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Austria’s Pro-Ject Audio Systems is releasing a new turntable, the Debut PRO, the first of the Debut models to feature the company’s carbon-aluminium one-piece tonearm technology. Pro-Ject explains that: “the 8.6in tube is incredibly light and rigid, utilising the light-weight, sturdy characteristics of carbon fibre and combining it with aluminium for its added damping properties and better electrical shielding, resulting in improved resistance to external interferences”.

The tonearm, which can be adjusted for accurate azimuth and VTA, is finished with a new CNC-milled aluminium bearing block with special bearings, high-purity copper internal tonearm wiring and a shielded junction box with gold-plated RCA output connectors. The tonearm is supplied with the new Pick it PRO moving-magnet cartridge pre-installed and aligned.

For the Pick it PRO, Pro-Ject says it worked closely with Ortofon to develop: “a very special new cartridge, designed to deliver a more lively and robust sound with a big dynamic range. It’s based on the Ortofon 2M body, but its sound is inspired by traditional SPU designs with lower compliance, lower capacitance and slightly higher output.”

The company claims: “The in-house designed and manufactured AC drive motor is made to fine tolerances for minimal noise, but to further eliminate any potential interference the motor is decoupled from the main chassis by a mounting plate with TPE-damped fixing points. The mounting plate isolates the motor while still keeping it perfectly level with the sub-platter drive system for absolute speed stability. The turntable plinth also sits on three height-adjustable metal feet with TPE-damping in a unique nickel-plated finish for the Debut PRO. The result is a platform free from unwanted vibrations, ideally suited to record playback.”

The motor drives a sub-platter system mounted into a precision-engineered main bearing with bronze bushing. The sub-platter sits beneath the heavy aluminium platter, which has a ring of TPE damping, held in place by an additional stabilising ring of aluminium to damp all resonances. The high mass of the platter is also intended to minimise wow and flutter.

Supplied with the Pick it Pro cartridge pre-installed, a dust cover and a Connect-IT E phono cable in the box, the Debut PRO is ready to play once it’s connected to a system with a moving-magnet phono stage. It measures 415 x 113 x 320mm (WxHxD), weighs 6kg and comes in an eight-layer hand-painted MDF chassis in a stylish Satin Black finish.

Distributed in the UK by Henley Audio and available to buy now, you can find out more about the Debut PRO here.