Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO, Audiophile turntable with Carbon Fiber tonearm, Electronic Speed Selection and pre-mounted Ortofon 2M Red phono cartridge (High Gloss Black)

Product Information

The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo is an unsuspended, belt driven turntable and latest scion of the Debut line. This, should you happen to have spent the 21 st century in a cave, is one of the pillars on which the vinyl revival is based. We can state with the sort of hindsight fueled assurance that we all fall into if we’re not careful, that it was inevitable that a device like the original Pro-Ject Debut would have been released by somebody. I will go on record as saying I’m not as sure. The success of the original Debut looks inevitable from 2020 but it really wasn’t at the time. There's no built-in phono preamp with this model, though Pro-Ject goes some way towards compensating for this by including its high-quality Connect It E phono RCA cable in the box, ready for you to connect up your own device.

The Carbon EVO had a good range, a sense of transparency and speed while at the same time being soft and relaxed, with a slightly dark character, which rules out any possibility of roughness. The in-house designed and manufactured AC drive motor is made to fine tolerances for minimal noise, but to further eliminate any potential interference the motor is decoupled from the main chassis by a new mounting plate with TPE-damping. The mounting plate isolates the motor while still keeping it perfectly level with the sub-platter drive system for absolute speed stability. The turntable plinth also sits on three height-adjustable aluminium feet with TPE-damping to ensure an absolutely stable platform with good isolation from the shelf it is placed upon. Of course, that is of little surprise. The company has long proven its ability to offer up a magnificently plush midrange, with vocals so often a particular treat when given so much warmth and held up by plenty of weight in the bass. We're loath to call it a negative – some would probably welcome the more subtle approach – but it did take a little sheen off our overall experience. Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO review: The alternativesSetting up the Debut Carbon EVO is ridiculously easy. Simply add the drive belt, platter and weights, and you'll be ready to drop that needle on the groove. Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO review: Sound This reference level pressing does show that the tonality of the Carbon Evo is very good indeed. Instruments sound convincing and it finds the details in Porter’s voice to turn it from a portrayal into a performance. That additional space helps to take these believable individual snippets and stitch them into something that involves and envelopes the listener. Even with the decidedly less audiophile musings of Circa Waves What’s it Like Over There, the Pro-Ject is still a big, confident sounding turntable. Probably it’s the peak – bonus – prize of Pro-Ject’s decades-lasting honesty and respect towards vinyl and audiophiles.

I was half tempted to have a change but the sound from the Evo was just right for my ears and set-up it seemed silly to change.The Pro-Ject handles tempos and rhythms with equal assurance. Oh, you’ll get a straighter edge and a more martial approach from a similarly priced Rega turntable, but the Evo counters (and strongly) with its unfussy nature and the almost ostentatious amount of detail it digs out. The Carbon Evo is superbly made, isolated from the outside world in a way that most affordable turntables simply aren’t and it’s a breeze to setup. What impressed me the most was the easy setup. The Debut Carbon EVO took me under ten minutes to set up, and everything felt dialed-in and ready to go almost immediately. This is a display of strength: with its construction quality and sonic characteristics, it‘s the new reference in this price category. With specs like these, it is highly recommended! There’s heat in the low frequencies, certainly, but they’re not overcooked and it’s certainly not at the expense of detail or texture. There’s a similarly lavish amount of detail retrieved in the midrange – it reveals so much about the glee and malevolence Nina Simone imbues her performance with it’s almost hair-raising – and while the top end is rolled off just fractionally, it’s far from a blunt instrument.

the newest Pro-Ject’s creation outperformed tonally and once again emotionally – dare I say – pricier, older, and higher up the rank offerings. Structurally, the Debut Carbon EVO is most recognised by its expertly finished main chassis, available in nine elegant finish options. The traditional rectangular footprint has a timeless minimalism, and is made of MDF for its excellent anti-resonant properties, and this tendency to minimal vibrations continues throughout the Debut design. A floating sound, big soundstage, extreme attention to delivering a deep emotional connection with the music. Whether or not the Debut Carbon Evo is the best record player for you might be decided by whether you prefer its fuller, more relaxed character or the more spritely and lean alternative of its main competitor. Pro-Ject includes a well-written manual and also a well-designed guide for the initial setup, something that we rarely find at this price point.The turntable to which this arm is attached is also recognisably a Debut but one that a fine tooth comb has been applied to. The platter is made from steel, as it has been on many previous iterations but there is now additional dampening. This takes the form of a ring of TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) around the inner lip of the platter and it results in a pleasingly inert sound when you tap it. It has a kind of seductive, organic richness and woodiness, that we never were aware it was hidden inside the Ortofon 2M Red moving magnet – not until now.