Best way to identify a turntable

[LongmontColorado]

Hope all is well. I purchased this turntable for about $80 from a record shop in Colorado in 2019. It says it's a Pro-Ject and the box it came in was a Pro-Ject box but in place of the model it just said High End Munich. I attempted to reach out to Pro-Ject to learn more but never heard back so curious if anyone has tips for identifying information about this table. There is no identifying info on it that I can see.

Appreciate any insight anyone could provide. Apologies if this post isn't allowed - new to this hobby.

 

[Sal1950]

No problems at all, welcome to ASR!
There's no name or anything on the bottom even? Only High End Munich?
Maybe someone can ID it by eye but I wouldn't worry over it too much. If the motor still runs and the arm isn't stiff or sloppy, for $80 you did fine.
I see there is a needle in the arm, can you read it's model on it? Have you tried to play a record yet?

 

[DSJR]

This firm have made so many different models over the years...

I don't recognise the arm, but it does seem authentic. The edge-belt drive is stillvcommon to many models and seems to work well. Power switches seem to be put under the deck now, so that may help date it.

Any chance of a photo of the pickup cartridge please and any numbers on the stylus assembly (I'm half guessing it's an Ortofon OM as the tags on the back are so close together? EDIT - Already answered - a 2M Red new is more than $80, so a great price is stylus is new!

Use with lid removed and with deck sited well away from corners and on a solid support.

 

[LongmontColorado]

No problems at all, welcome to ASR!
There's no name or anything on the bottom even? Only High End Munich?
Maybe someone can ID it by eye but I wouldn't worry over it too much. If the motor still runs and the arm isn't stiff or sloppy, for $80 you did fine.
I see there is a needle in the arm, can you read it's model on it? Have you tried to play a record yet?

Tried playing it and everything sounds fantastic, at least to my untrained ear. The needle is a brand new Ortofon 2M Red. The shop I purchased it from has a great reputation and the owner seemed to be a genuinely great person so I don't think he took me for one but genuinely curious. Going to give it another look to see if I see anything on the bottom. Appreciate your time.

 

[RickS]

Welcome to ASR!

Google Lens found this...

Orbit Custom

Build your perfect turntable with Orbit Custom. Choose your color, platter, cartridge, and more — built to order and handcrafted in the USA.

uturnaudio.com

 

[mhardy6647]

Utterly unfamiliar looking to me!
Two suggestions:
1) peruse https://www.vinylengine.com/ (somewhat easier said than done, unfortunately).
2) consider asking your question at more vinylic site. I hesitate to recommend the vinyl forum at audiokarma, but there'll probably be someone there who'll know all about it!

 

[LongmontColorado]

This firm have made so many different models over the years...

I don't recognise the arm, but it does seem authentic. The edge-belt drive is stillvcommon to many models and seems to work well.

Use with lid removed and with deck sited well away from corners and on a solid support.

Awesome, thank you for the info!

 

[LongmontColorado]

Utterly unfamiliar looking to me!
Two suggestions:
1) peruse https://www.vinylengine.com/ (somewhat easier said than done, unfortunately).
2) consider asking your question at more vinylic site. I hesitate to recommend the vinyl forum at audiokarma, but there'll probably be someone there who'll know all about it!

Thank you for the resources. Looking now!

 

[mhardy6647]

actually, come to think of it, @lini is a member here, too! He might well know all about this tt!

EDIT: Here's the link for the tt subforum @ AK: https://audiokarma.org/forums/forums/turntables.28/

 

[DSJR]

The J shaped arm threw me I have to say, but the counterweight end seems pure ProJect to me...

 

[Sal1950]

ried playing it and everything sounds fantastic, at least to my untrained ear. The needle is a brand new Ortofon 2M Red. The shop I purchased it from has a great reputation and the owner seemed to be a genuinely great person so I don't think he took me for one but genuinely curious.

