After having captivated vinyl enthusiasts around the world with that prodigy of quality/price ratio in “democratic” turntables that is the Debut EVO 2, its hyper-creative manufacturer has just doubled the bet to elevate it to the category of affordable High End with the Debut Reference 10. The result of economies of scale only possible for a company with the human and material resources of Pro-Ject Audio Systems, this new belt-driven vinyl player takes up to unprecedented levels of technical and sonic excellence the recognized qualities of its popular and award-winning Debut range. There are many engineering elements of this refined analogue source worth highlighting, the first being the use of diamond-cut aluminum parts with cutting-edge CNC tools, responsible for its unmistakable appearance of a premium product.
This is the case of the “sub-platter” or the reading arm, which, formed by the aforementioned metal and carbon fiber in a studied sandwich configuration, exhibits a combination of structural robustness, lightness and tonal neutrality ideal for perfect tracking of the vinyl groove. Of the aforementioned arm, whose effective length is 254 mm (10″) and is constructed in a single piece, it is also worth highlighting its generous provision of adjustments, starting with the vertical reading angle or VTA and ending with the azimuth, without forgetting the anti-slip or anti-skating, thus facilitating optimal installation of the selected pickup cartridge. In line with the Pro-Ject philosophy, the Debut Reference 10 is powered by a generator of alternating current excited by direct current and a high-precision electronic control for the rotation speed, complemented by a suspension of the motor block that isolates and decouples it from the chassis with extreme effectiveness, preventing unwanted vibrations from reaching the pickup capsule.
As for the plate, it is made of high-quality methacrylate finished with a satin surface, a material chosen not only for its aesthetic appeal but also for its extraordinary acoustic properties. On the other hand, the Debut Reference 10 is compatible with Pro-Ject’s exclusive “True Balanced” symmetrical connection, while being supported by an MDF chassis and three height-adjustable feet made up of an aluminum body and internal TPE damping (material also present inside the counterweight) and is supplied as standard with a factory-pre-tuned Pro-Ject Pick it PRO Balanced moving magnet (MM) capsule and a high-quality Connect phono cable. it Phono E RCA of the same brand. Finally, let’s highlight the possibility of improvement by incorporating the optional Power Box S3 Phono external power supply.
