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Special Order items are those that are most often built to order. For these items, we tend to experience longer lead times as we negotiate them into the production line with our suppliers.
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RRP: £2249.00
The X8 is a mass-loaded high-end turntable with features more commonly found at premium price points. From its over-sized, heavyweight wooden plinth, through to the precision-lathed, TPE-damped aluminium main platter, and on to the 9 Evolution tonearm finished with a Quintet Blue, it is a complete turntable solution for high-end audio systems in one box.
The X8 is a mass-loaded high-end turntable with features more commonly found at premium price points. From its over-sized, heavyweight wooden plinth, through to the precision-lathed, TPE-damped aluminium main platter, and on to the 9” Evolution tonearm finished with a Quintet Blue, it is a complete turntable solution for high-end audio systems in one box.
The X8 draws inspiration from other high-end turntables in the Pro-Ject range. The thick, heavy MDF chassis is expertly shaped and finished to provide both a stylish aesthetic and a sturdy platform from which the key performance parts of the turntable can do their work.
The main platter is precision-cut from a single piece of aluminium and lined with a ring of rubber TPE damping to produce a heavy non-resonant base that contributes to highly accurate speed stability with very little fluctuation. The platter is mounted on an inverted ceramic-tipped main bearing, bolstered with magnetic support, for fluid rotation without resistance.
The platter is driven by a perimeter drive belt, connected to a low-noise AC motor. The motor is controlled by an AC generator with adjustable speed control for convenient switching between 33 and 45 RPM as well as a clean, low-noise power signal.
The X8 is pre-installed with Pro-Ject’s popular 9CC Evolution carbon fibre tonearm. The 9CC EVO can been found on many popular high-end turntables, and features a one-piece, tapered carbon fibre tonearm tube, mounted in a heavy-weight bearing block with high-quality ABEC 7 ball bearings. The tonearm is also VTA and azimuth adjustable for perfect cartridge mounting.
In the UK, the X8 is also supplied with the award-winning Ortofon Quintet Blue moving coil cartridge, as standard. The Quintet Blue is recognised for its detailed musical performance, and perfectly complements the X8’s own high-end ability.
The tonearm is one of the most important parts of a turntable and therefore not only influences, but also shapes the sound in a specific way.
The all-new EVO and EVO premium tonearm ranges are the result of Pro-Ject's work from the last years, and they are proud to also offer new finishes and many additional improvements.
To learn more about the EVO and EVO premium tonearm ranges, head here.
The X8 is supplied with height-adjustable TPE-damped feet, a removable dust cover, a felt mat and a semi-balanced Connect-IT E 5P > RCA phono cable for easy set-up out of the box. It’s available in high gloss black, high-gloss white or real-wood walnut veneer finishes.
Stereonet Review the Pro-ject Audio X8 Turntable
"That's the beauty of balanced working; it's all things to all men and gives an across-the-board improvement in every area."
Keep it in the family
"This duo is a superb demonstration of a fully balanced analogue front-end..."
Pro-Ject Audio Systems X8 Review
"The X8 offers you more than a glimpse of high-end performance in a ready-to-enjoy package, avoiding the very high price, and potential complexity, that an uber-upgrade might entail."
Henley Says...
The X Line of turntables by Pro-Ject offers some of the best technologies and performance in their portfolio, the X8 features balanced outputs for a truly clean signal from start to finish. With these specs and more being so expertly employed, it's always a special experience to get to unbox, set up and play this turntables, as it truly embodies the 'hands-on' feel of vinyl record playback.
The high-quality veneer, and aluminium platter really help to give the X8 a sleek, lavish appearance that would stand-out in any environment. Further to appearances, the X8 boasts excellent usability with a realtively straightforward set-up, and simple functionality throughout use as the built-in speed control allows for quick change between 33/45 rpm.
We at Henley especially admire the versatility of this turntable and it has become a key piece of our portfolio when exhibiting at shows, due to its robust, precise playback.