Shitt bro, you're all set! Just find some used records of music you love, cheap, clean em up, and have fun. Just don't let others get you too carried away, that thing will deliver 95% of the sound quality vinyl was or ever will be capable of, your done. Save your money for the best speakers you can afford, buy your new music on digital CD or BluRay, etc. Just enjoy
Stick around, read, and learn about objective based Hi Fi.

 

[LongmontColorado]

This firm have made so many different models over the years...

I don't recognise the arm, but it does seem authentic. The edge-belt drive is stillvcommon to many models and seems to work well. Power switches seem to be put under the deck now, so that may help date it.

Any chance of a photo of the pickup cartridge please and any numbers on the stylus assembly (I'm half guessing it's an Ortofon OM as the tags on the back are so close together? EDIT - Already answered - a 2M Red new is more than $80, so a great price is stylus is new!

Use with lid removed and with deck sited well away from corners and on a solid support.

Sorry, I just added that needle recently. It came with a new Ortofon OM 10 Cartridge.

Here are some additional photos if it helps anyone:

 

[LongmontColorado]

Shitt bro, you're all set! Just find some used records of music you love, cheap, clean em up, and have fun. Just don't let others get you too carried away, that thing will deliver 95% of the sound quality vinyl was or ever will be capable of, your done. Save your money for the best speakers you can afford, buy your new music on digital CD or BluRay, etc. Just enjoy
Stick around, read, and learn about objective based Hi Fi.

Appreciate the kind words. Really loving it. Wife surprised me with some Kef Q150's for my office and loving them. Really content.

 

[AnalogSteph]

Sorry, I just added that needle recently. It came with a new Ortofon OM 10 Cartridge.

Isn't a 2M Red pretty much just a sidegrade from that? A Stylus 20 may have been the better investment...

Anyway, I would check whether your player has the kind of issues with subpar motor vibration isolation that seem to plague a fair few Pro-Jects.

 

[DSJR]

Isn't a 2M Red pretty much just a sidegrade from that? A Stylus 20 may have been the better investment...

Anyway, I would check whether your player has the kind of issues with subpar motor vibration isolation that seem to plague a fair few Pro-Jects.

The 2M range continues the slit-pole internals of the Super OM models and the stronger body I believe, helps with slight measurement response/separation 'glitches' the OMs exhibit (old HiFi Choice tests carried out in an admittedly less than stellar tonearm with detachable headshell) . I actually like the OM10 here, but would suggest leapfrogging the Blue stylus if an upgrade was ever considered.

I only know the Debut 2 for excessive motor noise (transmission into the stylus), but the motor is mounted slightly differently I think on these, so it may not be an issue (not used many I admit)...

Anyway, loads of good vintage vinyl out there, but I'd avoid brand new pressings as they're largely from hobbled-for-vinyl digital masters now it seems, so why not get the digital original...

Good luck

 

[lini]

actually, come to think of it, @lini is a member here, too! He might well know all about this tt!

Not really, sorry. Maybe it was intended as some sort of prototype for a possible OEM variant. In any case the rear section of the arm would appear to have quite a good bit in common with the S-shaped arm, that they use on the current Debut S Phono, an exclusive model made for Teufel - while the drive would look more Essential-ish to me.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[Chrispy]

Sorry, I just added that needle recently. It came with a new Ortofon OM 10 Cartridge.

Here are some additional photos if it helps anyone:

FWIW stylus is so much a better term than needle these days....

 

[mhardy6647]

FWIW stylus is so much a better term than needle these days....

Too bad they stopped using cactus needles, eh?

Wait... what?

https://www.sound-smith.com/reviews/soundsmith%E2%80%99s-hyperion-phono-cartridge-cactus-needle-cantilever

 

[JeffS7444]

Maybe a prototype exhibited at the Munich hifi show and ultimately liquidated via their dealer network.

 

[melloncolliecat]

The table sure looks a lot like a Pro-Ject Debut III S. I don't know about the tonearm, though... I feel like I've seen it before, but can't quite place it...

EDIT:
The armtube is different, but the rest of the arm is very similar to the (Pro-Ject OEM, I suppose?) one made for the NAD C558, possibly also the Music Hall MMF mk1.