Luxman PD272 vs Pro-ject Debut Carbon Acrylic: which would you keep, and why?

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AdamHG

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Hi all,

My dad recently sold his record collection, so I've inherited his Luxman. Unfortunately, I only have space for one turntable, so I need to decide between the two.

I'd love to hear from some serious analogue lovers which you would keep and why!

The Luxman is fitted with a Benz MC20E2 cartridge and the Pro-ject with an Ortofon 2M red. Obviously the cartridge shouldn't be a factor as to which I keep as I can always swap them.

I've connected them both to my Marantz which has 2 phono inputs and queued up the same songs on both. The Luxman is definitely warmer, much more sizzle on the cymbals, bass guitar sounds bigger and bassier, and there is a little more oomph all around. The Pro-ject seems cleaner, perhaps a tiny bit more detailed, definitely balanced more towards mid frequencies than highs and lows resulting in perhaps a punchier, more responsive bass.

Which do I prefer? I need to listen far more to reach a conclusion :) I also wonder how much of the difference is down to the turntable and how much is down to the cartridge?

This is my assessment of the pros and cons:

LUXMAN
Pros:

  • Much more solid plinth
  • Some sentimental value
  • Probably a better arm?
Cons:
  • Much bigger
  • Parts?
  • Velvet platter mat seems a little warped and transfers dust to records (although I guess this is easily substituted with a rubber, cork, or acrylic mat)
  • Direct drive?
PRO-JECT
Pros:

  • Much newer
  • Availability of parts
  • Acrylic platter
  • Belt drive with decoupled motor
Cons:
  • Inferior build quality
  • Probably inferior arm
I'd love to hear some of your thoughts, thanks in advance!
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