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Pro-Ject X8 Special Edition with noble metallic finish

The new Pro-Ject X8 Special Edition, which is presented in a metallic finish, is supposed to offer the technological highlights of the Pro-Ject Xtension Series in a particularly elegant, even particularly noble design variant.

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  • The new Pro-Ject X8 Special Edition is supposed to present itself as a top class turntable with a special metallic finish.

Even in its standard version, the Pro-Ject X8 turntable is an outstanding turntable from Pro-Ject Audio Systems, which also presents itself as very elegant in terms of design. Now, however, the Pro-Ject X8 Special Edition is a solution that has to be described as a real gem, as it presents itself with a particularly noble metallic finish on the sides of the chassis as well as noble high-gloss black on its upper side.

What’s more, the Pro-Ject X8 Special Edition is a turntable that comes fully assembled with tonearm and cartridge, making it yet another particularly attractive offer in terms of value for money.

Pro-Ject X8 from the Pro-Ject Xtension Series

As the name suggests, the Pro-Ject X8 is part of the Pro-Ject Xtension Series, which is a very exciting range of products from the specialist Pro-Ject Audio Systems. The Pro-Ject X8 is located quite high up in this product line, close to the Pro-Ject Xtension 0 and Pro-Ject Xtension 10 systems, which represent the spearhead, so that the Pro-Ject X8 offers a multitude of technological highlights of this series and is thus a solution that is definitely aimed at very ambitious vinyl enthusiasts.

The Pro-Ject X8 is a so-called mass drive, moreover, the manufacturer speaks of a solution that is to make the advantages of a mass drive accessible to a wide range of customers at particularly attractive price conditions by adopting the design features and characteristics of the high-end mass drives from Pro-Ject Audio Systems.

But that’s not all, the Pro-Ject X8 is not only the affordable entry into mass-loaded technology, but also offers all the advantages of the True Balanced Connection, the intention of Pro-Ject Audio Systems to make balanced audio connection the standard for record players. The Pro-Ject X8 was one of the first turntables to fully comply with this strategy.

Subchassis and inertia – The best of both worlds

The Pro-Ject X8 turntable starts with a solid chassis made of compressed wood fibres, measuring 465 mm in width, 350 mm in depth and 150 mm in height.

This chassis rests on three feet, which are made of aluminium and can be adjusted in height, so that an optimal levelling of the turntable can be achieved. As a special feature, a special construction with TPE damping is used to guarantee the best possible decoupling and thus a reproduction free of sound-damaging external influences. It should not go unmentioned that the new Pro-Ject X8 turntable weighs in at a hefty 15 kg.

Heavy platter

Another important design feature of the Pro-Ject X8 turntable is its particularly heavy platter, which weighs 5.1 kg in a sandwich construction. Although the platter is precision-machined from the comparatively light material aluminium, a complex damping system on the lower side by means of a ring made of TPE ultimately leads to the high mass and thus to a particularly smooth running and constant speed. According to the manufacturer, an inverted platter bearing with ceramic running surfaces provides absolutely precise and controlled guidance, and a magnet support with powerful neodymium magnets that repel each other relieves it of a large part of the platter weight.

An integrated motor control not only ensures that the speed is always absolutely precise, but also that it can be selected at the touch of a button for maximum ease of use.

Pro-Ject 9cc Evolution as tonearm

The Pro-Ject X8 turntable uses a Pro-Ject 9cc Evolution tonearm, whose conical tonearm tube merges seamlessly into the headshell, and this construction is made entirely of carbon fibre.

Black, White, Walnut or now Metallic Finish for the Special Edition

Normally, the Pro-Ject X8 turntable is offered in the walnut version as well as in the high-gloss black and high-gloss white finishes, but now, as already mentioned, a completely new Pro-Ject X8 Special Edition is available.

This Pro-Ject X8 Special Edition is based on a high-gloss black finish, which means that the top of the chassis has a perfect black gloss finish. The sides of the chassis, however, shine in a noble metallic finish.

Especially in combination with the black feet, the aluminium platter, the carbon tonearm and the black polished top of the chassis, the overall impression is almost perfect.

Factory fitted with Ortofon Quintet Black MC cartridge

As if this special design wasn’t attractive enough to make you take a closer look at this turntable, the Pro-Ject X8 Special Edition record player comes with an outstanding cartridge system, namely the Ortofon Quintet Black MC cartridge from the very popular Ortofon Quintet Series by specialist Ortofon A/S.

Prices and availability

The new Pro-Ject X8 Special Edition should be available in specialist shops within the next few days. The manufacturer gives a recommended retail price of € 2.599,-.

It should be mentioned that the delivery includes a felt mat for the turntable as well as a matching, hinged, transparent dust cover made of plexiglass.

Getting to the point

The Pro-Ject X8 turntable has always been a very special turntable from Pro-Ject Audio Systems as an affordable entry into mass-loaded technology and True Balanced Connection. Now, however, it is offered in a further exquisite design variant, the Pro-Ject X8 Special Edition with a unique metallic finish. As if that were not enough, it is also equipped with an Ortofon Quintet Black MC cartridge ex works.

PRODUCTPRO-JECT X8 SPECIAL EDITION
Price€ 2.599,-
BrandPRO-JECT AUDIO
ManufacturerPro-Ject Audio Systems
Distribution AustriaAudio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH
Distribution GermanyAudio Trade Hi-Fi Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH
Distribution SwitzerlandMarlex GmbH – Audiophile Produkte
More about this manufacturer at HiFi BLOG
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Michael Holzinger

Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of HiFi BLOG and sempre-audio.at, has been working for years as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics.

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