Pro-Ject RPM 5 Carbon with Evo 9″ Tonearm

The Pro-Ject RPM 5 Carbon is a high-performance belt-drive turntable that blends radical industrial design with serious audiophile engineering. Positioned above Pro-Ject’s Debut and Xpression ranges, the RPM 5 Carbon borrows several technologies from the larger RPM 9 Carbon, offering a more advanced analogue platform focused on low resonance, high speed stability, and precision cartridge tracking.

Its distinctive chassis uses a low-resonance mass-loaded design with a decoupled outboard motor, helping to isolate motor vibration from the platter and tonearm assembly. This is one of the RPM 5 Carbon’s key engineering advantages over more conventional plinth-based designs.

A major highlight is the inclusion of the 9″ EVO carbon tonearm, a lightweight yet rigid arm engineered to minimise resonance while offering excellent compatibility with both MM and MC cartridges. Combined with the acrylic platter and inverted ceramic bearing, the RPM 5 Carbon is built to prioritise mechanical silence, pitch stability, and tonal purity.

Specifications

Turntable Design

• Type: Manual belt-drive turntable
• Drive Principle: Precision belt-drive
• Motor: Free-standing synchronous AC motor
• Motor Power Supply: Ultra-precision DC-driven AC generator
• Speeds:
  • 33⅓ RPM
  • 45 RPM (manual belt change)

Platter & Bearing

• 300mm acoustically inert acrylic platter
• Inverted main bearing
• Stainless steel axle
• Ceramic ball bearing

This inverted ceramic-bearing design significantly reduces rumble and improves rotational smoothness.

Tonearm (9″ EVO Carbon)

• 9″ cc EVO carbon tonearm
• Carbon fibre arm tube
• TPE-damped counterweight
• Adjustable tracking force
• Adjustable anti-skate
• Cartridge compatible with MM and MC designs

Tonearm Geometry

• Effective Length: 230 mm
• Effective Mass: 8 g
• Overhang: 18 mm
• Tracking Force Range: 0 – 25mN

Performance

• Speed Drift:
  • 33 RPM: ±0.12%
  • 45 RPM: ±0.10%
• Wow & Flutter:
  • 33 RPM: ±0.17%
  • 45 RPM: ±0.08%
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio:
  • 73dB

Construction

• Low-resonance chassis design
• Decoupled outboard motor
• Adjustable aluminium cone feet
• Record clamp included
• Dust cover optional

Outputs

• High-quality Connect it E phono cable (RCA)
• Ground lead

(Requires external phono stage)

Physical Specifications

Dimensions (W × H × D)

• 430 × 150 × 323 mm

Weight

• 8.0 kg

The RPM 5 Carbon is widely respected for delivering performance beyond its price point, particularly in:

• excellent timing precision
• low mechanical noise
• strong bass articulation
• spacious soundstage
• very good image focus
• highly adjustable cartridge optimisation

The carbon EVO arm is one of its biggest strengths, offering better rigidity and lower resonance than many aluminium arms at this level. Owners and community feedback often highlight its ability to scale well with cartridge upgrades and phono stage improvements.

A beautifully engineered audiophile turntable combining Pro-Ject’s radical RPM architecture, acrylic platter stability, and the highly capable EVO carbon tonearm for refined analogue playback.

Condition: Good

Colour: Gloss Black

Unit includes original packaging and accessories. Product includes Rega Carbon Cartridge, Custom Acrylic Dust Cover & Record Clamp