CMY Audio & Visual had couriered their The Affordable System (TAS) comprising a Pro-Ject Jukebox E, a pair of Fyne Audio F301i bookshelf speakers and QED 79 speaker cables to me.
The Pro-Ject Jukebox E costs RM2,396 (with the Pro-Ject Brush It record cleaner and Clean It stylus cleaner as free gifts) while the Fyne Audio F301i speakers cost RM2,072 with the QED 79 speaker cables and Pro-Ject Damp It footers bundled as free gifts. Thus the total cost of CMY’s TAS is RM4,468.
The Pro-Ject Jukebox E is an all-in-one system with built in phono preamp and integrated amp which pumps out 25 watts per channel. It also comes with an Ortofon OM 5E cartridge which is already factory adjusted.
So all you have to do is plug the QED 79 speaker cables into the Fyne Audio F301i speakers and you are ready to spin some vinyl. The turntable appears to be based on the Pro-Ject Primary turntable and the surprising thing is that the designers managed to fit the phono preamp and integrated amp and all the wiring into a plinth that is no thicker than a normal turntable’s plinth.
The Pro-Ject Jukebox E has phono out and line out to be hooked up to a larger system of separate components. It also has line in inputs for a music streamer or CD player.
There are at least two things I want to bring up — the system tends to give out a ‘thump’ sound when it is powered off and because the rubber belt drives the rim of the platter, there were times when the belt slipped out when I removed the LP, especially when the platter was still spinning.
The Fyne Audio F301i is a bookshelf design measuring HxWxD 300 x 190 x 271mm (11.8″ x 7.5″ x 10.7”) and weighs 5.3kg each. Its frequency response is rated at 44Hz — 34kHz (-6dB typical in room) and sensitivity is 89 dB. It features a 150mm multi-fibre bass/mid and a 25mm titanium dome tweeter. Interestingly, the surround has rice-grain-shaped dimples but their function is not mentioned in the company’s literature. Also interesting is that the tweeter is fixed to a housing which makes it located in front of the woofer.
I am not a fan of such all-in-one systems as there are too many compromises, especially when a turntable is involved. A turntable is a very sensitive component and most of the time it functions very well on its own without any amplifier in its plinth.
Thus the Pro-Ject Jukebox E is designed for convenience rather than sound quality. It sounds, well, decent and would be suitable for those who do not want too many components to worry about and are happy with acceptably average sound quality.
The Fyne Audio F301i speakers are quite good and they offer clarity, good bass and transparency. Imaging is acceptable and the sound stage is decent.
For the aspiring audiophile, this TAS would probably turn out to be baby steps into the world of vinyl. The upgrade path is very interesting…just be prepared to whip out your credit card.
Contact Dicky Ng of CMY Audio & Visual Dicky Ng at 012-3308893 for more details.
