Pro-Ject Phono Box MM, Phono preamplifier with metal case and special low-noise ICs

Product Information

We love the scale of performance and the way the Vertere delivers the seismic dynamic shifts of the recording with so much enthusiasm. As with the previous generation (also an Award-winner), our main takeaway after hearing this phono stage is that it makes listening to music interesting and, where appropriate, fun. There’s not much we can ask of any piece of hi-fi beyond that. Entry-level products like the Schiit Audio Mani 2, Cambridge Audio Alva Duo, and U-Turn Audio Pluto did their best to not rob music of its pace and keep the sound relatively balanced. Sound quality is first-rate: fantastically detailed, with the upper register particularly impressive. It’s difficult to imagine a more detailed presentation from a phono stage for the money. There are rivals with an equally wide soundstage, but they perhaps don’t shine the spotlight so intensely on each instrumental strand. Detail is where it stands out, but the Gram Amp 2 is also a dab hand at dynamics and timing – although perhaps not with as much bite and punch compared with the Rega. If you’ve already got a suitably talented turntable and really want to hear how good it is, this Cyrus combination is a must-buy.

So why do you need one? Your stereo amplifier or turntable may not have one, in which case you won't be able to play records without this crucial component. Or you might just want to upgrade its sound beyond what's possible with the built-in phono stage found in amplifiers or some record players. Note: Because these devices not only amplify but also equalize, they are also called equalizer preamplifiers.

The Dark Side Of The Moon

Is Pro-Ject’s Tube Box S2 the best preamp out there for the money? I can’t say for sure. I haven’t heard all of the competition, or frankly any of it! I’m new at this. However, considering that this is the first preamp comparison I have done in my system that I know and love I thought the Tube Box S2 performed well. Certainly if you’re an analog “newbie” and looking for your first phono preamp, both the price and sound are right. Watch for more content to come from me in the future!

Knopfler’s Fender seemed to have this percussive bite every time he dug into the strings, yet his tone was so sweet and lush. The expansive reverb started to produce an image I could almost see with my mind’s eye. The image specificity produced as big an improvement as the portrayal of the reverb’s decay. This gave the guitar as well as Knopfler’s voice much better spatial placement and solidity on the soundstage, which made for very involving listening. The second preamplifier design looks even simpler as it works using a single low cost JFET. The circuit diagram can be seen below. Provided you keep it away from other mains-powered products and power cables, this phono stage will prove suitably quiet and hum-free. Features are basic but it's clear that Moon has focused on the bit that counts – sound quality. This microphone preamplifier features automatic gain control, which maintains the output quality relatively consistent within a broad selection of input ranges. Dual tone control, presence control and volume control are offered. The circuit is designed for input levels of up to 3 V. Over this level distortion rises, but that may be, naturally, a decent outcome having guitar music.

Recommended Set

Because the input signal may climb at a rate of 6dB per octave, the preamplifier must also offer equalization. And – is there a way to measure the output of the car stereo line outs? AC millivolts? So when I make this buffer amp, I’ve got a way to comparatively measure that it’s got a similar output? This circuit is engineered to achieve the necessary roll-off slopes below 300 Hz and above 2 kHz. Notably, the higher frequencies experience a considerably swifter attenuation compared to the lower frequencies. Another oldie but still a goodie, the Gram Amp 2 holds its own nearly a decade after first coming on the scene. And you can see why - simplicity is the name of the game here, an approach that ages remarkably well. It's a moving-magnet phono stage with one set of inputs, one output, no bells or whistles. For the purposes of this comparison, I used 4 turntables to give each unit an opportunity to shine and expose any warts or glaring shortcomings.

New Tubes: Whether you want to buy brand new or NOS, tube rolling is definitely the way to go if you want to fine tune to your specific tastes your system’s synergy. These usually provide an output signal level of about 0.2mV. R.M.S., which is about one tenth of that generated by a high impedance microphone. Having said that, currently there seems to be still one leftover issue: the gain of the circuit is zero. Automatic Gain Control Preamplifier Circuit The analog output is a buffer that is both solid state and high-quality tube. Thus, the customer can choose which of the option is preferred. The Pre Box has eight digital filters. One of them is the proprietary optimal transient digital filter from the MQA creators. With these filters, the listener can customize the sound to suit their own preferences. Pre Box RS2 Digital comes with full HW and SW support for MQA technology (Master Quality Authenticated).If your turntable doesn’t have a built-in phono stage, you’ll need to connect it to a dedicated phono input input on your amp. If you were to plug your turntable directly into the same place, skipping the phono stage, any sound produced would be very reedy, very thin and stupidly quiet. Is the performance gap that huge between the two units? No – but the dedicated phono stage has a little more presence overall, a deeper soundstage, and was less noisy than the stage inside the integrated amplifier.