For over 30 years Pro-Ject has designed & built turntables that focus on sound quality over convenience-oriented features, but that hasn't stopped them from experimenting with materials that vary in their resonance properties.
Acrylic has been in their repertoire for decades. Pro-Ject's first ever acrylic turntable was the Pro-Ject 6.9 Perspective, and it was a huge success. 6PerspeX variants have been around for 15+ years too, not to mention a host of 2Xperience variants in acrylic. Needless to say, the limited run of their Perspective Final Edition turntable sold out swiftly as well.
They take pride in how these turntables take advantage of both the aesthetic & sonic values of acrylic in hi-fi, but using acrylic in manufacturing is not as easy as you might think. True, it's anti-resonant, but the rest of the turntable must also lend itself to the sonic equation. Measurement & critical listening reveal that acrylic can actually over-damp sonics if it's not used thoughtfully. 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 Armtube
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. They have 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 for fine-tuning of VTA & azimuth, encouraging various cartridges and/or record mats to achieve their desired sonics. VTA & azimuth are crucial adjustments in the scheme of cartridge performance & demand evaluation.
