Pro-Ject updates Award-winning turntable with balanced connection and new cartridge

Pro-Ject's Debut Pro isn't just a five-star turntable, it's also What Hi-Fi? 's reigning Product of the Year champ for the best turntables category. Meaning we like it quite a lot.

Hence, the announcement that Pro-Ject will be replacing it with a new model sent a frisson of excitement around the team. The new Pro-Ject Debut Pro B builds upon the successful design of the Debut Pro and updates it with a new tonearm, new cartridge and the inclusion of balanced connections.

Pro-Ject has been advocating for "True Balanced Connection" in specific phono stages and turntable models of late (such as the X1 B and X2 B models), and the new Debut Pro B is a "refinement on the original" that includes balanced technology to increase compatibility and "elevate the performance" of this two-time Award-winning turntable.

This means the deck comes with a new MiniXLR balanced output alongside the usual RCA phono output connectors. The advantage of using balanced connectors is that it eliminates noise and interference from the signal path, allowing users an upgrade path for a cleaner performance – but you'll have to have a similarly balanced phono stage and amplifier to take advantage of this design in your system.

That's not all. Pro-Ject says every component of the turntable has been "re-engineered for a more high-end performance." The new deck features a one-piece 8.6-in carbon-aluminium tonearm with a nickel-plated aluminium bearing block and comes pre-fitted with a new Pick-It Pro Balanced moving magnet cartridge (costing £199 when bought separately). This new cartridge design is a result of a collaboration with Ortofon, with Pro-Ject promising a "more lively and robust sound with a big dynamic range" from the new package. The cartridge can also support a balanced audio signal to compatible phono stages.

The deck retains its classy aluminium platter with TPE damping, while the hand-painted MDF chassis comes in the standard satin black finish as well as an upcoming satin white colourway. As before, you can adjust the tonearm's height and azimuth and there are three height-adjustable metal feet.

The belt drive system features a motor suspension that boasts better damping and the deck can play 33.3, 45 and 78 rpm records.

Pro-Ject also includes a Connect-IT E phono RCA cable in the box, but you'll have to buy a separate MiniXLR cable if you want to go down the balanced route.

Pro-Ject claims that all of these upgrades amount to a "still-affordable turntable that delivers like nothing else at the price point." Available now, the Pro-Ject Debut Pro B retails at £799. The outgoing Debut Pro was priced at £699 at launch, so we'll be interested to hear the difference in performance the new Pro B model promises over the older model.

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