We’re big fans of Pro-Ject’s long-running Debut range, having just given the Debut Evo 2 a What Hi-Fi? Award, and the Carbon Evo five stars. So, you can imagine our excitement when we heard that the Austrian hi-fi brand promises that the latest addition to this range is “the pinnacle of today’s Debut technology and its most accomplished model yet”.
Set to debut at the upcoming Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2026, the new Debut Reference 10 sits at the top of the Debut range and features a 10-inch tonearm with a carbon-fibre and aluminium sandwich construction.
According to the brand, this longer arm length compared with other Debut models reduces tracking and inner-groove distortion. You can also fully adjust the tonearm’s horizontal and vertical tracking angle (VTA).
Pro-Ject’s latest turntable is fitted with its Pick it Pro Balanced cartridge and has a Mini-XLR balanced output, two features you can also find on the Debut Pro B, which was announced a couple of years ago. Just note that you’ll need a compatible balanced phono stage in the chain, too.
In addition, the Debut Reference 10 has a “resonance-resistant” acrylic platter that sits on top of a diamond-cut aluminium sub-platter, with height-adjustable metal feet attached to the hand-painted MDF chassis.
The turntable is a belt-driven model, with the motor fully decoupled and suspended in the base to reduce unwanted vibrations from affecting the vinyl replay. It features electronic speed control that allows for easy switching between 33 1/3 and 45 RPM records, while manually adjusting the belt adds the possibility of playing 78 RPM records, too.
Pro-Ject’s Puck E, a device that sits on top of the record to further secure it to the platter, is also included.
Available in a satin black finish, the Pro-Ject Debut Reference 10 will launch in the UK in March, where it will be priced at £999. It will cost AU$2349 once it launches in Australia soon, but US customers will have to wait few months, where its price is still TBC.
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