When it comes to entry-level turntables, the Pro Ject Debut Carbon is definitely one of the finer choices. The number of awards it has garnered over the years and the long prestigious history, make this an exceptional turntable with a modest price. For such an amazing turntable, you will definitely need equally impressive speakers to match with the Pro Ject Debut Carbon.
There are many speaker choices to choose from, picking the right ones will require knowledge about the Pro Ject Debut Carbon sonic characteristics and strengths. With this information, you will be able to hunt for matching speakers on your own in the future. You will need to know what are your requirements or criteria when getting a pair of speakers for this turntable too. We are also planning to list out the best speakers to match the Pro Ject Debut Carbon, please do continue to read on.
Table of Contents
Main Speaker Requirements
The very first thing you will need to do is usually setting aside a budget for your speakers. If the speakers are the only HiFi components you’ll require, it will be a lot easier to set as you will just need to allocate a budget amount that is comfortable for you. You can either set a fixed limit or a bit of leeway where you can increase your budget by a little in order to purchase the speakers which you really want but a max limit must always be assigned. As the Pro Ject Debut Carbon does not have its own preamp built-in, and so you should look at what you have currently, for instance, do you have a phono preamplifier or preamplifier/amplifier/receiver with a built-in phono preamp? This not only will influence your speaker budget but also the type of speakers you should be getting.
If you already have a phono preamplifier ready to be used with your Pro Ject Debut Carbon turntable, then the next requirement will be choosing either a pair of passive or active speakers. Passive speakers will need external power amplifiers to drive them and active speakers already have power amps built into them. For instance, you only have a phono preamp and we will suggest going with active speakers as this will help you to save some money and space as there’s no need for you to get an external power amplifier. Furthermore, the active speakers’ built-in power amps are already extensively tuned by the engineers to match closely with the driver units so to ensure the best sound quality you can get from them. If you already own a power amplifier then the logical step is to get a pair of passive speakers.
More Info at Amazon – Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC Turntable
The Pro Ject Debut Carbon bass performance is tight and agile but does lack the punch and weight. You can choose to go with floor-standing speakers or a large pair of bookshelf speakers which can produce bass that has weight, scale, and authority. Pro Ject Debut Carbon has a good level of clarity and can deliver a detailed music presentation, still, it does lack when it comes to subtleties and you can go with a pair of active studio monitors. Professional studio monitors are usually very detailed and revealing speakers, they can pick up plenty of subtle music details.
The overall sonic character of the Pro Ject Debut Carbon is neutral and just a bit bright, based on this, you can go for speakers that are either warm, bright, dark, neutral, etc., to fine-tune the sound quality and suit your preference. You might also want to find out more about the sonic characteristics of the other HiFi components that you are using to connect with the Debut Carbon turntable. Whether if you are using a subwoofer will affect your decision too, as there is no need to get a pair of floor-standing speakers since the sub will be supplementing the bass reproduction but if large scale music delivery with a strong presence is what you want then, by all means, go for a pair of floor-standers.
Another requirement will be the space you have allocated to your speakers if the space is tight and constrained, you might want to go with smaller loudspeakers. How big is your listening room also plays a part, you may need a pair of floor-standers for a large listening space. Nearfield listening or desktop sound system will require a pair of speakers that are designed for nearfield listening (within 5ft/1.5m) unless your amp/receiver can adjust the speaker distance digitally. These are some of the usual requirements that you might want to consider, there are also others such as spouse approval, multi-speaker usages which you will need a speaker that is versatile, etc. After you have run through your own checklist and have a better idea of what you need, then please check out our list of the best speakers which you can go for and match them with your Pro Ject Debut Carbon.
