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Pro-Ject Debut Carbon USB

Manual belt-drive turntable with USB output

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  • Pro-Ject Debut Carbon USB

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Item# 252DBTCUSB offer details

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Pro-Ject

Our take on the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon USB

by Dave Bar
builtin preamp

A built-in USB phono preamp lets you connect easily to virtually any computer or audio system.

Bring your record collection into the digital age

The task of transforming your treasured LPs into audiophile-quality digital files requires a great-sounding turntable. That's why the folks at Pro-Ject added a high-fidelity phono preamp with a built-in analog-to-digital converter and USB output to their acclaimed Debut Carbon. This potent playback combination makes it a breeze to transfer music to your computer for easy archiving. Save your tunes as MP3, WAV, or other music files that you can store on your computer or download to your portable player. The built-in preamp means you can also connect the Debut Carbon USB directly to almost any audio system.


Crafted for serious sound

You've probably seen cheap, plastic 'tables equipped with USB, but the Debut Carbon USB is in a completely different league. Its sturdy MDF chassis rests on shock absorbing rubber feet that provide a solid, low-resonance foundation. Its heavy steel platter spins on a precision axle and bearing for excellent speed stability and smooth, silent rotation. A decoupled motor mount and belt drive system isolates the motor's vibration from the chassis to prevent noise from being transferred to the cartridge. An external AC power supply helps reduce the chance of hum. Finally, the table's one-piece carbon fiber tonearm includes a silicone-damped lift for gently raising and lowering the arm — protecting both the stylus and your records.


Enjoy the rich sound of vinyl without the hassle

Pro-Ject knows that turntable setup can be a challenge for the novice. That's why the Debut Carbon USB comes out of the box virtually ready to play. Its pre-matched, factory-mounted phono cartridge and tonearm take the guesswork out of installation, so you can enjoy optimized sound quality with minimal effort. A few minutes to dial in key settings like tracking force, anti-skating, and platter speed are all that's needed to experience the best sound you've ever heard from your record collection.

Highlights:

  • built-in phono preamp with line-level audio and USB output (Windows®, Mac®, and Linux compatible)
    • recording software not included (Pro-Ject recommends Audacity, a free sound recording and editing program available at audacity.sourceforge.net)
  • heavy 12" steel platter with felt mat provides excellent speed stability and protects records from scratches
  • precision stainless-steel bearing system for smooth, quiet platter rotation
  • one-piece 8.6" carbon fiber tonearm for superior rigidity and low resonance
  • includes pre-mounted Ortofon OM-10E moving magnet cartridge
  • medium density fiberboard (MDF) base with four shock absorbing rubber feet
  • AC motor decoupled from base for reduced vibration transmission and better sound
  • Sorbothane motor suspension
  • manual operation with silicone-damped tonearm lift
  • 33-1/3 and 45 rpm speeds
  • speed variation: ±0.55%
  • wow and flutter: ±0.10%
  • signal-to-noise ratio: 68dB
  • external power supply reduces likelihood of electro-mechanical interference
  • compatible with Pro-Ject Speed Box II electronic speed regulator for enhanced sound and speed-changing convenience
  • weight: 15 lbs.
  • 16-3/8"W x 6-5/16"H (with dust cover down) x 12-5/8"D
  • warranty: 2 years (1 year warranty for the supplied cartridge)
  • Our 60-day money-back guarantee
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    What's in the box?

    Download owner's manual

    • Turntable (tone-arm and cartridge installed)
    • Hub (installed)
    • Platter
    • AC power adapter (with attached 6.5' DC cord)
    • Drive belt
    • Dust cover
    • Counter weight
    • Anti-shake weight
    • Felt pad
    • 45 RPM adapter
    • 4' Stereo RCA cable (w/ attached ground lead)
    • Female RCA to male 3.5mm adapter
    • 6' USB (type-B) to USB (type-A) cable
    • Key
    • Two-Point Cartridge Alignment Protractor
    • Instructions for Use

    Our Product Research Team

    At Crutchfield, you'll get detailed, accurate information that's hard to find elsewhere. That's because we have our own in-house Product Research team — they open the box, verify contents, check the owner's manual, and record dimensions, features and specs. We stay on top of new products and technologies to help people make informed choices.

