Pro-Ject E1 Phono vs U-Turn Audio Orbit Basic
Side-by-side specifications and a plain-English account of the recorded differences. Full profiles: Pro-Ject E1 Phono · U-Turn Audio Orbit Basic.
| Specification | Pro-Ject E1 Phono |
U-Turn Audio Orbit Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £269 | Highlighted difference. £249 |
| Category | Budget | Budget |
| Status | current | current |
| Years | 2022–present | 2013–present |
| Drive | belt drive | belt drive |
| Speeds | 33/45 rpm | 33/45 rpm |
| Operation | manual | manual |
| Cartridge supplied | Audio-Technica AT3600L | Audio-Technica AT-VM95E |
| Phono stage | Highlighted difference. Yes | No |
| USB output | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | No |
| Platter | ABS with anti-resonance ribs | MDF |
| Tonearm | 8.6" aluminium | OA3 gimbal |
| Wow & flutter | 0.25% (33rpm) / 0.23% (45rpm) | <0.125% |
Practical differences
Highlighted cells show a lower reference price, support for more listed speeds, or the presence of a convenience feature. They are not an overall score.
There's a real gap here: £20 separates them, with the Pro-Ject E1 Phono the pricier of the two.
Both are belt-drive, so that part of the experience should feel similar on either deck: a motor that's mechanically isolated from the platter by an elastic belt, which is the usual route to a quieter noise floor — the default choice across most of hi-fi.
The Pro-Ject E1 Phono has a built-in phono stage. Skip the phono stage and you'll need one built into your amp, or a separate box, to play through normal speakers.
Bottom line: the U-Turn Audio Orbit Basic has the lower reference price; the table shows which documented features change with the £20 gap.
Live merchant offers
Checking current in-stock offers for Pro-Ject E1 Phono…
Merchant searches
18 UK merchants stock Pro-Ject — linked directly to the product page where we have one, otherwise to a site search for the deck.
| Merchant | Type | Delivery | Product link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analogue Seduction | hifi independent | Free UK delivery on most items; specialist packing | View at Analogue Seduction ↗ |
| Peter Tyson | hifi independent | Free UK delivery on most hi-fi; competitive pricing | View at Peter Tyson ↗ |
| Richer Sounds | hifi chain | Free UK delivery on most orders; click & collect from stores | View at Richer Sounds ↗ |
| Amazon UK | marketplace | Prime next-day on many items | Search at Amazon UK ↗ |
| Audio Affair | hifi independent | Free UK delivery over £50 | Search at Audio Affair ↗ |
| Audio T | hifi chain | Free UK delivery on most items; in-store demos | Search at Audio T ↗ |
| Criterion Audio | hifi independent | UK delivery; Cambridge demo rooms | Search at Criterion Audio ↗ |
| Doug Brady HiFi | hifi independent | UK delivery; specialist setup | Search at Doug Brady HiFi ↗ |
| Fanthorpes HiFi | hifi independent | Free UK delivery on most hi-fi | Search at Fanthorpes HiFi ↗ |
| Gear4music | dj music gear | Free UK delivery over £99; fast dispatch | Search at Gear4music ↗ |
| Grahams Hi-Fi | hifi independent | UK delivery; London demo rooms | Search at Grahams Hi-Fi ↗ |
| Hi-Fi Corner | hifi independent | UK delivery; Edinburgh & Falkirk stores | Search at Hi-Fi Corner ↗ |
| HMV | music retail | UK delivery and store collection | Search at HMV ↗ |
| John Lewis | department store | Free UK delivery over £50; click & collect | Search at John Lewis ↗ |
| Sevenoaks Sound & Vision | hifi chain | Free UK delivery over £100; in-store demonstration and setup | Search at Sevenoaks Sound & Vision ↗ |
| Superfi | hifi independent | Free UK delivery over £50 | Search at Superfi ↗ |
| The Audiobarn | hifi independent | UK delivery; demo by appointment | Search at The Audiobarn ↗ |
| Vinyl Revival | music retail | UK delivery | Search at Vinyl Revival ↗ |
Live merchant offers
Checking current in-stock offers for U-Turn Audio Orbit Basic…

