- It celebrated its premiere at High End 2024 in Munich and is now available: the latest generation of the Pro-Ject Debut in the form of the Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2.
Since the late 1990s, it has been an integral part of the Pro-Ject Audio System product range, the Pro-Ject Debut Series. What’s more, the Pro-Ject Debut is arguably the turntable to which Pro-Ject Audio Systems owes its immense success over the decades: the Pro-Ject Debut. It is obvious that the latest generation, now available with the Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2, has received special attention.
This is already the fifth generation of the drive, which was first presented at the High End 2024 in Munich in May – see the report at sempre-audio.at – and which can now be found in specialist shops. Pro-Ject Audio Systems promises that they have once again raised the bar quite a bit.
The record as an integral part of lifestyle
Pro-Ject Audio Systems is convinced that the Pro-Ject Debut Turntable, when it was introduced in the late 1990s, contributed significantly to the fact that records and music playback from records are once again being noticed. Even more, for the first time, according to the company, an audiophile product has achieved the status of a lifestyle solution. In retrospect, the Pro-Ject Debut Turntable clearly changed the entire HiFi world, according to Pro-Ject Audio Systems.
The 5th generation of the Pro-Ject Debut
As already mentioned, the new Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2 is now already the fifth generation of this turntable, and once again, numerous improvements have been made in many details to achieve sound quality that is second to none in the price range under € 1.000,-.
Manufacturing at the highest level in Europe
Pro-Ject Audio Systems is particularly keen to emphasise that the new Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2 is also manufactured exclusively and entirely in Europe, using first-class materials and the highest quality. Pro-Ject Audio Systems has a production facility with the latest technologies and an extensive range of machinery for this purpose.
Focused on the essentials
In the proven Pro-Ject tradition, the new Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2 is a drive that focuses on the essentials, paying the utmost attention to the components that really determine sound quality, while deliberately avoiding deception.
The result is a belt-driven turntable with a housing made of MDF, resting on three height-adjustable metal feet with TPE damping. The drive measures 415 x 113 x 320 mm and weighs a hefty 6 kg.
Heavy, damped platter
The platter contributes a large part to this weight, even though it is a solution made of die-cast aluminium, which is reworked as a press blank using CNC milling for maximum precision and then finely balanced. As a special feature, a ring made of TPE, a so-called thermoplastic elastomer, is placed on the underside of the inside, which contributes significantly to effectively preventing resonances and minimising speed fluctuations.
Pro-Ject Audio Systems explicitly emphasises that the platter is non-magnetic, so that even particularly sensitive MC pickup systems can be used without any problems at any time.
A felt mat is provided as a mat, and of course the Pro-Ject Record Puck E can also be purchased as an option.
The platter, which has a diameter of 300 mm, is driven by a sub-platter and a precision belt, with the motor being installed in a newly designed suspension with even better damping.
The speed is controlled electronically here, so it can be selected between 33 and 45 revolutions per minute at the push of a button. Incidentally, the basis for the speed control here is a premium DC/AC power generator, as Pro-Ject Audio Systems explains, in which a conventional 15 V 0.8 A plug-in power supply is sufficient, since the sine wave for the motor is generated completely anew.
Nevertheless, an optional upgrade is available, for example in the form of the Pro-Ject Power Box S3 Phono, which is specially designed for use with a record player and a phono preamplifier from the Pro-Ject Box Design Series. Thanks to its advanced DC filtering, it is said to have a dramatic impact on sound quality. And on a more practical note, it helps to avoid cable clutter in the HiFi rack.
Premium-class tonearm
The tonearm is, of course, a particularly important part of any record player, which is why the new Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2 uses a model that Pro-Ject Audio Systems classifies as a premium-class tonearm.
It is an 8.6-inch tonearm with a continuous tonearm tube made of carbon fibre from the headshell to the counterweight. The bearing construction is particularly solid, made of aluminium and manufactured with the highest precision using CNC. The tonearm uses particularly low-friction bearings to ensure precise tracking. Resonances are effectively eliminated by a TPE-damped counterweight.
Pre-assembled and aligned – Pro-Ject Pick it MM EVO cartridge
The Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2 is factory-fitted with a suitable cartridge system: the Pro-Ject Pick it MM EVO cartridge, designed by Pro-Ject Audio Systems in collaboration with Danish specialist Ortofon A/S.
High-quality phono cable, upgrade to True Balanced possible
The drive comes with a high-quality phono cable, a Pro-Ject Connect it Phono E RCA, which is specially designed and made for use with a record player.
In line with Pro-Ject Audio System’s strategy of making balanced signal transmission the standard for vinyl wherever possible, the new Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2 can of course be upgraded, but then requires a corresponding cartridge. In this regard, the company recommends the Pro-Ject Pick it PRO Balanced Cartridge above all, although any MC cartridge can be used.
Suitable phono preamplifiers include the Pro-Ject Phono Box S3 B or Pro-Ject Phono Box DS3 B.
Mix and match
To ensure that vinyl lovers see the Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2 as the perfect solution for their personal lifestyle and as an elegant turntable for any living environment, a particularly wide range of different finishes is available.
No fewer than ten design variants are available for this turntable, namely high-gloss black, high-gloss red, high-gloss white, matt black, matt white, matt wine red, matt fir green, matt golden yellow and matt steel blue. If you are looking for a noble wood finish instead of a lacquer, the Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2 is also available in real walnut.
Prices and availability
The new Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2 is available from specialist retailers now. This turntable costs € 699,-.
Getting to the point
The Pro-Ject Debut Turntable is clearly the most successful turntable from Pro-Ject Audio Systems. Since its market launch at the end of the 1990s, Pro-Ject Audio Systems has set new standards with this solution, and this is also true for the fifth generation, which is now available with the Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2 Turntable. Once again, attention has been paid to improvements in important details, thus laying the foundation for this turntable to continue to impress as an audiophile record player at a particularly attractive price.
| PRODUCT | Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2 Turntable |
|---|---|
| Price | € 699,- |
| Brand | PRO-JECT AUDIO |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Pro-Ject Audio Systems a division of Audio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH |
| Distribution Austria | Audio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH |
| Distribution Germany | Audio Trade Hi-Fi Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH |
| Distribution Switzerland | Lakeside Audio |
| More about this manufacturer at HiFi BLOG |
