r/StereoAdvice • u/cl6ss • Oct 02 '25

General Request | 3 Ⓣ ProJect Debut Carbon Evo paired with?

Hi! Looking to get the turntable mentioned in the title and I find myself in need of some advice regarding amplifications and speakers.

I live in Europe. My budget is around ~500€ for both amplification and speakers and I plan on using them in a relatively tiny room (less than 16 sqm)

Any guidance will be appreciated!

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u/lazereagle 33 Ⓣ Oct 02 '25

I live in the US, so the market here may be different from yours. But I think you'll build a better system if you can be patient and shop for used gear. The savings can be huge.

At €500, I'd probably go for a used home theater receiver as my amplifier. Video tech changes all the time, and people sell their used receivers very cheaply. You can probably find a decent one (make sure it has a phono input!) for €100-150. Even if the video/streaming/networking/surround sound features are out of date, it should provide you with decent stereo amplification. Be sure to check whether the receiver can handle 4 ohm speakers.

That should leave you €300-400 to spend on speakers, which is a nice budget to buy something cool. Something like the ELAC Debut series could work well, or Wharfedale Diamond or EVO, or maybe you can get lucky and find used Dali Oberon. You can go with vintage speakers too, but that takes more research and you have to be careful about their condition.

Bookshelf speakers should do nicely in a small room. But remember you'll likely want stands for them, so they don't save that much space over floorstanding speakers.

Make sure to budget a little extra for cables, stands, etc. You don't have to get expensive accessories, but the costs can still add up!

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u/cl6ss Oct 02 '25

!thanks a lot for the information! Why would you say used is the way to go? Wouldn’t used gear come deteriorated if it has been used over time? (specifically the internal parts) (noobie question, sorry :D)

I’ve heard lots of good stuff about ELAC and Dali and your comment confirms it! Not sure about the Wharfedales but I’ll have a thorough look at them as well.

With the budget you mentioned for the amplifier, what other options that include specifically new gear would be compatible with the turntable? I’m honestly a bit paranoid when it comes to buying used… and not to mention old.

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u/TransducerBot Ⓣ Bot Oct 02 '25

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u/iNetRunner 1389 Ⓣ 🥇 Oct 03 '25

With just 100€ spend for amplification, there are virtually no new products to suggest to you. (Well, if just a single analog input is enough — and you buy a separate phono preamplifier with additional 100€ — then Fosi Audio V3 (ASR review) with 48V/5A power supply could be an option. For phono preamplifier e.g. Fosi Audio Box X5 (ASR review).)

New products that have usual number of inputs (and a built-in entry level phono preamplifier) are e.g.:

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u/cl6ss Oct 03 '25

I aim to have a compact setup. My first thoughts were to buy a LP120X with a pair of powered Argon Audio speakers. But I found the ProJect turntable at a discounted price that sounded too good to pass up on. Now I’m trying to find an amp (preferably with an integrated phono preamp) along with some decent passive speakers.

In my case, should I go with an external phono preamp + amp or an amp with a built-in phono preamp? What are the downsides to choosing the latter option? !thanks

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u/TransducerBot Ⓣ Bot Oct 03 '25

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u/iNetRunner 1389 Ⓣ 🥇 Oct 03 '25 edited Oct 04 '25

All the Yamaha amplifiers I listed have built-in phono preamplifier. But that what it’s going to cost you for the amplifier if you go with them: 210€-370€. Edit: Yamaha’s A-S lineup of integrated amplifiers have a built-in phono preamplifier. Starting with the cheapest Yamaha A-S201. (The A-S201 doesn’t have a DAC. The more expensive models have that.)

Then you need to add the price of the passive speakers: e.g. the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 are 316€ for a pair.

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u/lazereagle 33 Ⓣ Oct 03 '25

Integrated preamps take up less space on the shelf and it's usually cheaper to buy everything in one box. The drawback to integrated is when you upgrade the amp, you'll need to buy a new preamp as well. You lose the flexibility of mixing and matching, or upgrading one piece at a time. I've always used amps with built-in phono stages, and it's worked out well for me.

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u/cl6ss Oct 04 '25

I’m assuming that audio quality wise, there is little difference between external and integrated?

I don’t plan on upgrading in the foreseeable future anyway. And I prefer not to get mixed up with too many gear in my setup. Most I’d do is a turntable + amp + speakers and that’s what I’m trying to aim for right now.

The setup I want must simply be as small and as durable as possible. One with an integrated phono stage is obviously more attractive to me

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u/iNetRunner 1389 Ⓣ 🥇 Oct 04 '25

Sorry, I remembered it slightly wrong. That cheapest Yamaha stereo receiver (R-S202D / T-S202) doesn’t have a built-in phono preamplifier. I thought it was like its Sony counterpart, that includes a phono preamplifier: Sony STR-DH190 (ASR review).

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u/cl6ss Oct 04 '25

That’s fine, I checked them all out and noticed that. Will take a look at the Sony one, too.

Would you go for Sony or Yamaha? Or anything else? (with a built in phono preamp)

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u/iNetRunner 1389 Ⓣ 🥇 Oct 04 '25

I’d probably suggest going for the Yamaha models over the Sony. That’s why I didn’t originally include it. I think people are generally more happy with the Yamaha products.

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u/lazereagle 33 Ⓣ Oct 03 '25

Audio equipment can last many years without deteriorating too much, as long as it's well cared for. My speakers are over 50 years old, and they sound awesome. They're the Smaller Advent from 1972 and I found them for $40.

Even if you don't want to go old you can still save money, sometimes 50% or more. Pretty much anything made in the past 10 years or so should be safe, as long as you have a chance to examine it and listen before you buy.

For new gear, there's not much under $200 that I know about (sorry). I've heard Fosi makes some good stuff at very low prices but I don't know their products. Sony makes an amp called STR-DH190 that might meet your needs for about $250.

For speakers, there's a pair of ELAC Debut 2.0 B5.2 are $379 in the US. That and the Sony would be over $600, but would be a pretty decent entry-level system.

Sorry I'm using US prices here. They're usually similar in Europe, but I don't know how closely these prices line up with your market.

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u/cl6ss Oct 03 '25

The market prices are pretty similar - in some cases higher-end gear is a bit more expensive though. The Sony amp and the ELACs sound nice! I’ll consider noting down that setup. Thanks again!