Pro-Ject has spent the last decade proving that licensed turntables don’t have to be junk, cranking out legitimate audiophile decks for The Beatles, Metallica, and AC/DC through its Artist Collection. And now their flexing their design chops outside of music as the newest partner isn’t a band at all. Fresh off its debut at High-End Vienna, the Austrian outfit has officially released the Pro-Ject x Harley-Davidson Turntable.
The Plinth Is the Logo
Most brand collabs slap a badge on an existing product and call it a day, but Pro-ject isn’t most brands. They decided to shape the whole chassis into Harley’s Bar & Shield emblem, built as an aluminum-MDF sandwich with a milled aluminum top plate for both rigidity and internal damping.
The materials keep the theme rolling loud and proud. Polished aluminum and stainless steel handle the industrial side, while a genuine leather record mat stands in for the saddle.
Let’s Talk Moving Mass
Now for the part that actually justifies the money. The 300mm glass platter rides on a diamond-cut aluminum sub-platter, and the full spinning assembly carries an absurd 2.75kg of moving mass, which is exactly what keeps playback speed locked down.
Topping it off is a 915-gram Bar & Shield record puck, clamping your vinyl flat against the leather. Drive comes from a belt-driven AC synchronous motor fed by a DC/AC generator, with electronic switching between 33 and 45 RPM so you’re never messing with the belt.
Ready to Ride Out of the Crate
The 8.6-inch S-shaped aluminum tonearm is hand-polished and wears a removable SME headshell, meaning future cartridge swaps are a simple two-minute job. A gravity-based adaptive anti-skating system automatically adjusts tracking as the stylus works across the record.
Out of the box, you get a pre-adjusted, Danish-made Pick it PRO moving magnet cartridge and a matching phono cable, so the deck plays the moment it’s leveled. And like every serious Pro-Ject, it’s also handmade in Europe.
Spec Sheet
Model: Pro-Ject x Harley-Davidson Turntable
Drive: Belt drive, AC synchronous motor
Speeds: 33/45 RPM (electronic switching)
Chassis: Aluminum-MDF sandwich, Bar & Shield silhouette
Platter: 300mm glass with genuine leather mat
Sub-Platter: Diamond-cut aluminum
Total Moving Mass: 2.75kg
Record Puck: 915g Harley-Davidson design
Tonearm: 8.6″ hand-polished S-shape aluminum, SME headshell
Cartridge: Pro-Ject Pick it PRO MM (pre-adjusted)
Dimensions: 543 x 124 x 437mm
Manufacturing Origin: Handmade in Europe
Pricing & Availability
The Pro-Ject x Harley-Davidson Turntable is orderable now for $3,299 (£2,299 / €2,590), with units expected to land in both hi-fi dealers and, fittingly, Harley-Davidson showrooms this fall. Pro-Ject hasn’t said how many it’ll build, only that quantities are limited, and the dust cover will cost you extra. Head over to Pro-Ject’s website to learn more.
Recap
Pro-Ject Harley-Davidson Turntable
Pro-Ject shaped its latest limited-edition audiophile deck into Harley’s Bar & Shield logo, complete with a leather saddle mat and a two-pound record puck holding your vinyl in place.