    Features
    Specifications

    Features

    Resonance-Reducing Construction: The attractive resonance-reducing MDF plinth supports a heavier 300mm diameter metal platter for smoother rotation and lower wow and flutter. Additionally, a felt record mat is employed for superior record support and coupling. The platter and plinth assembly sits upon four-point "O"-ring feet designed for energy absorption and the plinth-mounted motor is isolated by a new Sorbothane suspension keeping unwanted noise and vibration to a bare minimum. The motor is even decoupled from the plinth to reduce vibration transmission.

    Note: The turntable should be positioned on a low-resonance surface such as wood or multiple layer ply-board to avoid structural vibrations disturbing replay.

    High-Fidelity Sound: The 8.6" single-piece tube carbon fiber tone-arm that increases stiffness while decreasing unwanted resonances resulting in a higher fidelity presentation of your vinyl recordings. Fitted to the carbon fiber arm is a top-quality cartridge, the OM10 moving magnet (MM) phono cartridge by Ortofon. This arm/cartridge combination is capable of exceptional tracking and recovery of the musical nuance found within the records grooves.

    Belt Driven: The Pro-Ject Debut-Carbon Phono USB features a quiet running AC motor with a two-step pulley which drives the hub and platter via a flat-ground belt. The Debut-Carbon Phono USB supports 33-1/3 and 45 rpm speeds.

    Integrated Phono-MM Preamp w/ USB Output: Because the Debut Carbon Phono USB includes a built-in phono preamplifier with USB output, connection to both line-level input of your hifi system and USB port on your computer can be done simultaneously.

    • RCA Output Jacks: Plinth mounted RCA output jacks allow for the use of higher quality interconnects for even better sonic performance. The built-in phono equalizer preamp allows you to connect the turntable to an integrated amp or receiver that does not have a dedicated phono input. You cannot disable the built-in phono preamp.
    • USB Phono Stage: The Pro-Ject Debut-Carbon Phono USB turntable allows you to transfer treasured vinyl records to any digital file format on your computer (software not included) with audiophile sound quality via its moving magnet phono preamplifier, A/D converter and USB (type-B) output (USB cable included). Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. Pro-Ject recommends Audacity, a free sound recording and editing program available at audacity.sourceforge.net.

    Dust Cover: The Pro-Ject Debut-Carbon Phono USB comes supplied with a dust cover to prevent dust build-up on the turntable.

    AC Power Adapter: The turntable operates off of standard household current using the supplied external AC power adapter.

    • Input: 120V~60Hz, 13.0W
    • Output: 15V, 550mA

    Specifications

    Filter Cartridge: Ortofon OM10 pre-mounted (output voltage: 5.5mV)

    Amplifier Connection: MM-input (recommended load resistance: 47 kohms)

    Nominal Speeds: 33-1/3, 45 rpm

    Platter: 11.811" (300mm) diameter steel w/ felt mat

    Tone-arm Length: 8.6" (218.5mm)

    Tone-arm Mass: 0.212oz (6g)

    Overhang: 0.728" (18.5mm)

    Tracking Force: 10-30 mN

    Speed Variance: +/-0.80%

    Wow & Flutter: +/-0.10%

    Outboard Power Supply: 15V / 550mA

    Dimensions:

    • Dust Cover Closed: 16.375" (w) x 4.6875" (h) x 13.625" (d)
    • Dust Cover Open: 16.375" (w) x 14.4375" (h) x 15.75" (d)

    Weight: 15 lbs.

     

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    Reviews for the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon USB

    Average Customer Review:

    4 people say:

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    5 out of 5

    Could use some help!

