A Clear View
The XA B balanced acrylic turntable is a gorgeous, high-performance edition to the X Series. It implements a 10″ one-piece aluminum tonearm with a balanced 5-pin DIN output. Also utilizing a balanced MM phono cartridge (the first of its kind!) it brings you one step closer to balanced operation. You need only a DIN to XLR cable with which to connect the turntable to any of our Phono Box S3 B, Phono Box DS3 B, Tube Box DS3 B, or Phono Box RS2 balanced phono preamps.
Features
- Pre-Adjusted Pick it Pro Balanced MM Cartridge
- Adaptive Anti-Skating Mechanism
- Ultra-Low-Friction 4-Pinpoint Tonearm Bearing
- Acoustically Inert Transparent Acrylic Chassis
- Electronic Speed Regulation & Speed Change
- Record Puck E Included
A Clearer Picture
XA B uses an aluminum tonearm & platter, the Pick it PRO Balanced cartridge & purpose-selected isolation feet to render music in a lively, dynamic & detail-rich manner… an experience that becomes doubly immersive when you decide to take the plunge into the world of balanced phono.
Premium 10″ Tonearm
The XA B turntable features a premium 10“ one-piece aluminum armtube. The single-piece tube heightens rigidity while the 10″ length widens the tonearm’s arc, reducing tracing error. The low-friction 4-pinpoint cardanic bearing assembly guarantees precise, stable & accurate tracking. Pro-ject has selected the aluminum armtube over carbon fiber for its sonic merits when paired with the resonant frequency of the acrylic plinth. The tonearm also offers audiophiles full control over their adjustment parameters. One can fine-tune not only tracking force & anti-skate, but also VTA & azimuth if needed. Listeners with cartridge-mounting skills are encouraged to try various cartridges and/or record mats to achieve their desired sonics!
Adaptive Anti-Skating
Pro-ject’s classic anti-skating system (adaptive anti-skating) changes with the skating force, which varies across a record side as groove conditions change. The TPE-damped counterweight significantly reduces unwanted armtube resonance. They use high-precision stainless steel cardanic tonearm bearings, meaning there’s minimal friction as the tonearm moves and absolutely no ‘play’ (or wiggle) in the bearing structure. This allows the stylus & cartridge to do their jobs unimpeded.
True Balanced
The Pro-Ject Pick it PRO Balanced cartridge allows for “True Balanced” signal transmission. A revised version of the Pick it PRO, we re-route the grounding so that it sends a symmetrical signal. The big advantage of a balanced connection is its ability to remove accrued noise and interference from the transmission line (not to mention +6dB gain!). In short, you get more music & less noise – the improvement is not subtle.
True Balanced Connection
Pro-Ject’s True Balanced cable range offers several options for connecting your XA B to their Phono Box S3 B, Phono Box DS3 B, Tube Box DS3 B or Phono Box RS2 phono stages. Any phono preamp with mini XLR or XLR inputs will do the trick! With XA B’s DIN output, you’d require either an DIN to mini XLR or DIN to XLR cable.
High-Quality DIN > RCA Cable
Cables cannot add any information back to a given signal, rather, they’re responsible for allowing as much musical information as possible through to the receiving device. This is why Pro-Ject includes their Connect it Phono E 5P > RCA cable. Optimized for phono applications, they’ve implemented quality metals & careful configuration to ensure lossless signal transmission.
TPE-Damped Die-Cast Platter
The 3.75 lbs. die-cast aluminum platter is precision-balanced with additional machining after casting. This facilitates perfect platter rotation while playing records. The heavy aluminum platter also adds a TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) damping ring & corresponding cutout on the underside, muting any resonance created by the metal record platter and contributing to the flywheel effect.
Damped, Height-Adjustable Feet
The XA B stands on three damped & height-adjustable feet for excellent isolation. By using 3 feet they are able to increase stability on uneven surfaces for optimal leveling – a critical setup parameter in terms of maximizing the performance of a tonearm & cartridge.
Sophisticated DC/AC Generator
Pro-ject’s turntables use switch-mode power supplies for good reason. They take the unrefined AC power from your wall and convert it to DC. That DC power is then fed to DC/AC generator within the turntable, which in turn powers the AC motor. The advantage is that a completely new sine wave is created by the generator, fully decoupling your turntable from the dirty AC power coming from your outlet. This amounts to steady power being fed to the motor thereby enhancing speed stability.
