There's only one thing wrong with our current #1 pick of the best turntables: they've stopped making it. The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo is no more, having amassed countless awards and rave reviews since the Debut launched in 1999 (the most recent update was in 2020). But don't despair: there's a brand new turntable to take its place at the top turntable, er, table. And it's called the Debut Evo 2.
The Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2 is designed specifically as a replacement to the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo, and it's available in 10 beautiful finishes. I think it's one of the best-looking turntables around, especially in its wine red incarnation – but of course what really made the Debut Carbon special wasn't how it looked, but how it sounded. And Pro-Ject says that this one sounds even better than its predecessor.
What's new in the Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2
There are several key upgrades here including a new Pick It MM EVO moving magnet cartridge made by Ortofon; a new low-friction tonearm bearing; a new non-magnetic aluminum platter with TPE damping; and a new machined MDF chassis with "almost no" hollow space inside. The tonearm is a one-piece 8.6-inch tonearm made from conical carbon fiber and the motor suspension has improved damping.
Where some Pro-Ject turntables required manual switching for speeds, the Debut Evo 2 is electronically switchable between 33 and 45rpm; you can also play 78s via an optional drive belt and pulley change, which is available separately. A semi-symmetrical Connect IT E phono cable is included and the RCA connectors are gold plated.
The goal with the Pro-Ject Debut range has been to deliver the best of both worlds: beginner-friendly ease of use without sacrificing upgradeability and customization. This turntable is part of that tradition, and having tested some of the firm's other turntables I'm sure that this should be something special. In our review of the now discontinued model, we said that it delivered a "luxuriously full-bodied listen" with "plenty of the warmth and richness that’s so often held up as an unarguable vinyl virtue".
The new Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2 will go on sale in September 2024 from Henley Audio with an official price of £599 (about $790 / AU$1,170 – we'll update with official US and Australian pricing when we can). That's £100 more than the Debut Carbon Evo, although of course that turntable has been around for a few years now, and inflation has been Quite The Thing since then. If the new one's a little too pricey for you, some decent deals on the outgoing Evo should appear as retailers make room for the new model.
