Analog Gear News

Ever want to build your own turntable, piece by piece? Well, Pro-Ject is letting you do just that with their new Xtension 9 Evolution table. According to Pro-Ject, the Xtension 9 Evolution “incorporates all our turntable design experience in a slimline size. Choose from our various finish options, either luxury hand-painted colors or real wood veneers.” Besides the finish, you can also select the tonearm, cartridge, phono preamp, power supply, and cabling, (More on all those options in a moment.)

There are some standard elements involved with the core componentry of the Xtension 9 Evolution table, of course. For example, the Evolution boasts a heavy CNC-machined MDF chassis, and the heavyweight platter is made of precision aluminum with a TPE damping ring inside. The platter spins on an inverted ceramic ball bearing with a magnetic support to reduce bearing noise and resonance. Because of this design Pro-Ject notes that “we are able to relieve the main bearing and ensure that the platter runs ultra-silently.” The platter weighs 5.4kg, and its diameter is 300mm.

From there, Pro-Ject offers you the choice between nine finish options, eight tonearms, (essentially, variations of their 9in EVO 9 CC carbon-fiber arm), three cartridges, six phono preamps, five power cables, and two power supplies.

Other standard features and specs of the belt-drive Evolution table include 33 and 45rpm speed options via electronic speed change, speed variance of ±0.09%, wow and flutter of ±0.1%, signal-to-noise ratio as 73dB, effective arm length and overhang as 230mm/18mm, tracking force range as 0-25mN, cartridge weight range as 4-14g, external power supply as 220-240V/50Hz / 15V/1,600mA DC, power consumption as 4W max (<1 standby), dimensions as 465 x 185 x 350mm (w/h/d, with the lid closed), and weight as 16kg.

For my own “MM” Xtension 9 Evolution design (as seen above), I went with the walnut burl satin finish, EVO 9 CA Premium HG arm, MC9 cart, silver RS2 phono preamp, silver RS2 power supply, and Phono RS 5P / XLR cabling. The SRP for the “MM” Evolution adds up to €9,496. (Naturally, the SRP will vary, depending on how you design your own table.)

Once you’ve completed your Evolution table design, you can download a PDF of what you’ve chosen to give it all a look-see — and you can make changes every step of the way, if need be. You’ll also be provided with the name, locale, and contact information for your local dealer/distributor, along with the cumulative SRP of your selections — an SRP that, of course, may ultimately vary, depending on your local dealer/distributor.

Which option(s) would you choose? Share your own personalized Evolution table configurations in the Comments section below.

For more about Pro-Ject, go here.
To begin configuring your own Extension 9 Evolution turntable, go here.