Pro-Ject Debut Reference 10

At the heart of the Debut Reference 10 is a new one piece carbon aluminium tonearm that uses a sandwich construction to combine rigidity with carefully controlled damping. The outer tube is formed from carbon fibre to keep the arm stiff and light, while an internal aluminium tube helps to dissipate resonances before they can reach the cartridge. The arm is mounted in a new zero-tolerance bearing block machined from solid aluminium and uses a TPE-damped counterweight, high-purity internal wiring and an adaptive anti-skating mechanism that automatically follows the skating force across the record side. Vertical tracking angle and azimuth are both fully adjustable, with the arm height set by loosening two grub screws and sliding the assembly, which allows users to fine tune alignment when changing cartridges or platter mats. The deck is supplied with the new Pick it PRO Balanced MM cartridge already installed and aligned so that it can be used straight out of the box, while still leaving scope for future upgrades.

The main platter is made from 300 mm acrylic with a satin finish and sits on a diamond cut aluminium sub-platter running on a stainless steel axle in a bronze bushing. This combination raises the overall mass of the platter system, improving damping of resonance and short-term speed stability, while the use of acrylic allows records to be placed directly on the platter surface without the need for a felt mat and its associated colouration. Speed is generated by a precision DC-driven AC motor system that creates a new clean sine wave to power the motor, and is controlled electronically for 33 and 45 rpm, with a separate round belt supplied for 78 rpm playback. The quoted wow and flutter figures are 0.16% at 33 rpm and 0.14% at 45 rpm, with speed drift held to within 0.4% and 0.5% respectively and a signal to noise ratio of 68 dB.

The plinth of the Debut Reference 10 is built from hand-painted MDF and rests on three height-adjustable metal feet with TPE damping, chosen deliberately instead of four feet in order to make levelling easier and to improve stability on uneven surfaces. This three-point support is intended to provide a rigid but well isolated base for the bearing and tonearm, helping to preserve channel balance and tracking accuracy. The deck is supplied with an acrylic dustcover that will stay open at any position and can also be removed completely if preferred. A premium semi-symmetrical Connect it Phono E RCA cable is included in the box, along with a 15 V power supply, a 7 inch single adapter and a separate belt for 78 rpm records.

In line with Pro-Ject's 'True Balanced' concept, the Debut Reference 10 is equipped with a mini-XLR balanced output and the Pick it PRO Balanced cartridge, making it possible to run a fully balanced connection from cartridge pins to a compatible balanced phono stage such as the Phono Box S3 B, Phono Box DS3 B or Tube Box DS3 B. This configuration is designed to reject noise and interference picked up along the cable run, particularly useful in more complex systems or where longer cable lengths are required. For users who want to take the power supply a step further, the optional Power Box S3 Phono can provide dedicated, filtered DC for both the turntable and a Pro-Ject phono preamplifier, simplifying cabling and further improving the quality of the power feeding the analogue front end. The Debut Reference 10 is finished in a satin surface and has a quoted footprint of 462 x 145 x 345 mm with a net weight of 6 kg. The manufacturer's suggested retail price is €1,199. Info and photos by Pro-Ject Audio Systems.