Pro-Ject X2 B MC Quintet Red

1,699.00

The beginning of a balanced era.

Welcome to a new generation of X-Line turntables

Technical Specifications

Speed 33, 45, 78 (electronic speed change)
Principle belt drive
Speed variance 33: 0.25% 45: 0.20%
Wow & flutter 33: 0.12% 45: 0.10%
Signal to noise 70 dB
Platter 30mm thick, 2 kg heavy acryl
Main bearing stainless steel/brass
Tonearm 9” carbon/aluminium sandwich
Effective arm length 230 mm
Overhang 18 mm
Effective tonearm mass 13,5g
Tracking force range 0 – 30mN
Included accessories 15volts DC /0,8A power supply, Dust cover, Connect it E Phono cable, feltmat
Power consumption 4,5 watts max / 0.3 watt standby
Dimensions 460 x 150 x 340 mm (WxHxD)
Weight 10 kg

Reviews

EISA Best Product 2022 – 2023

Earlier this year Pro-Ject launched The True Balanced Technology line for phono reproduction. The benefits clearly convinced the EISA jurors immediately. We hope that in the future the whole industry will adopt True Balanced Connection for phono so more and more vinyl enthusiasts can benefit from it. There has never been a better time to enjoy vinyl records than today.

Review

“S for Satisfying“

UK, 08.2022

• There was no doubt that balanced was superior in every way possible. It just went on and on: background noise reductionopenness, a wider and deeper soundstage.

• What I heard in balanced mode, even with the record deck delivering a single-ended output, elevates this purchase to four-figure levels.

• Immediately apparent, for disarming sceptics, were bottom octave solidity and a greater sense of space.

• What balanced operation did was give the voice greater prominence both in terms of its separation from the backing musicians and in three-dimensional terms, moving it slightly forward.

• What matters is that this sub-£2k package came within a whisker of a revered £40k analogue front-end.

Review

Ken Kessler


“The X2 B feels truly revolutionary“

UK, 03.2023

• Go for fully balanced operation all the way from stylus to preamp, and something magical happens.

Review

editors


“There is – as mentioned – no competition“

Germany, 10.2022

• A turntable, a special appearance from Ortofon, and the perfect-fit phono amp. Together it becomes magical. The price is still humane, but the sonic gain is great beyond all expectations.

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Review

Andreas Günther


“A fascinating and emotionally engaging vinyl set“

Germany, 09.2022

• For the fully balanced and thus interference-resistant design from the signal generation to the output from the phono stage, a multiple would have to be paid elsewhere. For just under two and a half grand, the proud buyer acquires a fascinating and emotionally engaging vinyl chain from the turntable market leader.

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Review

CARSTEN BUSSLER


“It is difficult to find a turntable that offers so much for this price“

Spain, 11.2022

• The X2 B is more than just another turntable with a sensational price/performance ratio from Pro-Ject – it belongs to the brand new „True Balanced Connection“ range.

Review

Editors


“The sound improves significantly with balanced cabling“

Germany, 10.2022

• The symmetrically driven Pro-Ject countered with spirited bass and even more finely articulated treblepowerful, stable and with a warm timbre.

Review

Bernhard Rietschel

The X2 B features our revolutionary True Balanced Connection

We’re launching a whole line of new “True Balanced Connection” components that feature a balanced connection for your phono setup. The X2 B shows off this brand new phono technology.

Turntables look back on a long history. Over time, many things have changed, not only from technical possibilities, but also from the environment. Wireless networks are omni present and countless electronic devices make your home „smarter“. This means there are now a lot of additional electromagnetic fields, which could interfere with your turntable‘s signal. This was simply not the case 30 years ago. To ensure the best connection to your phono preamplifier we designed our „True Balanced Connection“.

WHAT’S TRUE BALANCED?

