Pro-Ject Xtension 10 SuperPack Turntable

Golden Ear Award Winner, 2014 – The Absolute Sound

""Play It, Love It""

The Pro-Ject Xtension 10 Evolution turntable is tailor made for vinyl addicts who crave the sound quality of Pro-Ject's critically acclaimed Xtension 12, but in a more compact size that easily fits standard audio racks.

This special Superpack version of the Xtension 10 includes a Sumiko BlackBird high-output MC cartridge and an upgraded tonearm cable.

The Absolute Sound magazine awarded the Pro-Ject Xtension 10 its coveted Golden Ear Award for 2014 in the September 2014 issue. ""This combination pays off with great sound, as well as a deep emotional impact, meaning that it retrieves deep layers of information from an LP's grooves while bringing an intellectual and emotional connection to the music that is rare in my experience,"" raves Wayne Garcia.

""This turntable has the build quality and looks to hold its own among turntables costing thousands more,"" marvels Jim Clements in his June 17, 2013 post for Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity reviewing the Superpack version. ""Through the Xtension 10, Pro-Ject has made a very strong case to be considered a serious contender in a more upscale turntable market.""

""Strongly Recommended""

""'Plug it, play it, love it,' is the order of the day,"" reports Alan Sircom in the October 2013 issue of HiFi+ magazine. ""It's a turntable that combines all of the benefits and none of the psychoses of the high end. Strongly recommended.""

""Sound was fresh and detailed,"" notes Germany's Audio magazine for February 2013. ""Our test listeners never had the experience of aggressiveness. Nevertheless, in its deep agility, a fundamental authority constantly dominated.""

Mass Loading Meets Floating Turntable Design

The Xtension 10 takes maximum advantage of Pro-Ject's 20 years of experience in turntable design. The chassis is made from MDF filled with metal sand to achieve high mass and non-resonance. Magnetic feet, which decouple the main plinth from its base, are combined with a weighty 48.5-lb. total turntable mass. The result is a unique combination of 'mass loading' and 'floating turntable' design principles.

Sophisticated 'Sandwich' Platter

Instead of the standard approach of using pure metal for the main platter, Pro-Ject has developed what the company calls a ""perfect alloy,"" which is damped on the inner side with Sorbothane. Next, Pro-Ject glued recycled vinyl records to the top to act as a ""perfect"" mat and then baked this sophisticated 'sandwich' before precision balancing it. The final product becomes a wonderfully resonance-free, heavy platter that runs ultra-silently on an inverted ceramic ball bearing with magnetic suspension.

Electronic Speed Control

The Xtension 10 offers electronic speed control at the push of a button, thanks to the built-in Pro-Ject Speed Box DS. No fumbling with belts and pulleys when you want to change speed. The quartz regulation and filter circuit used by the Speed Box DS deliver superior speed stability for smooth and undisturbed motor operation.

10cc Carbon Fiber Tonearm with High-Mass Tonearm Base

Included with the Xtension 10 is 10cc Evolution tonearm with conical carbon-fiber armtube which eliminates standing wave reflections. The solid armbase permits accurate height adjustment of armtube and VTA (vertical tracking angle). The single-screw fixing of the armtube allows rotation for easy adjustment of the needle azimuth despite the fixed headshell. The 10cc Evolution uses highly flexible top-grade copper internal wiring and a Linn standard mount.

The tonearm base benefits from high-mass technologies and is isolated from the main board by a sheet of Sorbothane. The tonearm accommodates a wide range of top quality phono cartridges, from 4g to 14g, and comes with a set of four different Sorbothane-damped counterweights.

Sumiko Blackbird MC Phono Cartridge

Designed for exceedingly low noise levels, wide dynamic range, and the highest possible fidelity in its price class, the Sumiko Blackbird MC moving coil phono cartridge is destined to become an analog classic. Each cartridge is assembled using time honored, labor intensive techniques, and then is hand calibrated and critically auditioned to meet the most rigorous standards of consistency.

The main advantage of high output moving coil cartridges is the elimination of any additional gain stages, resulting in an overall reduction of the noise floor. With 2.5mV directly driving a standard 47k Ohm RIAA phono stage, the best possible signal-to-noise ratio is realized. Nothing but music emerges from your most treasured recordings.

""Sumptuous Sound""

""Sumiko's Blackbird is a strong Class B cartridge. I highly recommend it,"" says Michael Fremer in Stereophile for January 2004. ""If you're currently living with a $300-$500 cartridge, move up to this and your world will be rocked… Its sound is as sumptuous as its packaging.""

""Sumiko's Blackbird is one of the finest cartridges I've heard in its price range, and it serves as a highly credible 'reference cartridge for the real world,'"" notes Chris Martens in his October 2003 review for AVGuide.com.

Xtension 10 Evolution comes with a beautiful dustcover with adjustable hinges. The turntable is available in your choice of three high gloss lacquer finishes: mahogany, piano black, or olive wood.