My experience with a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon TT

This is certainly a wildly held belief but my experience was much different. The belt drive and carbon fiber tone arm was a huge upgrade in my case, much more detailed and accurate over my used technics.

 

You are correct the spindle shows about 1/8" less with the acrylic platter but, the stock with mat is thicker so I dont understand how the acrylic would throw off your arm -

 

because its thicker where it sits on sub platter...metal platter is much thinner

check thickness at the spindle hole

1/8 inch might as well be a mile when setting a cart

 

The acrylic platter is thicker than the original platter because it is meant to be used without a mat. If it's radically thicker then all I can say is that you were accidentally given an acrylic platter for a model other than a debut. Mine is just fine.

 

I'm certainly glad you're happy with your Debut Carbon. I've heard enough of the Debut Carbon to know that, while some may sound great, the couple I heard did not. They suffered from obvious motor noise and really got in the way of the music. Maybe it's all QC issues? That's a real possibility. Don't get me wrong. There were plenty of lousy and mediocre turntables from yesteryear. But many were really good. Those sounded nice, they were quiet, stable, resistant to feedback and footfalls, and so on. Trying to better one of those "decent" vintage tables with a modern entry-level model might leave some people dissatisfied.

 

Again, I'm sorry you didn't like it. I hope you found a table that makes you happy. I measured my platter when I upgraded to the acrylic and had similar results to the ones pictured. If you are using the mat on the iron platter (which it not optional) it comes to the same height as the Acrylic without a mat. I honestly don't know about the spindle because I didn't use a clamp on my pro-ject. If I did, I would use the one that is designed to work with the table.

The Debut was not the last table I ever purchased, it can certainly be improved upon by leaps and bounds. Your experience is not typical. While you can find MANY negative treads on this forum about any table, this is perhaps the most popular "new" table available. I am no so jaded as to think that all off the positive reviews and awards are based on media buys.

I fear that your review will prevent people from experiencing the joy that I have from purchasing the table. The best piece of advice that anyone could take from this experience is to buy from someone that can help you with any issues you may find and take it back if you are not happy. This will not be the case if you buy a used table, that is a real gamble.

 

This is the best argument to "buy local" rather than online that I've seen all day. The price for the debut carbon is going to be the same no matter where you go. There are tons of deals to be found online if you shop around. Pro-Ject products won't be one of them.

 

But it's not throwing the arm off by 1/8" I'm sorry that simply isn't happening. Stylus isn't touching the spindle it's touching the platter and it's touching both at the same relative height.

Look at my first pics, acrylic sits same height as the stock regardless of how much spindle is showing. Again I am sorry your experience was bad, I'm just trying to point out accurate information.

 

hahahaha, ok, think about what you are saying...you can't have less spindle showing and still be the same height

...I'll say it again, its thicker where it sits on the subplatter, so it rides higher..it doesn't slope or step down...its flat...

the acrylic platter sold by project is meant to be used on a number of models...its not dedicated to the carbon...

we can agree to disagree...

 

next time you compare photos the camera needs to be in the same spot...its not, one is shot lower than the other

 

hahahahahhahhaa, you are working hard to find issues with cameras and rulers. I bet he is in on the media buys that garner favorable reviews.

 

i'm not sure how hard it is to see those photos aren't the same position...

as far as the second part, don't be so naive...mags live and die from ads...my wife has been in the industry for 20 years....no one in those mags gives a bad review about anything...they can't afford to...

the reviews were over the top to say the least, which with the lower price led me to this TT...

my bad, as i said about 20 times now...

 

Seriously? Do you see the pics with the ruler in them? I don't care what angle I'm at the distance is the same, ruler isn't lying.....

Not my place to argue here, ruler speaks for itself.

 

Well, since there is 1/8" less of the spindle available, then the top surface of the LP is higher (relative to the tonearm) when it's on the acrylic platter vs the stock platter and mat. The stock platter (with mat) may actually be thicker but it still sits lower. The spindle length discrepancy gives that away. Without being able to raise the tonearm height, that can lead to a less-than-ideal VTA/SRA with certain cartridges.

 

am i on candid camera...?

2 things....1, ruler isn't sitting flush in one of the shots...

2 the shots of the tone arm on the record are not shot in the same spot so its impossible to compare them...one is higher...not really sure how you can't see that...

 

What exactly are you arguing? Do you think I have some motivation to change what is? This is as clear as I can make it. Same record, same tape measure, same position. Now tell me the acrylic platter changes the tonearm angle vs stock with mat...

 

Oh my lord....

 

It's too close to your mirror!

 

To me, that looks like the acrylic platter sits a little higher. Which would jive with there being 1/8" less of the spindle available.

 

I don't know what else to say. They are EXACTLY the same. I can't tell you how good this thing sounds or doesn't (not qualified for that) but I can measure from point A to point B....

 

yeah but the boss loves the mirror, so it stays...

 

I'm confused. You confirmed in post 52 that there is less spindle showing when a record is on the acrylic platter vs when it's on the stock platter and mat.

 

If you're simply judging by the rim then yes the acrylic is going to appear to be thicker because its rim meets the top at a 90 degree angle. From what I remember the metal one doesn't. It's more rounded. All of this is over an optical illusion. They're the same thickness, and really if your particular acrylic isn't then there is only one explanation: you weren't given the right platter or it was machined improperly.

 

Edit I just triple checked everything again, I am wrong about the spindle, it shows same also. I am done with pics you can believe me or no - both TT to top of platter are 15/16" both platter to top of spindle are 7/16", that is exact magnifying glass measurements.

 

That's great, thanks. So clearly there are platters out there that don't conform to the standard because multiple people have had issues with platter height once they switched to the acrylic platter. As @Isaac K. said, it's either the wrong one or it's machined wrong. Just how many wrong ones are floating around out there, I wonder.