Pro-Ject RPM-9 Carbon Turntable - No Cartridge

Serious Engineering, Your Choice of Cartridge

The RPM 9 Carbon ships without a cartridge, leaving that decision entirely up to you, while the turntable itself does the heavy engineering: a sandwich plinth of MDF, carbon fiber, and steel pellets sits on magnetic feet that decouple it from the shelf beneath.

A 7.2kg damped aluminum platter keeps speed steady, a fully decoupled DC motor sits outside the plinth so its own vibration never reaches the record, and the 9-inch Evolution tonearm uses a carbon-fiber armtube and an inverted bearing for precise, low-friction tracking.

Because no cartridge or phono preamp is included, this listing is built for someone who already knows what cartridge they want to mount, or who's ready to have one installed and aligned separately.

Built to Let the Music Through

A Decoupled Motor and Damped Aluminum Platter

Keeping vibration, noise, and speed drift away from the stylus is where most of a turntable's real engineering happens, and the RPM 9 Carbon's fully decoupled DC motor sits outside the plinth specifically to keep its own noise out of the signal path.

The 7.2kg aluminum platter is damped and topped with a vinyl mat to keep rotation steady, while electronic switching handles 33 and 45rpm at the flip of a switch rather than a belt you reposition by hand.

A 9-Inch Carbon-Fiber Tonearm, Cartridge Left to You

The Evolution tonearm's carbon-fiber armtube and inverted bearing are designed for precise, low-friction tracking, no matter which specific cartridge you eventually decide to mount and carefully align on it yourself later.

Because the arm and phono stage are cartridge-agnostic by design, you're free to fit anything from a moving-magnet design to a serious moving-coil cartridge, provided your phono preamp supports it.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Neil Gader of The Absolute Sound praised backgrounds that were "jet black and softly tinted to the warmer end of the tonal spectrum," with imaging and soundstage stability he called "excellent," concluding the RPM 9 Carbon "is a terrific package."

What Hi-Fi? called it "solid and full-bodied" with "generous detail" and "strong stereo imaging," though its review noted the presentation "could be more expressive" at times.

Who Is This Turntable Best For?

• You want serious, visible engineering — a carbon-fiber tonearm, decoupled motor, and damped platter, not just a name on the box
• You already own a cartridge, or want to pick your own — nothing is pre-installed, so the choice is entirely yours
• You want electronic speed switching — 33 and 45rpm change at the flip of a switch, no belt to move by hand
• You have, or plan to get, a capable phono preamp — this deck is built to be the centerpiece of a serious system, not a plug-and-play all-in-one
• You want a cartridge already factory-installed — the RPM 3 Carbon and RPM 5 Carbon both ship with one mounted and aligned

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Connect the included RCA phono cable to a phono preamp, or to an amplifier or receiver with a compatible built-in phono input matched to whichever cartridge you mount.

Electronic switching handles 33 and 45rpm at the flip of a switch, and the outboard power supply keeps motor noise out of the signal path.

Pairs Well With

Where the RPM 9 Carbon goes from here:

• Phono cartridges — this listing ships without one, so the arm is yours to fit with whichever suits your ears and your phono stage
• Phono preamplifiers — make sure yours matches whatever cartridge output you end up choosing
• Integrated amplifiers — pair with an amp that has a built-in phono stage, or add a separate preamp
• Audio racks — a stable, level surface matters for a turntable at this level

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this listing include a cartridge?

It doesn't. This is the No Cartridge configuration, so you'll need to choose and have one mounted separately.

Do I need a separate phono preamp?

Yes, unless your amplifier or receiver already has a built-in phono stage that matches whichever cartridge you choose.

Can I use a moving-coil cartridge?

Yes, provided your phono preamp offers true MC support. The tonearm and bearing are built to handle serious moving-coil designs.

Does it change speeds automatically?

Yes. Electronic switching moves between 33 and 45rpm at the flip of a switch, with no belt to reposition by hand.

What's included in the box?

The power supply, a phono cable, a record puck, a 7-inch adapter, and a spirit level for leveling the table.

What's the warranty?

A two-year parts-and-labor warranty covers the RPM 9 Carbon.

See It in Action

An independent look at the RPM 9 Carbon's build and features:

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