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. The deck is available either without a cartridge or as a SuperPack with the Ortofon Quintet Blue MC cartridge.

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

„Man bekommt beim Hören das Gefühl, und das schreibe ich selten, ganz nah an den majestätischen Klang eines Masterbands heranzukommen.“

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 if you want to pick your own; take the SuperPack with the Ortofon Quintet Blue if you want to play straight away.

Specifications