Turntables — Pro-Ject Debut S

The Debut S is a three-speed belt-drive turntable that ships with a Sumiko Rainier cartridge pre-fitted, covering 78 rpm playback alongside the standard 33 and 45. It is aimed specifically at a listener whose collection includes older shellac-era 78s alongside conventional vinyl, a niche the rest of Pro-Ject's Debut range does not address.

Position in line

It sits in Pro-Ject's Debut range alongside the Carbon EVO, distinguished mainly by its 78 rpm capability and different factory-fitted cartridge rather than a change in drive technology - the mechanical platform underneath both decks is closely related, with the speed range being the headline differentiator.

Key specs that matter

The platter is a 300 mm, 1.7 kg steel disc with a felt mat, driven by a DC motor, closely matching the Carbon EVO's platter specification. Wow and flutter is specified at 0.33%, a figure that should be read in the context of belt-drive turntables generally rather than compared directly against professional broadcast equipment. Signal-to-noise is 67 dB. At 415 x 118 x 320 mm and 5.6 kg the dimensions are close to the Carbon EVO's, with a slightly taller profile, likely to accommodate the additional speed-selection mechanism needed for 78 rpm playback.

Sound and use context

Expect a similar settled, low-noise character to the rest of the Debut range, with the 78 rpm option opening up older shellac-era records that other Debut models cannot play at correct speed, a useful capability for anyone with an inherited or collected 78 library.

Pairing

The pre-fitted Sumiko Rainier is a moving-magnet cartridge, needing standard moving-magnet phono gain, so it integrates into the same kind of system as any other Debut-range deck without special requirements.

Alternatives

The Debut Carbon EVO covers the same drive format with an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge instead and no 78 rpm speed - the choice between them comes down to whether 78s are part of the collection, since the rest of the specification is closely matched between the two decks.

Collectors specifically drawn to shellac 78s should note that stylus wear on this format differs from standard LP playback, and the pre-fitted Sumiko Rainier is chosen with that broader speed range in mind rather than optimised purely for modern vinyl. Because the extra 78 rpm speed is achieved through the same basic DC motor and speed-selection mechanism as the 33 and 45 rpm settings, changing speed is a simple selector operation rather than a manual belt-repositioning task.