Pro-Ject Audio Systems are masters of the analogue format. Their extensive range of turntables covers every use-case and budget, and most are sold as complete solutions with a pick-up cartridge readily installed. However, when you get to higher end designs, there is often not a pre-installed cartridge - as the choice of pick-up becomes ever-more personal.
To help in this situation, Henley Audio, as distributors for Pro-Ject Audio Systems, Ortofon, Sumiko and E.A.T, can offer cartridge bundle and installation services that sees your high-end turntable sent ready to set-up and spin with your own choice of cartridge pre-installed.
Details of the cartridges we offer as part of this service can be found at the top of this page within 'promotions', but it covers premium Moving Coil options from various prestigious cartridge manufacturers. For latest info or to discuss your requirements, Contact Us or speak with your local Pro-Ject Reference Partner dealer. If you choose to purchase a bundle cartridge and have your dealer fit it, or fit it yourself, the cartridge will be supplied securely and safely with the turntable, but not with normal retail packaging.
All cartridges installed at Henley Audio will be treated with the utmost care and attention and fitted by a skilled and experienced member of our team. The turntable it's being installed on will also be set-up for a brief test, to confirm compatibility. All Henley Audio installed systems will have a certificate of authenticity enclosed, for added confidence when you get the turntable home. There is a £25.00 +VAT charge to have a Henley Audio engineer install your cartridge, and there may be a minor delay to despatching your turntable as a result.
Cartridges installed onto high-end turntables as part of a "bundle" deal are classified as BULK stock, which means they do not have full retail packaging and accessories. This is one of the ways we're able to offer such great discounts for you.
Yes, it is possible for this turntable to be upgraded with a true balanced connection to a supporting Pro-Ject phono stage.*
For turntables with an RCA output, you can purchase one of our RCA > MiniXLR or RCA > XLR cables, depending on the phono stage you are connecting to.
For turntables with a MiniXLR output, you can run a MiniXLR > MiniXLR or MiniXLR > XLR cable, depending on the phono stage you are connecting to.
For turntables with a 5pin TAC output, you can purchase a 5P > MiniXLR or 5P > XLR cable.
For more information on the True Balanced Connection concept click here.
*True Balanced Connections always require a Moving Coil cartridge to be installed.
The interconnect cable between a record player and a phono stage is prone to pick up noise on the way. That noise and interference can stem from a lot of unavoidable sources, such as household applicances, wi-fi and bluetooth devices, other power cables and audio amplifiers. Unshielded (i.e. RCA) interconnects can amplify the picked-up noise and make it audible through your speakers, interfering with the pure musical signal.
Balanced (typically XLR) cable connections double the wires carrying the musical signal – with one side inverted. In this case noise still gets picked up by both wires, but with one side reversed. When the signals are re-joined at the phono stage, the picked-up noise is cancelled out by the opposing signals. The benefit of this is a louder, cleaner musical signal that has doubled in size with almost no remaining noise.
For more information about 'True Balanced Connections' click here.
Many of our turntables may have multiple compatible counterweights available. The counterweight you actually need is the one that allows you to balance your existing cartridge while ideally sitting near the tonearm bearing when fully installed.
If your counterweight sits right at the back of the tonearm, it runs the risk of introducing some micro-vibrations, so aiming for a counterweight where your cartridge weight is in the lower range of the supported weights is ideal.
To help you make the right decision, we've produced a comprehensive list of all our tonearms and counterweights.
PDF | 159 Kb | Hi-Fi Choice Review
PDF | 328 Kb | Hi-Fi News Review
PDF | 156 Kb | Hi-Fi News Write-Up
PDF | 1 Mb | Product Info Sheet
PDF | 6 Mb | Set-up Guide
PDF | 543 Kb | User Guide
PNG | 7 Mb | Stock Photo (Black)
PNG | 501 Kb | Stock Photo (Dust Cover)
PNG | 9 Mb | Stock Photo (Walnut)
PNG | 7 Mb | Stock Photo (White)
