Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This is hands down the best turntable I've ever heard. I haven't heard some of the pricier ones, but if you're considering upgrading from a more modestly priced ($100-$200) table, or just getting your first and want to experience vinyl in its full potential, I'd highly recommend the Pro-ject Debut III. I've been listening to vinyl for a few years, first with a standard Sony (belt-driven) and then with an Ion (direct drive), and have always secretly had a few qualms with the sound. High frequency sounds (like cymbals and S's) were consistently distorted (S's sounded more like Sh's), and occasionally with a single prolonged note the pitch would waver. But with the Debut III, the distortion has 99% disappeared, and those wavering notes (that I thought might've been issues with warped records) are in perfect tune. This, I'm sure, is helped by the fact that I also got Pro-Ject's Speedbox II, which is kind of steeply priced but regulates the speed perfectly and also lets you switch from 33 to 45 rpm without moving the belt on the pulley. Perhaps the best part of the Debut III is the general clarity of sound reproduction, even with crackly records. I've always found that the crackles and pops on some records (especially older records) can really get in the way of the music--they'd eclipse the sound of the songs and make it difficult to make out the instrumentation very well at all. Unlike other tables I've heard, this one really separates all of the instruments so they can each be heard distinctly. The result is that it treats crackles like an instrument--you can still hear them, but they don't get in the way of the music itself, and even though they're present, the right sounds all come through clearly as well. This makes a big difference in general, but especially when listening with headphones.
If you're going to drop the bones to pick one of these up, I'd also suggest getting a cleaner (like the audio-technica LP Vinyl Cleaner Kit) to give the discs a quick wipe (you don't always have to use the solution that's included with such cleaners if you're just getting the dust off). I've found that also makes a big difference, even with less nice tables.
So yeah, 3 thumbs up for sure. It's also real good lookin (I've got the silver one).
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Product Description:
The Pro-Ject debut III is an excellent choice for the audiophile seeking a cost-effective vinyl playback solution. Pro-Ject has created something special with this turntable. The Pro-Ject Debut III uses an extremely quiet motor (decoupled from the plinth to reduce vibrations), a great tonearm with a silicone damped arm lift, and high purity copper from the headshell leads to the RCA ends. A felt-covered steel platter mates to a chrome plated stainless-steel axle running in a brass bearing housing for exceptional speed, stability and accuracy. The aluminum tonearm employs inverted hardened stainless-steel points for superior tracking with the supplied phono cartridge. The Debut III also includes a pre-installed Ortofon OM-5 MM cartridge, making this turntable a complete package. Everything is set-up for you at the factory, so once you bring one home you'll be spinning LPs within minutes. For less than you think, you can get those old LPs out of the closet, attic or basement and start having fun with analog again.
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