Project-Carbon Debut Dust Cover Bolt Problem

In January(2021), I purchased a Project Carbon Debut turntable as a birthday treat to myself. I am not a high-end audio whiz, but wanted something reasonably-priced ($449). A week ago, the bolts that connect that plinth to the dust cover popped out. I only use the system a couple of times per week and there isn't anyone else who uses my equipment. In other words, the turntable is used very little and is taken care of, i.e., cleaning, etc. I reached out to the company I purchased it from (it was purchased on Amazon), but since it's been beyond 30 days, they referred me to Sumiko Audio. I reached out to Sumiko Audio and told them I would like a replacement as I was not keen on spending $449 for a faulty product. I told them I was not interested in sending it back to them and, frankly, I wasn't interested in them putting some type of industrial-strength glue on the bolts. My fears were confirmed! I received an email telling me Sumiko would use epoxy on the bolts or, if I wanted, they could send me a certified refurbished product. This is where this forum comes in: I am reaching out to readers to get a sense of if I am the one who's out of order, and/or am I being unreasonable for wanting a new replacement, NOT a refurbished one or epoxy-glued one. Granted, my system is not some reference-level system, but it does the job and I like it, so it seems to me that $449 for a turntable, and expecting it to be of reasonable quality, I am not out of bounds. I welcome feedback as I am now in the process of letting the CEO of Sumiko Audio know what I think about my situation, and I am NOT pleased. Thanks in advance to anyone who responds.
Ed

June 21, 2021 - 8:48pm

Catch22

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Last seen: 9 months 4 days ago

Joined: Nov 21 2010 - 1:58pm

Would a replacement not be subject to the same problem?

If it is a design issue, I'm not sure a replacement would be any better. I'd fix it myself and make it better.

June 22, 2021 - 7:52am

Old Audiophile

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Joined: Jun 15 2017 - 7:34pm

Another Two Cents

Sorry to hear about your problem with the new TT! Had you purchased it from a reputable local shop you would have been able to take it back there for resolution. In any case, I don't see how a manufacturer or dealer would agree to send you a new replacement without insisting upon the return of the defective unit. Is there an audio shop near you that sells Project equipment? Your TT is still under warranty. This should be a free fix, assuming the Amazon dealer you bought it from isn't a seller or gray-market goods. I encourage you to contact Project directly to see what they might be able to do to help. If none of these venues help, then I'm inclined to agree with Catch22 on this one. Seems like the shortest path between solving this problem and getting back to enjoying your music again is fixing the problem yourself. Are the loose bolts or screws you're talking about the fasteners on the back of the TT that attach the dust cover to the plinth? I'm assuming you tried tightening them and that didn't work? Maybe the bolts or screws are not the proper size and replacing them with proper-sized ones might work? Any chance the threads are stripped? If so, maybe wrapping a little of that elasticized-type tape that plumbers use for pipe fittings might do the trick. I agree that using glue or epoxy for a fix like this seems like a ham-handed approach. I certainly understand & sympathize with the frustration of spending $449 on a new component (or anything else, for that matter) and, then, having to deal with what sounds like a design fault or poor quality control. I would think Project would want to hear about something like this. Good Luck!

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