Pro-Ject X8 B

Pro-Ject X8 B

Mass instead of suspension

The X8 B does not fight outside disturbance with suspension but with mass. Around 15 kilograms of total weight and a 5.1-kilogram aluminium platter machined from solid barely react to footfall or airborne sound. What is heavy is hard to move – that is the whole principle.

The platter bearing is inverted: the axle stands still, the platter runs above it on a ceramic ball, and a magnet carries part of the load. With less weight resting on the ball, friction and therefore bearing noise drop – noise that would otherwise find its way into the groove as rumble.

The tonearm is the well-known 9cc EVO, a 9-inch tube made from a single piece of carbon, inherited from Pro-Ject’s larger ranges. We offer the X8 B in two versions: without a cartridge for €1,999 or as a SuperPack for €2,299 with the Ortofon Quintet Blue MC cartridge, factory-fitted by Pro-Ject.

Important for balanced systems: the X8 B outputs via a 5-pin DIN connector carrying the True Balanced connection, so the cartridge signal stays balanced all the way to the phono stage. A DIN-to-RCA cable is included; balanced operation requires the corresponding cable and a balanced phono stage.

What the press says

LowBeats

„Listening to it, you get the feeling – and I rarely write this – of coming very close to the majestic sound of a master tape.“

LowBeats (German), 20 May 2022, rating 4.3. Tested as “X8 SuperPack” – per the manufacturer the same deck now sold as X8 B.

Who is this turntable for?

For rooms where footfall is an issue, and for systems with a balanced phono stage. Choose the version without a cartridge (€1,999) if you want to pick your own or already have one; take the SuperPack with the factory-fitted Ortofon Quintet Blue (€2,299) if you want to play straight away.

Specifications