Elected “Best Turntable of 2024-2025” by the prestigious specialized publications organization “Expert Imaging and Sound Association”, better known by its acronym EISAand integrated, as its name indicates, in the “X-Line” from Pro-Ject, the XA B combines audiophile-grade features, unique aesthetics and an affordable price, the latter detail allowing you to showcase a quality/price ratio out of the ordinary. A methacrylate chassis transparent gives this vinyl player an unquestionable appeal, to the point of giving the sensation that the technical components of the set seem to float on an almost invisible base. What comes next is a opulent aluminum plate cast iron weighing 1.7 kg, with precision balanced to maximize rotational stability and, as always at Pro-Ject, a reading arm 254 mm very high qualityentirely designed and manufactured by the Austrian brand in its own facilities.
Characteristics of this arm should be highlighted such as its single piece construction aluminum (material chosen for its complementarity with the acoustic characteristics of methacrylate) and a cardan gyro system Ultra-low friction with 4 stainless steel tips, which ensures tracking of the disc groove extremely precise and stable. The icing on the cake is a repertoire of adjustments that allow the user to act not only on the vertical tracking angle (VTA) and an adaptive anti-skating scheme depending on the position of the furrow in which we are, but also on the azimuth, thus allowing the full use of the possibilities of the capsule used. The philosophy of absolute control of resonances of Pro-Ject is also reflected in the counterweightwhich incorporates a piece of TPE to detach it from the arm.
For its part, the critical traction system is made up of a specially treated strap and a engine powered by direct current generated from the mains voltage, the rotation speed electronically controlled. The mechanical part of the XA B is completed with three feet with internal cushioning adjustable in height and the always useful disc presser, in this case the elegant Record Puck E from Pro-Ject itself. Finally, a fundamental aspect must be highlighted: the addition of balanced connectivityfinished off in this case by the incorporation (and factory adjustment) of a moving magnet capsule specifically conceived by the Austrian firm to get the most out of it, since, on paper, the internal wiring of this type of transducers does not allow it (unlike its moving coil counterparts): the Pick it PRO Balanced. As is the norm at Pro-Ject, this turntable has been designed and manufactured (by hand) in the European Union.
