The Pro-Ject Pergola - Questions, Answers, Advice & Chat
- Thread starter Joe Mac
- Start date
mindhead1
Well-Known Member
@Joe Mac I bit the bullet and ordered an Acoustand Delrin platter and bearing upgrade for my DC EVO. Should arrive in 60 days.
TL/DR: I decided instead of buying a new TT, I’m going to see if I can max out the performance of my DC EVO. Including a new cart, I’m looking at around $900 in upgrades.
This all started when I hooked up the DC EVO w/ Moonstone after having not listened to it yet in 2025. The MoFi UltraDeck w/ MasterTracker has been getting all the love.
As always I put the EVO in the system and think this thing sounds great. It’s more open and airy than the UD and I find myself tapping my toes to everything I’m listening to. The UD is quieter/darker sounding and more full bodied and excellent all around, but I really do enjoy the Evo when it’s in the system.
Anyway, it got me thinking about what I could do to improve the sound of the Evo. Adding the Isoacoustic ZaZen made a noticeable difference, but I’m still hearing a lot of surface noise on records that I don’t hear on the UD. So i think maybe a cart upgrade can help address this problem.
I start reading reviews about the Sumiko Moonstone and the Wellfleet and a couple mentioned how the surface noise was very low with the Wellfleet. One reviewer compared it directly to the Moonstone and said the Wellfleet had all the good of the Moonstone and then some.
Wellfleet is added to the cart and I start thinking why don’t I just see what all I can squeeze out of this 5 year old Project deck. Thus, the Acoustand sub platters upgrade. I’m likely going to add an Acrylic platter as well, but I’m going to make the changes one at a time so I can hear the changes if any.
Other upgrades already done to the EVO are a Power Box S3 which lowered the noise floor on the TT and Phono Box S2. S2 has been replaced by a Darlington Labs MP7B (excellent) and a CorkIt mat.
This is a cheaper endeavor than the TTs I was considering and should satisfy my new toys itch for a while.
TL/DR: I decided instead of buying a new TT, I’m going to see if I can max out the performance of my DC EVO. Including a new cart, I’m looking at around $900 in upgrades.
This all started when I hooked up the DC EVO w/ Moonstone after having not listened to it yet in 2025. The MoFi UltraDeck w/ MasterTracker has been getting all the love.
As always I put the EVO in the system and think this thing sounds great. It’s more open and airy than the UD and I find myself tapping my toes to everything I’m listening to. The UD is quieter/darker sounding and more full bodied and excellent all around, but I really do enjoy the Evo when it’s in the system.
Anyway, it got me thinking about what I could do to improve the sound of the Evo. Adding the Isoacoustic ZaZen made a noticeable difference, but I’m still hearing a lot of surface noise on records that I don’t hear on the UD. So i think maybe a cart upgrade can help address this problem.
I start reading reviews about the Sumiko Moonstone and the Wellfleet and a couple mentioned how the surface noise was very low with the Wellfleet. One reviewer compared it directly to the Moonstone and said the Wellfleet had all the good of the Moonstone and then some.
Wellfleet is added to the cart and I start thinking why don’t I just see what all I can squeeze out of this 5 year old Project deck. Thus, the Acoustand sub platters upgrade. I’m likely going to add an Acrylic platter as well, but I’m going to make the changes one at a time so I can hear the changes if any.
Other upgrades already done to the EVO are a Power Box S3 which lowered the noise floor on the TT and Phono Box S2. S2 has been replaced by a Darlington Labs MP7B (excellent) and a CorkIt mat.
This is a cheaper endeavor than the TTs I was considering and should satisfy my new toys itch for a while.
Last edited:
HayesWeighsIn
Well-Known Member
Totally agree with this sound-signature comparison!