Pro-Ject RecordMaster II walnut

J'avais une vieille B&O qui m'a lâché il y a longtemps. Il me fallait remplacer, celle-ci m'a tapé dans l'oeil : elle est simple, sans automatismes ni fonctions de malade, tout l'argent et les efforts du fabricant sont concentrés sur l'essentiel : la qualité. Au montage c'est un peu la pression quand on n'a pas l'habitude mais c'est très simple (et merci les tutos vidéos en ligne). Au final elle semble assez artisanale, c'est un bel objet et qui sonne très bien.

The product comes well-packed, both from the factory and Thomann.
Made in Central Europe, the build and sound are of good quality. Stylus and cartridge are Ortofon, better than many competitors coming with Audiotechnica's.
It's definitely a step above most customer-grade record players; it comes with a tonearm counterweight, two belts, antiskating weight, a cartridge alignment template.
It allows for playing 33 and 45 rpm without replacing the belt, and 78 by replacing it.
The phono amp sounds good, clear and balanced. A quality RCA cable with ground comes together.
That said, it is not exactly easy to assemble and configure, and misses some conveniences.
There is no phone output, which would have been a deal breaker if I had noticed it before buying it.
The motor doesn't start automatically when you lift the arm neither stops when the disc side is over, the arm doesn't retract automatically, so it keeps running on the record.
You need to place the arm and turn on the motor separately.
The instruction manual is written for those who already know exactly what to do. Assembling and regulating the counterweight and the antiskating is the opposite of intuitive, and the manual is quite bad at explaining it.
I had to find videos on YouTube for other record players to properly setup it and start playing.
Regarding the belts, for instance, it is unclear what to do at the beginning - I installed the two belts, as there was only the instruction "place the belt" in the beginning. Then, in the end, it was explained that the other belt is intended to be used for 78rpm.
I haven't tested the usb out yet, but it is surely welcomed.
In short, it gets you the basics with quality and surpasses competitors at the price range, but it is not the easiest or more convenient to use.