FAQ

This can be a tricky issue to troubleshoot. Please read our extensive hum guide here.

Vibrations from the motor, footfall and other sources of vibration from outside degrade replay accuracy and sound quality. This can be prevented by:

• Decoupling the motor from the chassis, platter and tonearm/cartridge
• Decoupling the subchassis, on which the platter and tonearm/cartridge are mounted, from the chassis and motor
• Physical separation of the motor unit from the chassis carrying the platter and the tonearm/cartridge

All models apart from the RPM models, Elemental-Line and the Signature-Line come with a dust cover which is included in the price. There are separate dust covers available for these models as accessory. These covers completely protect the turntables from dust and can easily be removed during playback. The dust covers of all other models are fixed by a hinge which allows the cover to be easily removed. Removing the dust cover generally improves playback-quality, as the large lid surface captures airborne resonances and transmits them to the chassis or plinth. This applies equally if the cover is not removed completely but left open during replay. For this reason the record players are pictured without their dust covers in the brochure. When assessing the space required to place the record player please remember that the depth required is slightly greater when the lid is opened. Please refer to the technical data section of the product information.

Since skating force is changing with the position of the tonearm and cartridge it is necessary to provide an antiskating solution that changes with the skating force. Therefore the variable solution provided with our turntables is the only correct and audiophile way to solve this problem. Click here for more information on what makes a good turntable.

Traditionally turntables and cartridges have always been sold separately, as they are very different products to build. Turntable manufacturers generally don't make cartridges themselves, nor do cartridge manufacturers make turntables. Cartridges and turntables, especially in the high price sector, are individually matched to allow the customer to choose the combination which delivers the sound which best satisfies his taste and budget.

Not always. Since, over the last twenty years, customers often no longer required provision for analogue record reproduction, many amplifiers have been built without a phono stage and RIAA equalisation necessary for vinyl replay. This applies to the majority of cheaper amplifiers and surround-sound systems and to virtually all compact systems. A line input took the place of the phono input. Recently, however, the number of quality amplifiers with a phono input is increasing again. Check whether your customer's amplifier has a phono input or not, Usually the input is labelled phono, but it may also be labelled gram, RIAA or record player. If not, you can find a number of phono stages in our Box Design product range. Often the amplifier's built-in phono stage is not of the best quality, so in many cases the sound quality of the record player can be improved significantly by the use of the external phono stage. Phono pre-amplifiers are connected between the record player and a line level input (such as AUX, TAPE IN, RESERVE, LINE IN). They must not be connected to a built-in phono stage. Our Phono USB models have already a phono pre-amplifier integrated, so these models can be connected directly to a line-level input.

From the Debut Carbon model, our turntable have an interconnect cable supplied as standard. Using different cables may produce different results. This is a popular area for experimentation amongst hifi hobbyists. The connection cables hard-wired to the smaller models require considerable effort to replace and the results will rarely be worthwhile.

First you will need the 78 RPM Pulley Set, as schellack records need to be played at this speed. Then you will need a special 78 needle for your cartridge. We supply these for the Ortofon OM and 2M series. Additionally we also have the Ortofon OM 78 as complete cartridge ready to mount.

Usually best results are achieved by removing the transport screws! So the motor is hanging free and the vibrations are decoupled by the O-ring, which works like a subchassis. Unfortunately in reality it is not that easy! Because of different quality and cleanness of AC power, Motors react different strong in their vibration behaviour. Although we select the motors according to their vibration pattern, not every motor is the same! Also the used power supply influences the vibrating of the motor significantly. So there are differences by using 110V or 220/30 power supply .There are lot of combinations possible which are impossible to foresee. In worst case, motor starts to vibrate in a certain frequency area so strong, that the free mounting makes it even worse. So in some cases it is better to fix the motor with transportation screws! If you decide to re-mount transportation screws, it is very important not to tight the screws too hard on the plinth as this will eliminate the damping ability of the mounting! Right strength of screw fixing can be judged by try and error only. If there is no hum noise coming out of the speakers when tracking a groove without signal, you achieved the correct adjustment! Since some time we are using high-tech Thermo Elasto Plastimer (TPE) dampers on each mounting point additionally. These dampers avoid motor vibration transmitted to the plinth in addition. Attention! Please do not mix up this “motor hum” with electrical ground noise caused by bad or no grounding. If there is a hum noticeable while the needle is NOT placed in the groove, something is wrong with grounding. This has nothing to do with the correct motor fixing. You can find this also by touching the plinth with your fingers. A hardly noticeable vibration on the plinth is the correct adjustment!  

