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Pro-Ject Debut PRO 30th Anniversary Turntable

These days, Pro-Ject Audio Systems, the undisputed world market leader in record players, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. It is obvious that this is done first and foremost with a new record player. The new Pro-Ject Debut PRO is presented as the 30th Anniversary Turntable. And that’s not all: the new Pro-Ject Pick it PRO can be found on this turntable.

Pro-Ject Debut PRO is the 30th Anniversary Turntable, says Pro-Ject Audio Systems proudly, because it shows that they really celebrate the 30th anniversary with an outstanding record player.

They are convinced that the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO revolutionised the Pro-Ject Debut Series in 2020, and they are basically building on this, but the new Pro-Ject Debut PRO is intended to raise the bar even higher.

The Pro-Ject Debut PRO is not just a new record player, it also comes with a completely new pick-up system. This will feature the new Pro-Ject Pick it PRO.

Back to the roots

The 30th anniversary to be celebrated should be taken as an occasion to be particularly aware of the company’s own roots, which is exactly what the new Pro-Ject Debut PRO would do, according to the Austrian company. The new Pro-Ject Debut PRO is completely in line with the company’s philosophy, which has been followed for 30 years now and which is clearly regarded as one of the most important factors for the company’s unbroken success.

The declared goal of Pro-Ject Audio Systems has always been to offer the customer the best possible quality at the right price. This means focusing entirely on the essentials; everything that is not necessary for achieving the actual goal, namely the best possible music reproduction, is left out. Instead, the highest attention is paid to those components that are relevant for the best possible quality.

It was precisely with this in mind that the new Pro-Ject Debut PRO was developed.

Pro-Ject Debut PRO – A Milestone

The Pro-Ject Debut PRO is a milestone for Pro-Ject Audio Systems, but also a solution that is designed to last for many years. The manufacturer even speaks of a milestone for the next decade, and considering that Pro-Ject Audio Systems’ turntables over the past 30 years have always proven to be products that do just that, there is no reason to doubt that the same cannot be said for the Pro-Ject Debut PRO.

“Pro-Ject Audio Systems celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2021, so I have invested all my energy in designing a new drive. After the Debut Carbon EVO revolutionised the Debut Series in 2020, the new Debut PRO raises the bar even higher! However, we have not only developed a new turntable, but also a completely new cartridge. Now, for our 30th anniversary, we’re going back to our roots! The Pro-Ject record player Debut PRO is a completely new design. This audiophile record player convinces in every respect – not only visually, but especially in terms of sound. The Pro-Ject 1 and its successor, the Debut Series, revolutionised music listening. These products brought back the love of analogue playback devices – a turning point for the vinyl industry. The old technology is making a comeback and is here to stay. The Debut PRO is a milestone for decades to come: a cult product that celebrates the great success of analogue music playback and the joy of stereo hi-fi in every home.”

Heinz Lichtenegger CEO Pro-Ject Audio Systems

Manufacturing at the most modern level

There is one thing that Pro-Ject Audio Systems has pushed ahead with massively in recent years, and that is the conversion of the company to a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. This has already been successively reflected in the product launches of recent years, and is noticeable in its purest form in the new Pro-Ject Debut PRO.

In addition, the new Pro-Ject Debut PRO benefits directly from all the developments that Pro-Ject Audio Systems has been pushing forward with great commitment for decades. This applies, for example, to the area of materials, especially with regard to the combination of different materials for special tasks, but also in the area of electronics and, last but not least, in the area of industrial design, which ultimately combines all the technology into an elegant, high-quality product.

Basically a classic representative of the Pro-Ject Debut Series

One can clearly say that the new Pro-Ject Debut PRO is a classic representative of the Pro-Ject Debut Series, by the way, the most successful product line of the manufacturer.

The basic construction principle is also known for the new Pro-Ject Debut PRO, it is a classic turntable with a chassis made of MDF, which is lacquered eight times, and which rests on three feet. The motor is integrated into the housing directly under the turntable.

But that’s the end of the similarities of earlier model generations, because in detail, the new Pro-Ject Debut PRO is actually on a completely different level than the models of this series offered so far.

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High-precision CNC manufacturing and nickel finishing

Even at first glance, it is noticeable that all metal parts, and there are quite a few in the new Pro-Ject Debut PRO, present themselves in a very special metallic look.

They are all CNC-machined to the highest precision: the tonearm base, the suspension and bearing block of the tonearm, its counterweight, the motor pulley, even the feet.

