Audiophile Implementations The X8 turntable is a true high-end solution with major technical features adapted from the Xtension 9 and 10. The precision balanced platter is machined out of a single piece of aluminum and damped with a TPE (Thermo Plastic Elastomer) insert. The platter rotates on an inverted bearing with ceramic ball and PTFE thrust pad. To decrease the load on the bearing, an opposing neodymium magnet repels the platter from the plinth and bearing, ensuring smooth and quiet operation for decades to come. The massive MDF chassis is supported by custom feet which are are CNC machined out of aluminum and are fully height-adjustable. They utilize TPE damping technology, very effectively decoupling the X8 from the surface it is placed on. The combination of mass and damping provide a very stable system, isolating the stylus from both airborne and structural vibrations, without being finicky to setup and remains stable and properly aligned over time. You hear your music, not the turntable. The 9cc EVO carbon tonearm utilizes inverted cardanic tonearm bearings, has four stainless steel tips mounted in ABEC 7 quality ball bearings mounted in a C-shaped section to minimize resonances. The low mass one-piece carbon fiber tonearm tube is crafted in a conical shape to minimize standing wave vibrations. The tonearm wire loom is one piece, from the cartridge to the 5pin DIN output, designed to allow either single ended or True Balanced phono connection. True Balanced – Get Blown Away Witching to balanced is no subtle upgrade and promises to redefine ‘reference’ sound quality in your turntable system. What’s needed to get there are a) a moving coil cartridge, b) a turntable with balanced phono outputs, c) a phono preamp with balanced phono inputs and d) a balanced cable carrying the phono signal from turntable to phono preamp. Typically a much more costly endeavor, Pro-Ject has changed that landscape by offering products that make the technology attainable to any serious listener.X8 Evolution comes equipped with a balanced 5-pin DIN phono output and can be run balanced with either DIN > XLR or DIN > mini XLR phono cables and a balanced phono stage. The turntable ships with a DIN > RCA phono cable for maximum compatibility out of the box (unbalanced dual single-ended RCA/ground is by far the most common connection type in phono). Balanced add-ons are sold separately. Sumiko Blue Point No. 3 Cartridge The Pro-Ject X8 Evolution is now shipping with the Sumiko Blue Point No. 3 MC Cartridge. Sumiko Phono Cartridges pair well with Pro-Ject tonearms. Their sonic synergy delivers non-fatiguing music that can be enjoyed for hours with no sacrifice to low-level detail & resolution- the things that make our music reproduction spring to life! Upgrading your stylus is an easy, low-risk path to immediate, audible improvement in your analog experience that only improve with break-in. Cartridge/stylus break-in occurs progressively as you listen. Our listeners notice the greatest degree of improvement in the 20-50 hour range.
