Pro-Ject Debut Carbon: Raising the Bar for Tables Under $500

Now Ships with the Award-Winning Ortofon 2M Red

"In the ways that analog trumps digital, I'm confident the Carbon will sonically outperform any cheap CD player, particularly in terms of musical flow and general warmth. Pair it with a Bellari tubed phono preamp and play the combo for a kid weaned on MP3s and he or she is likely to start bawling. Literally. The sense of depth and spaciousness plus the image stability is impressive. Most highly recommended. I don't know what else comes close for $399."
– Michael Fremer, Stereophile

Pro-Ject's innovative Debut line redefined what an affordable turntable could deliver. Pro-Ject has now once again challenged convention with the Debut Carbon, offering even better performance at an accessible price. The upgrades over the Debut III are numerous, including the addition of an 8.6" completely carbon fiber tonearm that increases stiffness while decreasing unwanted resonances. This results in a higher fidelity presentation of your treasured recordings. Fitted to the carbon fiber arm is a true high-end cartridge, the 2M Red by Ortofon. This arm/cartridge combination is quite capable of exceptional tracking and recovery of the musical nuance found within the records grooves. This excellent upgrade takes this analog package to a higher performance level.

"The Debut Carbon nails the basics: dynamic shading and speed constancy. The essentials of what we call 'rhythm and pace' are impressive. Whether for first-time turntable buyers or anyone wishing to enjoy high-quality LP playback without spending a lot of money, Pro-Ject's Debut Carbon is a great way to go."
– Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound

The attractive, piano-gloss finished, resonance-reducing MDF plinth supports a heavier and wider diameter low-resonance platter for smoother rotation and lower wow and flutter. Additionally, a felt record mat is employed for superior record support and decoupling. The Debut Carbon's platter and plinth assembly sits upon four-point “O”-ring feet designed for energy absorption and the plinth-mounted motor is isolated by a new Sorbothane suspension, keeping unwanted noise and vibration to a bare minimum, while the chassis-mounted RCA output jacks allow for the use of higher quality interconnects for even better sonic performance.

"We were surprised by the solid performance of this 12.3-pound turntable...once isolated, it delivers smooth highs, accurate mids, and full lows, even through reference headphones."
– Victor Krummenacher, Wired

The Ortofon 2M Red is an evolution and an update of Ortofon's best-selling OM Series of Moving Magnet cartridges. The 2M body, generator and stylus profile have all been greatly improved and this great budget cartridge integrates 21st century technology in an affordable package. The 2M series of cartridges feature Ortofon’s trademark split pole pins, an invention which enables moving magnet cartridges to have flat frequency response, just like a moving coil cartridge. Ortofon invented the Split pole pin technology and were originally offered in the 500 series and Super OM series. The 2M Red uses an improved engine, which provides an increased output of 5.5mV. The 2M Red features a tipped elliptical diamond.

"[The Debut Carbon is] a fantastic place to start an analog crush, as it does a superb job with fundamentals. Moreover, when used in concert with modest gear, it provides musicality that MP3 players and inexpensive CD players cannot match. Yes, this ‘table is all you need to get hooked on analog. Hence, we are thrilled to give the Carbon an Exceptional Value Award for 2012. A snap to set up, it offers fantastic performance and an easy upgrade path."
– Tone Audio

• 8.6" carbon tonearm
• Increased platter size with more weight
• Precision belt drive with synchronous motor
• New Sorbothane motor suspension
• Felt mat
• Ortofon 2M Red cartridge
• 7 High-gloss colors available

Pro-Ject Debut Carbon
Speeds: 33 & 45 (manual speed change)
Drive principle: belt drive
Platter: 300mm metal with felt mat
Mains bearing: stainless steel
Wow & flutter: +/- 0.10%
Speed drift: +/- 0.80%
Signal to noise: - 68dB
Tonearm: 8.6" Carbon
Effective arm length: 8.6"
Effective arm mass: 6.0 g
Overhang: 0.72"
Tracking force: 10 - 30mN
Included accessories: RCA cable, lid
Dimensions (WHD, lid closed): 16.33" x 4.6" x 12.6"
Weight: 12.3 lbs.

Ortofon 2m Red
Output voltage at 1000 Hz, 5cm/sec.: 5.5 mV
Channel balance at 1 kHz: 1.5 dB
Channel separation at 1 kHz: 22 dB
Channel separation at 15 kHz: 15 dB
Frequency range at -3dB: 20-22.000 Hz
Frequency response 20-20.000 Hz + 3 / - 1 dB
Tracking ability at 315Hz at recommended tracking force: 70 µm
Compliance, dynamic, lateral: 20 µm/mN
Stylus type: Elliptical
Stylus tip radius: r/R 8/18 µm
Tracking force range: 1.6-2.0g (16-20 mN)
Tracking force, recommended: 1.8 g (18 mN)
Tracking angle: 20°
Internal impedance, DC resistance: 1.3 kOhm
Internal inductance: 700 mH
Recommended load resistance: 47 kOhm
Recommended load capacitance: 150-300 pF
Cartridge color, body/stylus: Black/Red
Cartridge weight: 7.2 g
Replacement stylus unit: 2M Red

Stereophile