The surfaces of the aluminium parts are then coated with a very thin layer of nickel. This results in a highly durable surface that lasts for many years, nothing tarnishes, and thus the valuable impression remains.

New tone arm, new tone arm bearing

By the way, this is particularly noticeable in the bearing block. The precisely CNC-milled and nickel-plated tonearm bearing parts are completely new and have been developed only for the Pro-Ject Debut PRO.

The tonearm itself is also completely new, whereby the manufacturer speaks of a so-called hybrid tonearm.

The new Pro-Ject Debut PRO has a one-piece carbon aluminium sandwich tonearm. The carbon layer is supposed to give the tonearm a high stiffness, while the inner aluminium tube takes over the optimal damping of the tonearm.

Of course, the newly designed tonearm allows to adjust both the azimuth and the vertical tracking angle, the so-called VTA, in the proven manner. The tonearm height can also be continuously adjusted by loosening the two grub screws. These settings give the user the possibility to adjust the tonearm to changes in height, so that you can use different turntable mats or other cartridges to always achieve the best sound quality.

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Optimised turntable

As already mentioned, the new Pro-Ject Debut PRO is a turntable driven by a motor integrated into the chassis, which drives a sub-platter and thus the actual turntable by means of a belt.

The platter is made of die-cast aluminium and has a diameter of 300 mm. It has been further optimised, is said to be particularly heavy, and has an embedded ring on the underside made of TPE, a thermoplastic elastomer that has particularly good damping properties. Thanks to these constructive measures, the turntable is almost free of resonances and thus minimises so-called wow and flutter effects, which have a negative influence on the sound.

By the way, the turntable rotates via a high-precision stainless steel axle in a bronze bushing.

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Electronic speed control and 33, 45 and 78 revolutions per minute

The integrated motor naturally has a particularly sophisticated suspension in the chassis so that no vibrations are transmitted. Moreover, it is a motor with high-precision control; the electronically regulated speed guarantees the most precise and stable speeds. It should be emphasised that not only is it very easy to choose between the speeds with a toggle switch, there is also the option of 78 rpm in addition to 33 and 45 rpm, for which a separate, optimised belt is included with the drive.

Damped feet

The entire drive rests on specially designed feet. These are also made of aluminium and, of course, coated with nickel. In addition, the feet are constructed with the aforementioned TPE to guarantee optimal decoupling. It should be mentioned that the feet can be adjusted in height so that an optimal levelling can be achieved.

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Pro-Ject Pick it PRO

Have we forgotten anything else? Yes, of course, the new pick-up system that completes the Pro-Ject Debut PRO. This is an MM cartridge which, according to the manufacturer, is audiophile grade and has a vivid, detailed reproduction with amazing dynamics.

Once again, Pro-Ject Audio Systems cooperated with the world market leader Ortofon A/S on this new cartridge system, which is certainly recognisable at first glance from the design.

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Pro-Ject Audio Systems, sempre-audio.at editor-in-chief Michael Holzinger conducted a very detailed EXCLUSIVE interview with Heinz Lichtenegger in 2011. What the founder and CEO of Pro-Ject Audio Systems said about the development of his company and in particular how he analysed the market as a whole at the time still applies in 2021. You can read this interview under this link.

Complete with dust cover and new puck

How could it be otherwise, of course, the new Pro-Ject Debut PRO is delivered with everything that belongs to it, including a dust cover, which is directly connected to the chassis by means of hinges, but these are designed in such a way that the cover can be removed with a single hand movement, if this is desired during playback. A nickel-plated puck made of aluminium is also included.

Also included, of course, is the matching 15 V 0.8 A DC power supply, a 7 inch single adapter and a special belt for playing shellac at 78 rpm.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the new Pro-Ject Debut PRO has dimensions of 415 x 113 x 320 mm and thus weighs 6 kg.

Getting to the point

With the new Pro-Ject Debut PRO, the world market leader in record players Pro-Ject Audio Systems has a truly worthy turntable on offer for the company’s 30th birthday, which is thus rightly called the 30th Anniversary Turntable. Likewise, we are certain that, as promised, Pro-Ject Audio Systems is thus laying the foundation for many more successful years to come and that the Pro-Ject Debut PRO is indeed the revolution to serve as the foundation for the decade to come at least.

Manufacturer:Pro-Ject Audio Systems
Distribution Austria:Audio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH
Distribution Germany:Audio Trade Hi-Fi Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH
Distribution Switzerland:Marlex GmbH – Audiophile Produkte
Price:€ 750,-

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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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