Pro-Ject - Debut Reference 10 - Turntable with Pick it PRO B Balanced Cartridge

The revolution, refined. The Pro-Ject Debut Reference 10 carries decades of Debut Series DNA into its most advanced expression yet — with a 10" carbon-aluminium tonearm, resonance-free acrylic platter, diamond-cut aluminium sub-platter, DC/AC clean power generator, True Balanced mini XLR output, factory-fitted Pick it PRO B balanced cartridge, and fully adjustable VTA and azimuth. Handmade in Europe.

The Revolution, Refined

The Pro-Ject Debut series began a revolution in analogue audio — making high-quality turntables accessible to music lovers worldwide, without the compromises that "affordable" usually implies. Today, the Debut Reference 10 carries that tradition into its most advanced expression yet. Combining decades of engineering expertise with cutting-edge design and craftsmanship, it represents everything the Debut has always been, and everything it has been building towards.

This is not a budget turntable with a premium badge. It is a genuinely high-performance analogue instrument — built by technicians, engineers, and designers with decades of experience, in Pro-Ject's own European factory, with the materials and tolerances that audiophile-grade vinyl playback demands.

Resonance-Free Acrylic Platter — The Perfect Platform

The Debut Reference 10's 300mm acrylic platter provides the ideal platform for your vinyl records. Acrylic's acoustic properties — its damping characteristics, density, and natural affinity for vinyl — make it the material of choice for a platter that must remain acoustically neutral while providing a stable, even surface. The result is absolute reliability in performance and sonic character, record after record, session after session.

Beneath the acrylic platter, a diamond-cut aluminium sub-platter — machined to significantly higher tolerances than plastic alternatives — provides the precision foundation that the platter bearing system demands. Together, they ensure the record surface remains stable and level under the stylus, free from the micro-wobble and resonance that lesser platter systems introduce.

Clean Power — DC/AC Sine Wave Generation

Speed stability in a belt-drive turntable is only as good as the power supply driving the motor. The Debut Reference 10's DC/AC power generator creates a completely clean, new sine wave for the motor — eliminating the power supply noise and frequency variation that mains electricity introduces in conventional designs. The result is enhanced speed stability, reduced wow and flutter, and a more consistent, musically precise rotational foundation for every record played.

Wow & flutter figures confirm the standard: ±0.16% at 33rpm and ±0.14% at 45rpm — exceptional results that translate directly into stable pitch, accurate timing, and the rhythmic certainty that makes music feel alive.

10" One-Piece Carbon-Aluminium Tonearm — Adjustable VTA & Azimuth

The Debut Reference 10's 10" one-piece carbon-aluminium tonearm represents a meaningful step beyond conventional entry-to-mid-level tonearm design. The combination of carbon fibre's stiffness and aluminium's resonance characteristics produces a tonearm of exceptional rigidity and low coloration — with an effective mass of 16.6g at 254mm effective length, suited to a wide range of cartridges including the factory-fitted Pick it PRO B.

Full adjustability for both azimuth and vertical tracking angle (VTA) elevates the Debut Reference 10 into territory usually reserved for more expensive turntables. By loosening two grub screws, the tonearm height can be continuously adjusted — accommodating variations in cartridge heights or different turntable mats, and allowing precise alignment for optimal performance from any compatible cartridge. This level of adjustability makes fine-tuning genuinely accessible rather than the preserve of specialists.

Pick it PRO B — True Balanced Signal Transmission

The factory-fitted Pick it PRO B is a revised version of the acclaimed Pick it PRO cartridge, redesigned specifically to support True Balanced signal transmission. Connected via the Debut Reference 10's mini XLR output and a compatible True Balanced phono preamplifier (mini XLR cable sold separately), the Pick it PRO B delivers its signal without the ground reference path that a conventional RCA connection requires — eliminating a source of noise and signal degradation that single-ended connections inherently introduce.

For those using a conventional phono stage, the RCA output is equally available — providing full compatibility with any standard phono input. The choice of connection method allows the Debut Reference 10 to grow with the system around it.