Best Speakers to pair with Pro Ject Debut Carbon
The Klipsch R-51PM is one of the best speakers to pair with the Pro Ject Debut Carbon turntable. Firstly, it has a built-in phono preamp so that you can directly connect the Debut Carbon to the R-51PM active speakers. There is also a built-in power amplifier (60 Watts) enabling you to start playing your favorite vinyl. The amount of value you are getting is incredible and the Klipsch R-51PM is modestly priced as well. These are clear and bright-sounding powered speakers with tight bass delivery and clarity. With the Klipsch R-51PM active speakers pairing with the Pro Ject Debut Carbon, you are saving a lot of money and also plenty of space since you do not need to get an external phono preamp and power amplifier.
More Info at Amazon – Klipsch R-51PM Powered Speaker
The Kanto YU6 is another amazing pair of active speakers with a built-in phono preamp and will be an excellent choice to pair with the Pro Ject Debut Carbon turntable. There is also a powerful built-in amp with up to 200 Watts of peak power, enough to handle most music peaks and transients. There is also a subwoofer output, enabling us to connect to an active sub for a significant improvement in the overall bass performance, giving us a full-range sound quality when listening to our favorite tunes. The Kanto YU6 delivers a fast and agile music delivery with clarity, a suitable match for the Pro Ject Debut Carbon turntable.
More Info at Amazon – Kanto YU6 Powered Bookshelf Speakers
If you want a faithful music presentation that is close to what the artists have intended for their audience to hear then going with active studio monitors such as the Yamaha HS7 will be an exemplary choice to match with your Pro Ject Debut Carbon. This is a pair of studio monitors which are revealing, transparent and accurate, delivering to you a very detailed music presentation of your favorite tunes. Each speaker has a built-in bi-amp system with a total of 95 Watts which is pretty powerful for an active speaker at this price point. For higher bass output, you might want to go with the bigger Yamaha HS8. They are bright-sounding speakers and you should hear them out first before deciding.
More Info at Amazon – Yamaha HS7 Monitor
The award-winning Wharfedale Diamond 220 will be a terrific passive bookshelf speaker to pair with your Pro Ject Debut Carbon especially if you like a warmer sounding audio system. The pleasing sound quality of the Wharfedale Diamond 220 entry-level speakers is easy on the ears and the warmth it brings is great for analog sources. You can listen to these speakers for hours without worrying about listener fatigue. For such a small stand-mounter, the Diamond 220 can dish out quite a heavy bass and is deep as well. Even though the overall sound reproduction is smooth and pleasant, there are also plenty of musical details in them.
More Info at Amazon – Wharfedale Diamond 220 Bookshelf Speakers
When it comes to modestly priced floor-standing speakers with exceptional sound quality, the Q Acoustics 3050 is one of the very best there is at their price range. It is a suitable match with the Pro Ject Debut Carbon turntable. The Q Acoustics 3050 passive floor-standing speakers are musically refined and have well-controlled bass reproduction. The transparency of these floor-standers is amazing as well and delivers a richly detailed music presentation. The full-bodied sound quality and large soundstage complement the Pro Ject Debut Carbon really well. These floor-standing speakers have a great sense of timing and provide an engaging music performance.
More Info at Amazon – Q Acoustics 3050 Floorstanding Speakers
For bright sounding and lively floor-standing speakers, you might want to check out Klipsch Synergy Black Label F-200. There is a high level of clarity, music nuances are delivered with crystal clear quality and their wide dynamics will provide you with an energetic musical performance. The ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 will be another amazing pair of bookshelf speakers that you can pair with your Pro Ject Debut Carbon. The award-winning passive bookshelf speaker has that enthusiastic sonic characteristic that provides a lively music delivery and is packed with details as well.
More Info at Amazon – Klipsch Synergy Black Label F-200 with Proprietary Horn Technology
More Info at Amazon – ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2
To Sum It Up
Once you have confirmed your speaker requirements either using the main checklist here or your own, you can start running through the speakers listed here and shortlist the ones that best suit your needs. From there, you might want to arrange an audition to hear these speakers out and see which one you like the most. You can also use this list as a reference when comparing with other speaker brands or models that are not listed here. If possible, you should arrange for the speaker audition to be done in your own listening room.
