This Popular Hi-Fi Maker Just Gave Its Best-Selling Turntable a Nerdy Audiophile Upgrade

Pro-Ject has added a new audiophile-grade turntable to its best-selling Debut line.

Published August 16, 2024

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For years, Pro-Ject’s Debut Carbon (DC) was probably the most popular turntable for vinyl enthusiasts looking to take a real audiophile step up — heck, Sonos sold with its Play:5 and Five speakers as a “Turntable Set” for a time.

Released in 2012 and priced at $399, the Debut Carbon was a beautiful turntable with an excellent carbon fiber tonearm — where it got its name — that was also very upgradable. It came with a high-quality Ortofon 2M Red cartridge, but you could easily swap in a better one. And since it didn’t have a built-in phono preamp, you had the freedom to add whichever external one you wanted.

Unfortunately, Pro-Ject no longer sells the Debut Carbon, but the 2020-released Debut Carbon Evo is its spiritual successor. It has the same basic design (and tonearm) but several upgraded components — such as an improved motor suspension system and a fancier Sumiko Rainier ($149) cartridge — that make it a little more expensive.

In recent years, Pro-Ject has further pushed its Debut line in a more audiophile direction. The 2021-released Debut Pro shared many of the same design elements and components as the Debut Carbon Evo,but featured an upgraded one-piece aluminum platter and an even better tonearm with a sandwiched carbon-fiber-and-aluminum construction.

Now, Pro-Ject has released an even more audiophile version of its three-year-old Debut Pro.

Pro-Ject Debut Pro B

Specs

Turntable	Belt-drive, manual
Cartridge	Pick it PRO Balanced MM
Built-In Preamp?	No

Turntable déjà vu

The Pro-Ject Debut Pro B shares many similarities with the three-year-old Debut Pro. And yes, it looks mostly identical.

It features the same 8.6-inch carbon-on-aluminum tonearm — a carbon fiber outer layer and an aluminum inner tube — for, according to the company, “rigidity and damping characteristics.”

Additionally, it has the same heavy die-cast aluminum platter, eight-layer MDF chassis, electronic speed control (for 33-, 45- and 78RPM playback), motor suspension system and adjustable TPE-damped metal feet.

Less noise, improved sound

If you couldn’t guess, the “B” in the Debut Pro B’s name stands for its new “balanced” connectivity (as opposed to unbalanced). This is a feature that the Austrian hi-fi maker has brought to several of its recent turntables — including its most recent X-Series turntable, Pro-Ject XA B, which has a unique transparent acrylic plinth — to give them a hi-fi upgrade.

The balanced connection should help the turntable in two key ways. First, it better protects the audio signal against distortion and unwanted noise. And secondly, it should help the turntable sound significantly better.

According to Pro-Ject, “the reduction in distortion and noise yields more soundstage depth making way for heightened clarity, more micro detail, wider dynamics and overall, a significantly more ‘convincing’ and immersive listening experience.”

The Debut Pro B also has a new balanced cartridge — the Pick it Pro moving-magnet cartridge — instead of the Debut Pro’s Sumiko Oyster Rainier cartridge.

Price and availability

The balanced connectivity and improved sound of Pro-Ject’s Debut Pro B come at a price. The Debut Pro B costs $1,099 — a $100 increase over the company’s Debut Pro.

The Pro-Ject Debut Pro B does not have a built-in phono preamp so you’ll have to use an external one; Pro-Ject recommends its Phono Box S3 B ($499) or Phono Box DS3 B($799) balanced phono preamps. You’ll also need to buy a Mini-XLR to twin XLR cables, which Pro-Ject sells separately.

The Pro-Ject Debut Pro B turntable will be available this fall. You can preorder now from Pro-Ject’s authorized dealers.