    Written By Bob H, Scottsdale, AZ on Monday, April 29, 2013
    Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
     
    Like the others said, desperately needs updated instructions.The web version helps. Those looking to use USB might start by using Audacity (free) software. The Audacity help files provide some guidance. Star rating assumes correct adjustment and connection.
    Pros:
    Solid unit. Good sound.
    Cons:
    Tone arm and anti-skating adjustments are very fussy. Cover is nice but it too is a bit fussy to adjust.
    Was this review helpful?    Yes | No
     
    4 out of 5

    Better instructions are needed

    Written By Steve W., Little Silver, NJ on Sunday, February 03, 2013
    Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
     
    When buying a pricey turntable from Crutchfield, you should expect that the right instructions are in the box and that they are accurate. In my case, the instructions were entitled for a "Pro-ject Debut Carbon." I didn't notice that "USB" was missing. So I set it up and followed the instructions to the letter, which direct you to connect the cables to the "Phono input on your amplifier." That was a big mistake because the USB version has a built-in pre-amp, and should be connected to a "line level" input such as for a tape deck. In fact, at Pro-ject Audio's website, you can download the correct instructions for the USB version, and you'll find a nice red warning flag against plugging it into the phono input. The right instruction booklet should have been in the box.

    Once I corrected that error, I was still unhappy with the quality of the playback. Distortion was rampant. Pro-ject Audio states that the "recommended downforce for the Ortofon OM 10 cartridge is 15 mN." But they fail to tell you that Ortofon's permissible range for the tracking force is up to 17.5 mN. Once I increased it to 17.5, the distortion went away.

    So, Crutchfield, you need to make sure that the right instructions are in the box. Pro-ject Audio should provide more detail on the downforce adjustment. Otherwise, my experience has been positive.
    Pros:
    High quality playback.
    Cons:
    Wrong instructions in the box and are inadequate in any case.
    2 out of 2 people found this helpful
    Was this review helpful?    Yes | No
     
    4 out of 5

    Get manual online first

    Written By Steffan, Wichita, KS on Sunday, February 03, 2013
    Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
     
    This turntable shipped with the wrong user guide so the hook-up instructions are completely wrong for this product. If you buy this, go online and get the correct manual first or you won't get Pro-ject's warning about NOT hooking up to the phono input, nor will you get any instructions about how to use the USB cable with your computer. Also, the RCA cable they sent has a faulty solder joint on the right-side line and I had no sound on that side until I jiggled the cable around for a bit.

    I echo the other comments here. The sound (once you figure out how to set it up) is crisp and full. The Ortofon stylus puts out plenty of bass without being overwhelming. I have no complaints about the sound. But that anti-skate weight really needs a redesign. The finer-than-hair thin thread is barely visible and getting it over the correct notch on the tonearm is an exercise in futility. Definitely don't try putting it on if you've had too much coffee!
    Pros:
    Warm sound, crisp treble and big bass. Made my old LPs sound like new again. Platter is heavy steel so there is little vibration and the motor is nearly silent. Carbon fiber tonearm is cool looking as well.
    Cons:
    Wrong manual in the box, faulty RCA cable, and the anti-skate weight is a pain to set up. Balancing the tonearm is also a bit fussy but that can be said about many other turntables as well.
    2 out of 2 people found this helpful
    Was this review helpful?    Yes | No
     
    5 out of 5

    Warm

    Written By _, Charlottesville VA on Sunday, December 30, 2012
     
    Great look and warm, full sound run through a beginner's setseup: Cambridge Audio Topaz AM10 (using cd channel and not phono because TT and amp's phono channel both boost the signal to create too much noise) and PSB Image B4s with a NHT sub.
    Pros:
    Sound, overall design,
    Cons:
    Poor set up instructions. Adjusting the weights took some time, which is to be expected. However, the anti-skating weight comes off fairly easy so patience is a virtue here.
    1 out of 1 people found this helpful
    Was this review helpful?    Yes | No
     
    1-4 of 4

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    For a more in-depth review and enhanced detailed information on the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon USB, please visit the Crutchfield website product page (/S-SPj00lFOCkJ/p_252DBTCUSB/Pro-Ject-Debut-Carbon-USB.html ).

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      Pro-Ject Debut Carbon USB