Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2 Vinyl Turntable

Introducing the Debut EVO 2 turntable! The Debut lineage holds firm footing among the best-selling hi-fi record players of the 21st century. Most recently, Debut III, Debut Carbon DC & Debut Carbon EVO have illustrated to the audio world just how good vinyl records can sound – and always at real-world prices. This has long been the goal of the Debut range: to put all our eggs in the basket of sound quality while stripping away unnecessary convenience-oriented features that might detract from sonic performance. We call it the “Industry Standard in Value” because nowhere else in the market can you obtain such an blend of sophisticated hi-fi implements so affordably.

The Debut EVO 2 turntable takes the torch passed along by Debut Carbon EVO, and it’s dressed to impress. The following changes are onboard:

The tonearm pivot assembly might look familiar. It now uses the same bearing block as Debut PRO B. The additional mass draws unwanted resonance away from the armtube & cartridge. It also provides a more stable anchor for the tonearm’s pivot. The anti-skating scale at attached to the bearing block too, making it quite a bit easier to work with. We reduce resonance to an even greater degree with a TPE-damped counterweight. These improvements along with the carbon fiber tube and ABEC 7 ball/race bearing provide effortless tracking with no friction, allowing all the micro-detail through.

Another implement that comes courtesy of the Debut PRO B and XA turntables, this has quickly become one of our favorite vinyl record platters. 1.7kg (3.75 lbs) heavy, the platter is CNC-machined from aluminum. Additional machining is applied in the precision-balancing process, which ascertains the platter is completely steady & even as it rotates. To eliminate any potential for unwanted resonance created by the metal material, we’ve machined a ridge into the underside of the platter & filled it with TPE (thermoplastic elastomer). This mutes any potential ‘ringing’ effect. Adding the cutout & TPE to the periphery of the platter also heighten the ‘flywheel effect,’ or rotational stability. Last & certainly not least, the use of aluminum instead of steel makes way for any and all moving coil phono cartridges. Since MC cartridges use much stronger magnets than do moving magnet cartridges, some MCs had potential for magnetic interaction with the steel platter supplied with the Debut Carbon EVO. This risk is now off the ‘table (pun intended).

With a hearty 7mV output, Pro-Ject’s new moving magnet cartridge has been tweaked specifically to sound great on the Debut EVO 2. Working in tandem with the Danish cartridge experts at Ortofon, Pick it MM EVO transcribes music with immediacy, speed & ‘slam.’ The cartridge’s sonic signature homogenizes harmoniously with Debut EVO 2’s more neutral  transparent underlay.

The audio junction box is now flush with the bottom of the MDF plinth for a cleaner aesthetic. We’ve also added the alluring new ‘Red Wine’ finish to the satin-painted offerings. All other finishes remain intact. Satin finishes are ‘red wine,’ black, blue, green, white, yellow & real-Walnut wood veneer. Gloss finishes are black, white & red. All painted finishes are done by hand using an 8-coat process before finishing.

Pro-Ject was the first manufacturer to produce a carbon fiber tonearm for a ‘table costing less than $1000 (the original Debut Carbon). The Debut EVO 2 features a premium 8.6″ carbon fiber armtube with a massive aluminum bearing block that draws resonance away from the cartridge. The ABEC-7-rated main tonearm ball/race bearing guarantees precise, stable and accurate tracking across a record side. The gimbal bearing uses 2 lateral stainless steel tips & thrust pads for smooth motion in the vertical plane. The carbon fiber tube is highly rigid, relatively light & anti-resonant in nature. The one-piece armtube/headshell design further prevents unwanted resonance and offers an ideal physical pairing with the supplied phono cartridge.

‘Adaptive anti-skating’ means that the anti-skate force increases across a record side. Due to progressively varying conditions from the outer to inner record grooves, skating force itself too increases as the arm traverses the record. Viewed thusly, it only makes sense that a decent anti-skating system adapts with it.

Our turntables use switch-mode power supplies for good reason. They take the unrefined AC power from your wall and convert it to DC. That DC power is then fed to a DC/AC generator within the turntable, which in turn powers the AC motor. The advantage is that a completely new sine wave is created by the generator, fully decoupling your turntable from the dirty AC power coming from your outlet. This amounts to steady power being fed to the motor thereby enhancing speed stability.

Decent isolation feet are imperative to the performance of a hi-fi turntable. They’re responsible for preventing all manner of external vibration & resonance from getting back to the highly-sensitive phono cartridge. We use 3 height-adjustable feet for easy leveling; optimal stability on any surface. The metal columns are CNC-machined with cutouts for  Damp it isolation pods. The pods are made of a purpose-selected variety of TPE (thermoplastic elastomer). They’re highly effective at absorbing everything from footfall vibration to resonance created by your speakers.

Setting us apart from the competition, all Pro-Ject turntables are configured for balanced operation.* Switching to balanced is no subtle upgrade and promises to redefine ‘reference’ sound quality in your turntable system. What’s needed to get there are a) a moving coil cartridge (or the Pro-Ject Pick it PRO Balanced), b) a turntable with balanced phono outputs, c) a phono preamp with balanced phono inputs and  balanced cable carrying the phono signal from turntable to phono preamp. Typically a much more costly endeavor, Pro-Ject has changed that landscape by offering products that make the technology attainable to any serious listener.

Debut EVO 2 comes equipped with a balanced-capable RCA/ground phono output. It can be run balanced with an RCA > mini XLR phono cable and a balanced phono stage that has a mini XLR input (Phono Box S3 B, Phono Box DS3, Tube Box DS3 B). The turntable ships with an RCA/ground > RCA/ground phono cable for maximum compatibility out of the box (unbalanced dual single-ended RCA/ground is by far the most common connection type in phono). Balanced add-ons are sold separately. Browse options for balanced phono preamps & cables in the reel below!

*Excluding turntables with built-in phono preamps.

Features

• Pre-adjusted Pick it MM EVO phono cartridge
• Aluminum platter with TPE damping ring
• Low-friction precision tonearm bearings
• Beautiful new satin ‘red wine’ finish
• 8.6″ one-piece carbon fiber tonearm
• Motor suspension with improved damping
• Height-adjustable TPE-damped metal feet
• Electronic speed change
• Belt drive with electronic speed regulation
• 8-coat hand-painted MDF chassis
• Premium semi-symmetrical phono cable
• Gold-plated female RCA jacks & grounding post
• Dust cover included
• Handmade in Europe 

Specifications

• Speeds: 33 & 45rpm (electronic speed change)
• Drive principle: belt drive w/ electronic speed control
• Platter: 1.7kg (3.75 lbs) 300mm die-cast aluminum platter with TPE damping & felt mat
• Platter bearing: stainless steel axle in bronze bushing
• Wow & flutter: +/-0.16% (33rpm), +/-0.14% (45rpm)
• Speed drift: +/-0.40% (33rpm), +/-0.50% (45rpm)
• Signal to noise: 68dB
• Tonearm: 8.6″ one-piece carbon tonearm
• Effective arm length/mass: 218.5mm / 10.0g
• Overhang: 18.5mm
• Included accessories: 15V DC 0.8A power supply, dust cover, 7‘‘ singles adapter
• Dimensions (WxHxD): 415 x 113 x 320mm
• Dimensions (standard): 16.34 x 4.45 x 12.60″
• Mass (Weight): 6kg (13.23 lbs) net

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