You can find usefuls tips about turntable maintenance here. No. Turntable bearings of turntables from Pro-Ject Audio Systems are factory-equipped with a high-quality film of oil, which ensures years of friction-free function. Regardless of the frequency of use, it is recommended to check from time to time, if a sufficient protective oil film is present. Attention! If a turntable is used in spite of lack of oil, a serious damage of the platter bearing may be caused. To ensure adequate lubrication and prevent the premature wear of the turntable bearing, we recommend using our special lubricant 'Lube it' or 'Grease it', which can be obtained from any authorized dealer.

You can find usefuls tips about turntable maintenance here. There is no time value of when you should change lubrication, because it depends on many factors, such as climate or humidity. Best is to change it as often as you feel necessary. The more you change it, the better.

You can find usefuls tips about turntable maintenance here. There is no risk involved in having too much lubrication, worst case is you will have to wipe your turntable clean if some grease or oil spills out of the bearing.

You can find usefuls tips about turntable maintenance here. As with lubrication, there is no real recommended time of change. In average a belt is good for about 1000 hours. It also depends on the environment, if the temperature changes too often from cold to hot, it can damage the belt. Also if the belt is touched with greasy or oily (skin oil) fingers, that can harm the quality of the drive belt.

Heinz Lichtenegger: "The belief that vinyl records on an analog turntable just sound better. This was especially poignant at the time, as it was the only way to achieve an excellent high-quality stereo system. At the time, digital wasn't as good as it is today, and it was also very expensive."

Heinz Lichtenegger: "In the beginning, I aimed to create a genuinely stunning sounding turntable for the lowest cost possible. This is made possible by getting rid of all bells and whistles and instead focusing on the core technological fundamentals. In addition, you also achieve an elegant, minimalistic design. In my experience, this has given Pro-Ject turntables a timeless quality; we're not at the mercy of changing fashion."

Heinz Lichtenegger: "Competition is good, and it's a compliment when I see other brands (such as Sony) releasing models that are influenced by my core design principles. As long as the competition are producing turntables that deliver a fantastic sounding experience, it's all good as far as I'm concerned. The way I see it, the growth of such products only creates a bigger market for everyone involved as more customers discover the joy of analog. One area that does fill me with trepidation is the growth in 'TOY-like' turntables made from cheap plastic—often with a bad-sounding integrated speaker. These products ultimately leave the customer disappointed, giving them the impression that analog music is merely a fashion trend. Worst still, they can ruin your precious records."

Heinz Lichtenegger: "The analog experience is all about engagement; you're just more in the music, because you make time for the finer details. Vinyl records engage your senses beyond the ears: the touch of the LP, the beautiful artwork, and even the smell—it's a piece of art! A great analog experience should deliver all of this and more. Soundwise, I believe analog playback gives me a more natural, fluid way of listening. More colors and emotions."

Heinz Lichtenegger: "I think it all depends on how the market develops. For more than two decades, analog snowballed without any big advertisement, thanks to its natural allure. It was mostly driven by pure fascination and the sheer excitement of the whole experience. Nowadays, however, there are a lot of bad products in the market that leave consumers disappointed. So I do have some concerns about the very rapid growth. I've made it my mission to fight against this trend as much as possible by telling customers what they should look for in a high-quality turntable. I think, in the process, this has helped Pro-Ject gain the support of many happy vinyl lovers."

Heinz Lichtenegger: "For sure, streaming is very important to the overall mix. Thanks to streaming, it is very easy to find new music. As an experience, though, streaming usually amounts to nothing more than background music. So when you stream a new piece of music you love, the best way to truly experience what it has to offer is to own a physical copy. For the best overall experience and sound quality, you need to buy the vinyl. So there we have it! Both worlds will coexist beautifully. "

Heinz Lichtenegger: "As briefly mentioned above, I have some concerns about the very rapid growth, but nevertheless, I am 100% sure that vinyl will be a focal point for the music industry and consumer listening habits. I hope that young people who buy into vinyl will slowly understand that if they want to get the REAL analog experience, they need to buy proper speakers and a good amp. With this also has come a respect for physics and some understanding of the importance of speaker positioning. Even just getting the speakers in a 2/3 Triangle position to get the TRUE stereo sound with a concert-like feeling and a more 3D sound stage can go a long way. So TRUE STEREO is the next trend. Forget your multiroom, processed audio—listen to ANALOG IN STEREO. Beyond this, on the new technology front, there is a new analog technology called HD-Vinyl, which is exciting. This will open up the door to new possibilities."

Heinz Lichtenegger: "Now that is a question I find too difficult to answer. There is so much great music out there from across human history. With around 80,000 records at home, I am determined to make sure I've heard all of them at least once."