Pro-Ject X-Tension 10 Evo vinyl turntable

In the wake of the success of its flagship product the X-Tension 12, Pro-Ject has developed a more affordable version with a smaller footprint! This new Pro-Ject X-Tension 10 Evo turntable mainly departs from the former model by the size of its plinth that has been reduced thanks to the use of a 10" tonearm instead of the 12" inch counterpart fitted to its elder sister.

Tonearm aside, it has the same features of the X-Tension.

Pro-Ject X-Tension 10 Evo: plinth

The MDF lacquered plinth is damped and weighted with ceramic balls. It is amazingly rigid and weighs 20 kg!

It rests on four aluminium feet isolated by magnetic repulsion. Impressive and amazingly effective!

Pro-Ject X-Tension 10 Evo: platter and motor

The platter of this Pro-Ject turntable is crafted in a single aluminium alloy block on which LPs have been pressed. To ward off resonance, a damping ring is affixed to the inner edge. It weighs approximately 6 kg for a perfect inertia. The inverted bearing rests on a ceramic ball, milled to perfection.

The parts are driven by a silicone belt via the edge of the platter, driven in turn by a synchronous motor controlled by a speed controller. It generates a good current and a stable frequency (50 Hz). This is a prerequisite to guarantee a steady speed and low wow.

Pro-Ject X-Tension 10 Evo: tonearm

The "little" Pro-Ject X-Tension 10 comes as standard with the great Pro-Ject 10CC Evolution tonearm. It consists of a single piece of carbon, more rigid than steel and lighter for a tonearm of this length, i.e. less than 9 g!  

Pro-Ject X-Tension 10 Evo: listening and review

We tried this vinyl turntable with an Ortofon CADENZA BLUE MC cartridge and a Dynavector DV20X2H High Output MC cartridge, paired with a Sutherland preamplifier.

On playback, we get a combination of Pro-Ject's two products. It is half way between the great RPM 10 Evo and the amazing X-Tension 12 Evo. It features the distinctive dynamics and articulation of these products.

The fluidity is also good, neatly underlining the emotion in the music. The vocals are amazing, vibrant and perfectly in place. The level of transparency is excellent, even though it is not as expressive as other competitor turntables.

The sonic performance of this X-Tension 10 Evo is both suave and very rich. But the sound is not dull and dark! It's quite the opposite. The reverberations are very authentic and the cymbals reach a very high pitch without any harshness.

This Pro-Ject X-Tension 10 Evo turntable is ideal for record and analogue lovers. If you're looking for a turntable that will play your LPs like a CD, then this Pro-Ject turntable is not for you … Otherwise, you won't resist it when you try it once!

Recommended!

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