Pro-ject Juke Box E
£369
The Juke Box E stands apart somewhat from the other turntables in this test. Here, the wireless Bluetooth signal, rather than being sent out to a pair of headphones or a speaker, is being received by what is, at first sight, a bit of a music centre throwback.
Of course, this isn’t a music centre in the mid-to-late 20th century sense. What Pro-ject has done with the Juke Box E is to have one of those ideas that is so simple and obvious once someone else has had it.
Here’s a record player – based on Pro-ject’s well-regarded Primary turntable – that’s also tricked out with an Ortofon OM 5E cartridge, amplification (25W per channel into 8 ohms) and Bluetooth receiver. It’s an idea Pro-ject has had before – the Juke Box was a turntable/amp/phono stage – but the concept has been updated here.
Ins and outs
At the back of the deck, you’ll find stereo RCA outputs at line level and pre-amp/ phono level, plus a corresponding stereo RCA line-level input. There are also left/ right speaker outputs and an aerial socket for the Bluetooth receiver. At the front there’s a turn/push dial for input selection and an IR receiver for the remote control that’s not so much hidden away as had attention drawn to it.
Elsewhere in the packaging, there is a dust cover and some half-decent speaker cable. There’s also a remarkable remote control, which doesn’t have many functions to control but, with the exception of the power button, none of them is where you might reasonably expect to find it. That aside, just strap on a pair of speakers and you’re good to go.
We start Brian Eno’s Another Green World on the turntable and a pair of Mission LX-2 standmounting speakers at the front end. From the off, this is recognisably a Pro-ject turntable – it carries the brand’s sonic signature, which, in essence, is one of easy-going fidelity – the Juke Box E establishes a decently spacious soundstage and positions instruments upon it securely in their own space even as they integrate and interact together.
Tonally, the JBE is on the warmish side of neutral, which is what we’ve learned to expect from turntables costing less than silly money. It has reasonable shine and brilliance at the top end; its midrange reproduction is detailed enough to make Eno’s vocals endearing in their earnestness.
We up the ante a little with The Pharcyde’s Bizarre Ride II. This shines a little light on what is, perhaps, the JBE’S only significant aural shortcoming. It gives reasonable weight to low frequencies but not quite the solidity we’d like. Bass sounds don’t so much punch as shove.
It’s not enough to make the Pro-ject anything less than enjoyable to listen to, but it’s worth bearing in mind when speaker-matching – we find the Mission LX-2S have what’s required to make the Pro-ject’s low end as martial as it can be.
Sensitive pairing
It’s worth noting the Juke Box E isn’t the loudest system we’ve ever heard, so it’s also worth giving proper consideration to speaker sensitivity.
The overall quality of sound remains constant no matter how you use the JBE. A CD of Gogo Penguin’s A Humdrum Star, from a Marantz CD6006 UK Edition via the line-level input, retains the Pro-ject’s balance, even though the warmth and timing prowess is diluted.
In essence, the Pro-ject Juke Box E is a rarity. It’s an all-in-one system that demands few compromises, given its price. It’s an all-in-one system that we can’t argue against in favour of separates. This level of functionality is difficult to replicate using individual components at this sort of money. Plus it’s extremely convenient. So if space is at a premium, funds are (relatively) tight, or both, you should cast your glance in this direction.