Pro-Ject turntables

Per Notec...
"Anything sold as "Analog Gear" on sites like Music Direct and their ilk are a good indicator of mass produced low quality TT that should be avoided."....

Wow, even the Avid tables that Music Direct sells are to be avoided? Because they handle these too along with VPI and all the other brands you site. Its amusing that you do not think the 26K Acutus SP is not Hi-Fi? I am curious at what price speakers and amps must start at to be considered real Hi-Fi in your world.

To the OP...The Pro-ject tables sound very good for the money and they put together some very attractive table/cartridge packages. The Carbon with an Ortofon 2M Red is an outstanding entry level table. Since you don't site budget and ask which one to get, I normally don't recommend what I have, but if 1K is doable, I suggest you check out the Pro-ject RM5.1 SE. Its comes with a Sumiko Blue Point No. 2 high output MC cartridge that is a $400 cartridge if purchased separately. The 9CC tonearm this table comes with is a $700 stand alone item. In fact, Oracle uses this tonearm on their 5K Paris model and I understand that Linn uses this same arm of some of their tables too. While all good, I really believe the RM5.1 SE is the best value in the Pro-ject lineup. Hope some of this helps.

As usual I agree with the Wolf, my rich buddy just bought a 10.1, haven't heard it yet but that is a baaad looking TT !

Message to Sumiko: Please send Shubert a 10.1, and also send one to me, and we will say nice things about it so you'll sell more of them...a "win win" I say...

I believe Pro-Ject falls under the Sumiko umbrella.
Vienna Acoustics, the Pear cartridge, Sonus Faber, all good stuff.
I use a Pro-Ject Wood with a Lyra Helikon and a Pro-Ject tube phono preamp right now and this combo is hard to beat for the money I have invested.
Notec could not be more wrong. Pro-Ject has manufactured some great analog gear in the past and from what I see lately looks like they still do.

The RM 9.2 appears to offer the best price/performance ratio. The 10.1 and Xtension models offer a plinth which might create added vibrations/colorations even with the added mass. I was considering a Xtension 10 but using a wallwart as a power supply was a deal breaker(for me) for a $3k table.