My experience with a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon TT

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by BKphoto, Aug 30, 2015.

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  1. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Even some of their $1000-$1500+ models hum. I looked into buying a couple different Pro-Jects at various points. Glad I didn't and probably never will buy one.
     
  2. BroJB

    BroJB Large Marge sent me.

    Location:
    New Orleans
    Love my DC, but I dealt with that motor hum, too. Solved it by removing the motor transportation screws and putting on a cork mat. Problem solved. Great TT for the price.
     
    punkmusick and Chriss Ons like this.
  3. clhboa

    clhboa Forum Resident

    I just reduced the hum by plugging the power into the wall instead of into a power strip. It's still there but more like it used to be (a somewhat acceptable level).
     
  4. xantus

    xantus Active Member

    I ended up removing the screws as well, and also raising the suspension screws and adding bits of foam under the rubber ring
     
  5. clhboa

    clhboa Forum Resident

    I just tried this and A/B'd it. Even leaving the cover open a tiny bit causes the hum to resume. As soon as the cover closes completely it goes away. Weird.
     
  6. Gabe Walters

    Gabe Walters Forum Resident

    Same on my Debut III. I remove the cover completely while playing.
     
    punkmusick likes this.
  7. xantus

    xantus Active Member

    I don't think its weird, I think it is part of the design ;) it IS an entry level marketed item. the main reason I'm happy with my debut iii is it only cost me 220 used
     
  8. clhboa

    clhboa Forum Resident

    I realized it was an entry level item when I bought it. I think overall it does a pretty decent job even with the basic cartridge once it's dialed in correctly. Does it sound as good as my Technics SL 1210 with a 2M Black? No,I didn't expect it to. I paid around 275 for mine when Audio Advisor was making room for the Debut Carbons. I wanted something inexpensive to set up with my basement system. It'll work for now.
     
  9. Russell Weston

    Russell Weston Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ridgecrest, CA
    For anyone experiencing mechanical hum during playback, remove the mounting screws on the motor. This is essential to quiet playback. The motor is a floating assembly. The screws are only for stability during shipping. I only figured this out after three years.... Cheers!
     
    clhboa likes this.
  10. aseriesofsneaks

    aseriesofsneaks Forum Resident

    Location:
    St. Catharines, ON
    The hum on mine is only really noticeable at higher volumes or during very quiet passages. It improved somewhat after swapping out the RCA cables that came with the table for better ones and adjusting the screws, but it never went away completely. It's a shame because I love the sound of the Debut Carbon otherwise.

    For me, once I discovered the hum, I was always listening for it after that. After months of frustration, I've now purchased a used Technics SL-1200 Mk II that's in immaculate collection and have had no issues, hum or otherwise, with it so far.
     
    Trapper J and BKphoto like this.
  11. clhboa

    clhboa Forum Resident

    The instruction book on the Debut III says to do this. I did it on initial set up but apparently there are other issues that can cause hum.
     
  12. Russell Weston

    Russell Weston Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ridgecrest, CA
    Luckily, I've no electrical hum in my system.
     
    clhboa likes this.
  13. Gabe Walters

    Gabe Walters Forum Resident

    I think there's confusion over the issue because I'm pretty sure the Debut Carbon instructions say not to do it. You're right about the Debut III, of course.
     
    clhboa and violetvinyl like this.
  14. BroJB

    BroJB Large Marge sent me.

    Location:
    New Orleans
    I did it on the Carbon and it cleared up the hum. Not sure what the downside may be, but I'm not noticing any.
     
    Gabe Walters likes this.
  15. xantus

    xantus Active Member

    well I think the reason WHY the Carbon manual says to do that is because project included different style mounting screws on that model, but these screws were only their "solution" kit that they were shipping out to Debut owners before.. which did not fix the issue 100% of the time depending on just how much the motor was vibrating due to QC.
     
  16. BKphoto

    BKphoto JazzAllDay Thread Starter

    dumped mine and bought a vintage Denon, now I just listen to music...
     
  17. SpeedMorris

    SpeedMorris Forum Resident

    Location:
    Iowa
    Same here. I grabbed one for my son and had the 60-day Music Direct return policy, so thought WTH and grabbed a blem demo cheap. Hearing both hum (motor or electrical, I have no clue) and rumble out of the box was disheartening.

