1500§ deck. The platter is ok nevertheless you can see some slight wobbling (.1 mm), which is so minor that it does not degrade the performance - the vinyl is wobbling much more.

The tonearm:
The 6.1 tonearm looks good headshell and shaft made from one piece. The antiskating, and the lift are not so impressing the feeling is not solid but cheap, the lift is quite uncomfortable. Also the VTA adustment on the arm (all these features are the same on all project arms as far as I know) is really bad - just one srew, also making for a bad sonic contact to the bearing and really hard to align. Nevertheless you can align all degrees of freedom of the turntable which is quite good. The arm cannot be compared to a classic like the rega 250 but is fitting into this turntable price category.

The sound:
(I use the project K4 cartridge: better buy the cartridge without the project emblem directly from grado then it is cheaper. It is a unexpensive cartrige, nevertheless performs quite well)
Compared to the 220$ Thorens it is much better. The sound is clearer and more transparent, there is no distortion over the whole frequency spectrum. It is a little bit sensitive to surface noise and the bass is not really seismic. But you can really enjoy music with it. The middle frequencies are not so warm, but therefore the clarity and precision is stunning - probably this is a common feature to subchassis constructions.

fazit:
Best turntable I know for this price tag. Due to the price you cannot expect to buy a "highest end" turntable, but it offers a lot of features common to audiophile turntables, and play really well.

Strengths:
fair price, good sound, nice design/construction

Weaknesses:
"cheap construction", hard to align

Similar Products Used:
cheapest thorens model

Price Paid:  $330.00 from mmarkt

Summary:
After stopping listening to vinyl many years ago and only listening to CDs I decided to listen to my bout 500 LPs again. So I went to my dealer and tried out several products. thorens, Denon and this Project 6.1.

I use it with a Grado Gold cartridge and was really fascinated by this smooth, but really detailed sound. Think I´ve never heard my music playing that fine ever before. Even compared to my Marantz 17s Cd player.

For this price, which can´t be compared with any other product of the same quality u get a perfect high end product.

But sound is the one side - and of course the most important one, but this tt also looks perfect and is built perfect.

I can recommend it to all those who love listening analog recordings with a high end product and don´t want to pay unrealistic prices which are often more than the average monthly income.

Strengths:
sound, heavy built

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
Dual 501

Price Paid:  $250.00 from mediamarkt innsbruck

Summary:
got this one as a great bargain - $250 with grado silver

what plays along:
nad silver series pre amp and power amp
kimber cables, musical fidelity phono pre amp
vienna acoustics beethoven speakers
marantz cd 63ki cd player (here for comparison reasons)

long live analog audio!
amazing living sounds filled in my living room after first acords of dire straits love over gold played
grado gives huge precission and dynamics (ok as not as near as cd but different) - almost to be compared to cd performance, but fullness of analogue sound is not to be beaten.

turntable at its best - outperformed my rega p2 with ortofon mc20 (who ever said mc is necessarity?) by any means ! not to talk about my old project 2
simply precise and strong. hits with fullness the soul of an old hifist
for this money - amazing value - if ONLY the arm would be lifted when it comes to the end. . .
(mr.lichtenegger open your ears once for hifists !)
p.s. it is sometimes great to be austrian . . . (when hifi is made/designed here it costs nothing!!!)

Strengths:
price and great full and warm sound with grado silver

Weaknesses:
no full dust protection - but who needs that, anyway nothing at this price

Similar Products Used:
rega p2, project 2