Affordable LP Flattening from Pro-Ject
By Roy Gregory
Pro-Ject Audio Systems might have started out manufacturing and marketing affordable record players, but since then they’ve moved into electronics (acquiring the Musical Fidelity brand along the way) and a host of other market sectors. Now, they’ve added an LP flattener to their range of analogue-associated accessories and tools and, being a Pro-Ject product it promises excellent quality at an affordable price.
LP flatteners are far from a new thing, with a few different versions appearing over the years. But all work in much the same way – gently heating a warped record between two, flat surfaces – and all have been comparatively expensive. Expensive enough that if you think twice before buying a record cleaning machine, a disc flattener definitely isn’t getting a look in.
The Pro-Ject Flatten it follows the crowd in terms of operation, includes all the niceties of precise temperature control but diverges in two important ways. It is built into a solid metal chassis, derived directly from the company’s record cleaning machines, keeping things compact. Secondly, at €800 (including VAT), it is WAY more affordable than the competition. No hands-on experience yet, but this looks like the machine to finally take disc flattening mainstream.
www.project-audio.com
