Pro-Ject - Debut PRO Turntable With Rainier MM Cartridge

The Debut taken as far as the platform goes: a carbon-aluminium sandwich tonearm, electronic 33/45/78 speed change, a die-cast aluminium platter — and here in the US, a Sumiko Rainier on the headshell instead of the factory Pick it PRO.

Debut PRO sits at the top of the Debut family and is the first of them that stops feeling like a budget deck with good ideas and starts feeling like a proper hi-fi turntable. The tonearm is a carbon-aluminium sandwich rather than plain carbon, which raises the effective mass to 10g and stiffens the tube against the bending modes that plague thin-walled arms. The platter is TPE-damped die-cast aluminium. All three speeds — 33, 45 and 78 — are selected electronically, though 78 still requires the supplied round belt to be fitted.

The cartridge is the honest part of this listing. Pro-Ject’s global specification for the Debut PRO is their own Pick it PRO, a 4mV moving-magnet. The version distributed in the United States is bundled with a Sumiko Rainier instead, and that is the deck we are listing here — the title says so. The Rainier is a 5mV elliptical moving-magnet with an aluminium cantilever, made for Sumiko in Japan, and it is a genuinely good match for a 10g arm at 2g tracking force. Both cartridges are listed in the specifications below so you can see exactly what you are getting and what the alternative would have been.

One thing worth knowing before you order: Pro-Ject’s current turntable range page no longer lists the plain Debut PRO. The models shown are the Debut PRO B and the Debut PRO S Balanced, which are different turntables with balanced mini-XLR output and, in the S’s case, a completely different S-shaped tonearm. This listing is for the original RCA-output Debut PRO. Stock is what it is; ask us before ordering if you need one.

Features

• Carbon-aluminium sandwich tonearm, 8.6 inches, 10g effective mass
• Sumiko Rainier moving-magnet cartridge fitted (US bundle; the factory specification is Pro-Ject’s Pick it PRO)
• Electronic speed change across 33, 45 and 78rpm
• 300mm TPE-damped die-cast aluminium platter with a felt mat
• Eight-layer hand-painted MDF plinth
• Premium semi-symmetrical phono cable and gold-plated RCA outputs
• Separate round belt supplied for 78rpm playback

Specifications

• Type: Belt-driven manual turntable
• Cartridge as supplied: Sumiko Rainier, moving-magnet
• Rainier output: 5.0mV at 1kHz, 3.54cm/sec
• Rainier frequency response: 15Hz–20kHz
• Rainier channel separation: 25dB at 1kHz
• Rainier channel balance: Less than 2dB at 1kHz
• Rainier stylus: Elliptical, 0.3 x 0.7 mil
• Rainier cantilever: 0.6mm diameter aluminium
• Rainier internal impedance: 1,130Ω at 1kHz
• Rainier compliance: 10 x 10^-6 cm/dyne at 100Hz
• Rainier tracking force: 1.8–2.2g, 2.0g recommended
• Rainier recommended load: 47kΩ / 100–200pF
• Rainier weight: 6.7g
• Rainier vertical tracking angle: 25°
• Factory cartridge (for reference): Pro-Ject Pick it PRO, moving-magnet, 4mV at 1kHz, 2.0g tracking force, elliptical 8/18µm stylus, 20Hz–20kHz ±2dB, 22dB separation at 1kHz, 750Ω DC resistance and 450mH inductance, 47kΩ / 150–300pF recommended load, 7.2g
• Tonearm: 8.6″ one-piece carbon-aluminium sandwich
• Effective tonearm length: 218.5mm
• Effective tonearm mass: 10.0g
• Overhang: 18.5mm
• Anti-skate: Pro-Ject does not publish the anti-skate mechanism type for this deck. We checked the product page and the downloadable manual and neither describes it as magnetic or as a thread-and-weight assembly, so we are not going to guess.
• Platter: 300mm TPE-damped die-cast aluminium with a felt mat
• Speeds: 33, 45 and 78rpm, all selected electronically; 78rpm requires the supplied round belt to be fitted
• Wow and flutter: ±0.16% at 33rpm; ±0.14% at 45rpm
• Speed deviation: ±0.40% at 33rpm; ±0.50% at 45rpm
• Signal-to-noise ratio: 68dB
• Plinth: MDF with eight coats of hand-applied paint
• Output: Gold-plated RCA with a premium semi-symmetrical phono cable
• Power supply: External 15V DC / 0.8A universal supply
• Power consumption: 4W in operation, 0W standby
• Dimensions: 415 x 113 x 320 mm (W x H x D)
• Weight: 6kg net
• Supplied accessories: Dust cover, felt mat, 78rpm round belt, phono cable, power supply
• Country of manufacture: Handmade in Europe. Pro-Ject does not narrow this to a specific country for this model
• Warranty: Two years from date of purchase, extendable to three years by registering the product with Pro-Ject and subscribing to their newsletter. Cartridges, styli and drive belts are wear items and are excluded. Pro-Ject states that warranty is administered by the local distributor and that terms can vary by region; no separate United States term is published. Coverage requires purchase from an authorised dealer — The ’In Groove is one.