Three Height-Adjustable Damped Aluminium Feet

Three height-adjustable damped aluminium feet guarantee the perfect levelling on any surface, while massively reducing the risk of acoustic feedback — the enemy of any turntable installed in a real-world listening environment where loudspeakers share the room. Precise levelling ensures the platter rotates on a true horizontal plane, while the damping properties of the feet prevent floor-borne vibration from reaching the cartridge.

33/45/(78) RPM — Electronic Speed Change

A single button on the top of the turntable changes between 33 and 45 RPM via electronic speed control — no manual belt repositioning required. A 78 RPM round belt is included for those wishing to play 78s, extending the Debut Reference 10's repertoire to the full history of recorded music.

Handmade in Europe

Every Debut Reference 10 is handmade in Pro-Ject's European factory — expert craftsmanship, sustainable products built for a long lifetime, and audiophile audio performance at every stage of assembly. This is a turntable built to last decades, not years.

Feature Cards

🎵 True Balanced Output — Pick it PRO B Cartridge

The factory-fitted Pick it PRO B and mini XLR output enable True Balanced signal transmission to a compatible phono preamplifier — eliminating ground-path noise for the cleanest possible signal from stylus to phono stage. RCA output also included for standard phono inputs.

⚡ DC/AC Clean Power Generator — Enhanced Speed Stability

A completely clean sine wave generated for the motor ensures exceptional speed stability — wow & flutter of just ±0.16% at 33rpm — for precise, consistent pitch and the rhythmic certainty that makes music feel alive.

🎯 10" Carbon-Aluminium Tonearm — Full VTA & Azimuth Adjustment

One-piece carbon-aluminium construction, 254mm effective length, 16.6g effective mass, and full VTA and azimuth adjustability — accessible fine-tuning for any compatible cartridge, at a level of precision usually found on far more expensive turntables.

🏭 Handmade in Europe — Built to Last

Technicians, engineers, and designers with decades of experience. Resonance-free acrylic platter, diamond-cut aluminium sub-platter, damped aluminium feet, and a high-quality phono cable included — a sustainable, long-lifetime instrument built without compromise.

Editorial Blockquote

"The Pro-Ject Debut series began a revolution in analogue audio. Today, the Debut Reference 10 continues that tradition — combining decades of expertise with cutting-edge design and craftsmanship." — Pro-Ject Audio Systems

At-a-Glance Bullets

• Belt drive with electronic speed control — 33, 45, (78) RPM
• Electronic speed change — single button on top panel
• DC/AC clean power generator — pure sine wave motor drive
• 300mm resonance-free acrylic platter
• Diamond-cut aluminium sub-platter — high-precision machining
• Platter bearing: high-precision stainless steel axle in bronze bushing
• Wow & flutter: 33rpm ±0.16% / 45rpm ±0.14%
• Speed drift: 33rpm ±0.4% / 45rpm ±0.5%
• Signal to noise: 68dB
• 10" one-piece carbon-aluminium tonearm
• Effective arm length: 254mm — effective arm mass: 16.6g — overhang: 16mm
• Full VTA and azimuth adjustability
• Factory-fitted Pick it PRO B balanced cartridge
• True Balanced mini XLR output + RCA phono output
• Mini XLR cable sold separately — compatible with True Balanced phono preamplifiers
• Three height-adjustable damped aluminium feet
• Includes: Connect it Phono E RCA cable, dust cover, 78 RPM round belt, 7" single adapter, 15V DC / 0.8A power supply
• Power consumption: 4W / 0W standby
• Dimensions (W × H × D): 462 × 145 × 345mm — Weight: 6kg
• Handmade in Europe

Specifications

Turntable

Tonearm

Pick it PRO B Cartridge

Outputs

Closing Quote

"Decades of Debut Series expertise. A 10" carbon-aluminium tonearm. True Balanced output. The Pro-Ject Debut Reference 10 — the revolution, refined."