소리전자 - PROJECT RM9 턴테이블

Enter Roksan

At more than three times the price (over $5000), my Roksan Xerxes/Artemiz combo should decimate the RPM 9. It didn't. While the Xerxes does have some of that endearing British rhythmic bounce that I mentioned earlier and which the RPM 9 lacks, and while it does have slightly better bass, the Roksan rig fails to blow the doors off the RPM 9 in any other area when using a commensurately priced cartridge.

When it comes to analog, more money generally buys more refinement. Listening again to Moondance, I did notice that the British ‘table is just the tiniest bit more coherent through the midrange, imparting a finer-grained texture to Morrison’s voice. However, understand that this is a very small difference, and one that I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t pay an extra four grand to hear.

The RPM 9 also lacks some of the depth magic that the Roksan rig can eke out of a top-notch cartridge such as the Roksan Shiraz. The Xerxes reveals some of the additional richness, composure and treble refinement of which the Shiraz is capable, and this is as it should be, given the relative difference in price. But the RPM 9 is unlikely to be used with a cartridge that’s twice as expensive as the ‘table itself, and with an appropriately priced cartridge such as the Grado that Kurt Martens supplied, the qualitative differences between the RPM 9 and the Xerxes shrink to insignificant levels.

These are two somewhat different-sounding turntables, but it’s not difficult to draw some conclusions and value judgments from their relative performances. The Roksan was a top-flight deck in its day, and is still considered to be right up there in sound quality with some of today’s heavy-hitters. Accordingly, the Xerxes presents music with a tightly controlled focus, a deep, wide soundstage and superb dynamics. But the Pro-Ject largely achieves these same feats, and for significantly less money. In comparison to the Xerxes, the RPM 9 performs far above its price point.

An old man in a dry month

The Pro-Ject RPM 9 is a no-nonsense, well-made, attractive turntable that provides sound and build quality that are significantly higher than you’d expect for its $1499 price. It’s rare for me to so thoroughly enjoy using what is nearly a budget-priced component.

In fact, the RPM 9 turntable raises some serious questions about value. The $1000 mark seems to be the dividing line between what are generally considered budget turntables and their more expensive brethren. There’s a sharp quality demarcation at that point, and my experience with the RPM 9 has shown me that you get a lot of extra quality and performance when you pony up the extra money. You might think that you should get more of everything if you’re increasing the price by 50%, but it’s important to consider that we’re talking about $500. I hate to be sound flippant or careless with your money, but when it comes to high-end audio $500 doesn’t buy much. However, in this case, that money buys you the difference between a good turntable and a near-great one.

The Pro-Ject RPM 9 is highly recommended and a choice of this reviewer.

Pro-Ject RPM 9 Turntable
Price: $1499 USD.
Warranty: Two years parts and labor.

Pro-Ject Audio Systems