Pro-Ject X1 B Balanced Turntable With Pick it PRO B - Pro-Ject
Our X1 B & X2 B and turntables need no introduction. This award-winning pair have shown the audio world just how proper execution of basic principles in turntable design can amount to audiophile-caliber sonics affordably. Each attack the problems of isolation & resonance from multiple angles featuring height-adjustable TPE-damped aluminum feet, massive plinths of top-quality MDF, solid acrylic record platters & one-piece carbon-fiber-wrapped aluminum tonearm tubes with precision bearings. Their motors are also shielded, TPE-isolated and fed the cleanest power by the DC/AC generator for push-button speed change and spot-on stability. Let’s review the differences…
X1 B / X2 B
- Effective tonearm length: 8.6″ / 9.0″
- Platter mass, thickness: 1.5kg, 20mm thick / 2kg, 30mm thick
- Overall mass, weight: 7kg (15.43 lbs) / 10kg (22.05 lbs)
X1 B Now Includes Pick it PRO Balanced
Now the X1 B brings you one step closer to the balanced experience with the inclusion of Pro-Ject’s Pick it PRO Balanced MM phono cartridge. This is the first balanced-capable moving magnet cartridge on the market, also making it the most affordable option for balanced application. The cartridge represents collaboration between Pro-Ject & Ortofon. It was meticulously voiced to achieve a non-fatiguing sonic character while conveying impressive detail & spacial information.
The simple explanation for how & why it works: the right channel ground is not associated with the generator shield. Most all MM cartridges tie the right channel ground to the generator shield to reduce noise brought about by higher output & impedance values (compared to MC cartridges). We have reconfigured the grounding & outputs so that a symmetrical (balanced) signal can be sent on from the cartridge. Please note that a balanced cable and a balanced phono stage are required to achieve balanced operation. The turntable, of course, can be used as-is with the supplied Connect it E Phono RCA cable.
Balanced Basics
A balanced circuit at the input-end is a key player. A balanced signal accrues noise just like an unbalanced one, however, how it’s handled by the circuit is where the magic happens. A balanced signal includes positive (+) and negative (-) conductors as well as a grounding conductor (per channel). In terms of electrical polarity, the positive (+) and negative (-) signals are inverted copies of one another, that inversion rendering them electrically different as it pertains the balanced circuit. Interference hits the positive (+) and negative (-) conductors identically so noise artifacts are the same in the eyes of said circuit. “Common-Mode Rejection” is implemented by the balanced circuit’s differential amplifier, cancelling (rejecting) what’s identical (the noise!) and leaving the gate open for what’s different (the inverted positive & negative signals). Then only the negative (-) component is inverted to perfectly match the positive (+) one, increasing signal amplitude sans the noise! The topic of course is highly technical and runs much more deeply than our discussion here permits, but what it amounts to for the listener is more music, less noise. With noise eradicated, expect a new degree of depth to the sound stage (allowing more detail to emerge) and wildly heightened dynamics. Truly your favorite records offer more than meets the ear, and X1 B & X2 B are equipped to deliver the full extent of what you’ve been missing.
What to expect in the box:
- X1 B Balanced Turntable With Pick it PRO B
Product Details:
- Features
- “True Balanced Connection” by Pro-Ject
- RCA phono & mini XLR output outputs
- Pick it PRO Balanced MM cartridge
- Electronic speed control (33/45rpm)
- High-precision sub-platter design
- Stainless steel platter bearing with bronze bushing
- Teflon ‘mirrors’ for lowest possible rumble and noise
- 8.6” one-piece carbon-wrapped aluminum tonearm
- TPE-damped counterweight
- Azimuth and VTA adjustment
- High-mass (1.5kg, 20mm thick) resonance-free acrylic record platter
- Thick CNC-machined plinth of top-quality MDF
- Finished in luxurious 8-layer paint or real-wood veneer
- Shielded semi-symmetrical low-capacitance RCA cables included
- Height-adjustable TPE-damped aluminum isolation feet
- Handmade in Europe
- Specs
- Speeds: 33/45rpm, 45/78rpm (flat, round belts)
- Speed variance: ±0.30% (33rpm), ±0.25% (45rpm)
- Wow and flutter: ±0.15% (33rpm), ±0.13% (45rpm)
- Effective tonearm mass: 10g
- Effective tonearm length: 8.6″ (218.5mm)
- Overhang: 18mm
- Power consumption: 5W/0.3W standby mode
- Outboard power supply: 15V/0.8A DC universal power supply
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 415 x 135 x 335mm (lid closed)
- Dimensions (standard): 16.34 x 5.31 x 13.19″
- Weight: 7kg net (15.43 lbs)
- MISC
- Piano Black Version EAN: 9120129862844
- Gloss White Version EAN: 9120129862882
- Satin Walnut Version EAN: 9120129862868
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