Project X8 Turntable

Key Features

• Heavy MDF chassis
• Precision balanced damped 5,1 kg aluminium platter
• Inverted bearing with ceramic tip, magnetic support
• Electronic speed control 33/45 rpm
• Pre-fitted Ortofon Quintet Blue
• Inverted cardanic tonearm bearings; four stainless steel tips mounted in ABEC 7 quality ball bearings
• Height-adjustable metal feet with TPE damping
• Premium 5P semi-symmetrical RCA phono cable
• True Balanced 5P XLR cable available separately
• Dust cover included
• Finish options: walnut, HG piano black, HG white
• Handmade in Europe

The X8 is a mass-loaded high-end turntable with features more commonly found at premium price points. From its over-sized, heavyweight wooden plinth, through to the precision-lathed, TPE-damped aluminium main platter, and on to the 9” Evolution tonearm finished with a Quintet Blue, it is a complete turntable solution for high-end audio systems in one box.

The X8 draws inspiration from other high-end turntables in the Pro-Ject range. The thick, heavy MDF chassis is expertly shaped and finished to provide both a stylish aesthetic and a sturdy platform from which the key performance parts of the turntable can do their work.

The main platter is precision-cut from a single piece of aluminium and lined with a ring of rubber TPE damping to produce a heavy non-resonant base that contributes to highly accurate speed stability with very little fluctuation. The platter is mounted on an inverted ceramic-tipped main bearing, bolstered with magnetic support, for fluid rotation without resistance.

The platter is driven by a perimeter drive belt, connected to a low-noise AC motor. The motor is controlled by an AC generator with adjustable speed control for convenient switching between 33 and 45 RPM as well as a clean, low-noise power signal.

The X8 is pre-installed with Pro-Ject’s popular 9CC Evolution carbon fibre tonearm. The 9CC EVO can be found on many popular high-end turntables and features a one-piece, tapered carbon fibre tonearm tube, mounted in a heavy-weight bearing block with high-quality ABEC 7 ball bearings. The tonearm is also VTA and azimuth adjustable for perfect cartridge mounting.

In the UK, the X8 is also supplied with the award-winning Ortofon Quintet Blue moving coil cartridge, as standard. The Quintet Blue is recognised for its detailed musical performance, and perfectly complements the X8’s own high-end ability.

As the X8 is supplied with a Moving Coil cartridge, it is also part of Pro-Ject’s True Balanced Connections concept. By upgrading to a 5pin > XLR cable, and connecting to one of the company’s balanced phono stages (such as the Phono Box DS3 B), you can benefit from increased dynamics, less noise and improved signal-to-noise ratios. Going truly balanced is like hearing parts of your music that were not there before.

The X8 is supplied with height-adjustable TPE-damped feet, a removable dust cover, a felt mat and a semi-balanced Connect-IT E 5P > RCA phono cable for easy set-up out of the box. It’s available in high gloss black, high-gloss white or real-wood walnut veneer finishes.

True Balanced Connections

The interconnect cable between a record player and a phono stage is prone to pick up noise on the way. That noise and interference can stem from a lot of unavoidable sources, such as household appliances, wi-fi and Bluetooth devices, other power cables and audio amplifiers. Unshielded (i.e. RCA) interconnects can amplify the picked-up noise and make it audible through your speakers, interfering with the pure musical signal.

Balanced (typically XLR) cable connections double the wires carrying the musical signal – with one side inverted. In this case, noise still gets picked up by both wires, but with one side reversed. When the signals are re-joined at the phono stage, the picked-up noise is cancelled out by the opposing signals. The benefit of this is a louder, cleaner musical signal that has doubled in size with almost no remaining noise.

Who is Project?

Project started in the hifi business designing and manufacturing affordable stereo turntables in the early 1990s, beginning with the entry-level Debut model. It was a great success, like all other turntables on the market at that time were at least  £100 more expensive, without offering a performance benefit. Project has gone on to extend the range of turntables they offer at all popular price points and performance levels, through midrange to high-end models.