    I first tried the washers and thought that did it, but it came back. I left washers under the 4 outer screws and took off the transport screws. I don't know where the rumble went, but it went. I could hear some kind of hummy noise when cranking the volume dial all the way up while just holding the tonearm in different places. At 10-2:00, I heard nothing. My son appears to be having no problems.

    I really don't care for the sonic signature of the 2M Red, but the cart has its virtues. Background noise is really low and it seems to track through an earthquake. IGD? I don't know if I know what to listen for. I heard an occasional bit of sibilance on a given song, but it never seemed to last throughout an album, so not an issue.

    So for $280 shipped, I can't complain. If he put it on ebay tomorrow, he'd surely get at most of the money back. I prefer the customer return MMF-2.2 with Tracker cart I got on ebay for $240 shipped a few weeks back (missed having a table to play around with in junior's old room), but it's no big deal. I imagine it's the cart I prefer. I'll be leaving hints about an LPGear upgrade stylus for Xmas.:cool:
     
  18. Laservampire

    Laservampire Down with this sort of thing

    No experience with the Carbon but I have the RPM 1.3 Genie and it's a little champion.
     
  19. Litejazz53

    Litejazz53 Perfect Sound Through Crystal Clear Digital

    I have not been back to this Carbon subject for many months, and I keep getting notices, and it really amazes me what people will tolerate, when they buy this turntable, really. Post after post deal with the amount of hum people hear from these Debut Carbon turntables, as well as other Project offerings, mine went back the second day, and they just keep cranking them out and people continue to talk about taking motor mount screws out, making them looser, making them tighter, putting all matter of damping materials in that area, cutting pieces out of the turntable to reduce but not eliminate the hum, opening dust covers, removing dust covers completely, partially closing dust covers, paying an additional $100.00 or more dollars for an acrylic platter, or a cork mat, the list is just endless.
    You know, even before I discovered the hum I noticed the mat furnished with that table was so thin and cheap, as a manufacturer, they should be ashamed of even furnishing it with the turntable. When you move the arm back and forth, you have to slightly lift as the design of the arm rest makes it where it very easily gets in the way, and that tiny little stub of a tonearm pickup just invites the user to drop the arm, it's just too darn short and stubby. If you are just not "real" careful, that arm will get out of your fingers quickly. To this day, I just do not understand why Project has not solved this never ending problem, and it obviously continues, as we see the humming issue continuing to this day. I thought the NEW and improved DC version was the answer, but I have been told it's the same AC motor, that has not changed. They might have made "slight" changes on the motor mounts, not sure on that, but it would be nice to hear from some people who have purchased the newer DC Debut Carbon, to see if that hum is still there when the stylus hits the record grooves, between tracks, during quiet passages of music and finally as the stylus tracks out at the end of the record, just as you have seen and heard on the YouTube videos.
     
  20. Burning Tires

    Burning Tires Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Yeah, kind of a head-scratcher that this hasn't been fully resolved for customers yet. I bought one in January of 2014, and after a week of trying non-destructive fixes and considering keeping it, I decided I could not live with that hum, and got a full refund. If not for that hum, I would've kept the table.

    My guess is a lot of people are buying these based on the great reviews and the price, but if it's their first table, they may not know what to expect and aren't sure if it's really defective or something else is wrong. Or maybe they aren't listening very loud and don't notice it. Add to that the hassles with mail ordering and returning items. Unfortunate situation. I figured it was a bad batch of motors at the plant, but...still the same 2 years later? Can't recommend in good conscience.
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  21. xantus

    xantus Active Member

    I honestly think the table was just designed to have the lid down (gives the plinth more mass, but the lid resonates when it is up and the stock plinth is not heavy enough to counter the motor when the lid is removed) , which is an audiophile no-no usually..
     
    clhboa likes this.
  22. I've had one for 4 or 5 years and never had this issue. That's what the cueing lever is for. I never free-hand the tone arm.
     
    Ben Toscano likes this.
  23. I keep my lid up while playing and it was not the cause of hum. I added a Speedbox and Acrylit platter. Now I have no hum.
     
  24. xantus

    xantus Active Member

    well yes the speedbox is also a major fix for the hum as it seems many of the motors just had not quite right timing
     
    violetvinyl likes this.
  25. Russell Weston

    Russell Weston Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ridgecrest, CA
    In fairness, removing the motor mount screws removed any motor hum. They are only for shipping purposes,afaik. I was gonna buy a new TT, but I'm perfectly satisfied now. It's literally a two-minute adjustment
     
    SpeedMorris likes this.
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