Pro-Ject Essential III SB Turntable

Great Sound, Electronic Speed Control, and an Attractive Price

Pro-Ject's Essential III SB is the turntable to choose when it comes to convenience, affordability, and great sound. It is tailor made for the audiophile who has a library of 12" LPs and 7" singles and likes to go back and forth between them with ease. With its Speed Box electronic speed control, the Essential III SB lets you change speeds with the push of a button.

Pro-Ject's Essential III turntable offers a variety of enhancements compared to its successful predecessor, the Essential II. The III's upgrades include a diamond-cut aluminum drive pulley, a resonance-optimized MDF main platter and MDF chassis. The refined, high-precision platter bearing has significantly lower tolerances than Essential II. And yet, the performance-packed Essential III is now Pro-Ject's audiophile entry-level turntable. You just can't do better for the price.

The setup is very simple, and this complete package comes with tonearm, cartridge, and other essential accessories.

"Fluid, Musical"

"The Essential III belies its eminently affordable price tag with a sound that is fluid, musical and generally highly accomplished," notes Hi-fi News & Record Review, January 2017. "The deck is sure-footed and more than able to dig deep into the heart of a recording to reveal inner detail."

A resonance-optimized MDF platter helps to quell plinth vibration. An integrated quiet running DC-powered synchronous motor control minimizes motor vibration and guarantees speed stability. The Essential III SB incorporates a diamond cut aluminum drive pulley and a low tolerance platter bearing with stainless steel spindle for low wow-and-flutter and speed accuracy.

Push-button Electronic Speed Change

Ultimate convenience is achieved thanks to electronic speed change using Pro-Ject's acclaimed Speed Box system. This allows you to change speeds with the push of a button instead of having to fuss around with the turntable belt and pulley. And Speed Box gives you extremely accurate speed control at both 33-1/3 rpm and 45 rpm, so it's great for LPs and 45s.

Quality Tonearm and Cartridge Included

A single-piece fixed headshell 8.6" aluminum tonearm with sapphire bearings and rigid aluminum tube provides superb tracking and resonance reduction. Accurate adjustment cartridge azimuth is easily accomplished.

The Essential III SB is ready for you to start enjoying music almost as soon as you get it out of the box. Unlike turntables that require lots of fussy installation steps, the Essential III SB is easy to set up. Equipped with the high-quality OM10 moving magnet cartridge by the turntable cartridge pioneer, Ortofon, Essential III SB delivers lively, balanced and highly involving sound that will delight every vinyl lover.

Dustcover and Cable Included

The Essential III SB turntable also includes chassis-fitted RCA interconnect jacks and comes with a 1.0 meter Connect-It E stereo RCA cable and an attractive dust cover. Essential III SB comes in aesthetically pleasing high gloss black, red, or white finishes.

• Belt drive with synchronous motor and silicone belt
• Built-in Speed Box with one-button electronic speed control
• Diamond cut aluminum drive pulley
• Chassis and platter made of resonance-optimized MDF
• Integrated DC-powered motor control minimizes motor vibration and guarantees speed stability
• Low tolerance platter bearing with stainless steel spindle
• 8.6" aluminum tonearm with sapphire bearings
• Ortofon OM10 cartridge pre-mounted
• High-quality Connect-It E phono interconnect with gold-plated RCA connectors included
• Special decoupling feet
• Dust cover included
• High-gloss color options: black, red, white

• Speed: 33, 45 (electronic speed change)
• Drive principle: belt drive
• Wow and flutter: 33: 0.70% 45: 0.60%
• Speed drift: 33: 0.21% 45: 0.19%
• Platter: 300mm MDF
• Main platter bearing spindle: High-quality stainless steel
• Tonearm: 8.6" aluminum
• Effective arm length: 218.5 mm
• Overhang: 22.0mm
• Effective tonearm mass: 8.0g
• Recommended cartridge mass: 3g - 5.5g
• Tracking force: 0 - 25mn (recommended for OM10 18mn)
• Power consumption: 4.5 watts max
• Dimensions (WxHxD): 15.5" x 4.4" x 13"
• Weight: 11 lbs.

"The Essential III belies its eminently affordable price tag with a sound that is fluid, musical and generally highly accomplished. The deck is sure-footed and more than able to dig deep into the heart of a recording to reveal inner detail."

- Hi-fi News & Record Review, January 2017