Balanced audio connections are usually known from the professional sector like recording studios or live concerts. It is very important to have a stable & interference free connection, as these signals will be highly amplified. The same applies to the connection from your turntable to the phono preamplifier. The big advantage of a balanced connection is its ability to remove picked up noise and interferences. And best of all, cartridges by nature are already balanced signal transducers! With True Balanced your are simply using everything, literally everything, that your cartridge is picking up from the record groove. You are not throwing away half of the usable signal, like is done in typical single-ended RCA phono connections.

The X2 B comes with mini XRL and RCA outputs and with our standard semi-balanced Connect it Phono E RCA cable. By upgrading it to our fully balanced mini XLR to mini XLR version (available separately) and using a balanced phono stage, like our Phono Box S3 B or DS3 B, you are fully set-up for the True Balanced experience. This leads to increased dynamics, less noise and improved signal to noise ratios. You can imagine it, like hearing parts of your music that literally were not there before.

True Balanced

Unleash the full power

Connect your X2 B with one of our new True Balanced Phono Cables to your phono preamp and benefit from an interference-free signal with increased dynamics & lower noise level.

Mini XLR Output

One cable connects it all

We offer a wide range of balanced phono cables with different connectors to fit all our phono preamps. If you want to use your X2 B with a Phono Box S3 B you need a „Connect it Phono Mini XLR / Mini XLR“.

Balanced Preamps

A perfect match!

Pair your X2 B with one of our new balanced Phono Boxes and benefit from a fully balanced signal transmission to your phonp preamplifier. Check out our new Phono Box S3 B & DS3 B for further information.

EISA Award for True Balanced

Cartridges are balanced signal transducers by nature! Due to the internal wiring of MM cartridges, you’ll need a MC cartridge to access the entirety of that balanced signal. The X2 B comes with an Ortofon Quintet Red MC cartridge factory aligned, and together with our new True Balanced Connection cables and our balanced phono stages you’ll be able to access high-end features that were previously only available in the most expensive hifi categories. In combination with our Phono Box S3 B and X2 B, our True Balanced concept won the prestigious EISA Award for best Vinyl System!

Connect it Phono S mini XLR/mini XLR

The True Balanced Connection Upgrade Cable

> More

Phono Box S3 B

True Balanced for a New Entry-Level

> More

The X2 B retains all the real high-end features the original X2 had on offer.

Azimuth & VTA

Fully adjustable

The X2 B comes with fully adjustable Azimuth & VTA. It offers you the possibility to modify your X2 as you want it.

Quintet Red

High-end MC cartridge

The Ortofon Quintet Red is an all-purpose cartridge that delivers open, dynamic sound with a slight touch of warmth & is the perfect partner for our new X2 B.

2 kg Platter

Resonance free acryl

The perfect platform to place your precious vinyl records, guaranteeing absolute reliability in its performance and sonic character.

33/45/78 RPM

High precision motor control

A sophisticated DC/AC generator board generates clean and stable power to drive the motor. Easily change speed with the push of only a single button.

New motor suspension

A good motor by itself, is already very quiet. To get the best performance out of it, we have improved the motor suspension. The X2 B‘s motor chassis is carefully balanced and suspended on a precision tuned TPE belt – this way the motor chassis is effectively decoupled from the main plinth for optimal performance.

9” Carbon-Aluminium Tonearm

Compared with its little brother the X1 B, the tonearm is longer – 9“ in length – and the tube has a wider diameter. The carbon/aluminium sandwhich construction results in better internal damping. The increased mass makes the tonearm an excellent fit for low compliance MC cartridges.

Metal Feet

Damped & height adjustable

The three height adjustable damped aluminium feet guarantee the perfect stand & massively reduce risk of acoustical feedback.

The Tonearm

9” Carbon-Aluminium Tonearm

Finished as a one-piece, with no resonance-inducing headshell, the X2 B can also be set for azimuth and VTA adjustment. The tonearm is then supplied with a TPE-damped counterweight.

Made in EU

Since 1991

Made in Europe by a turntable factory with decades of experience, it is a true hi-fi turntable which using our new True Balanced Connections takes your vinyl hobby to the next level.

Downloads

Manual [pdf]