Pro-Ject Phono Box DC MM/MC Phono Preamp with Line Output (Silver)

5 reviews for Pro-Ject Phono Box DC MM/MC Phono Preamp with Line Output (Silver)

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   – January 11, 2024 Dr. Jade Wisoky II

   This preamp gives you nice, clean sound without breaking the bank and is built around a minimalist yet functional design featuring an all metal enclosure. Simply connect your RCA cables from your turntable and out to your amp (or, in my case a Sonos Port), connect a ground cable between the preamp and your turntable, and then plug it into power. It’s always on and ready to receive the signal from your turntable. There’s no power light or anything distracting on the front so it will easily blend into your setup without attracting unwanted attention. This is a very basic setup with no adjustments other than a push button on the back that let’s you switch between moving magnet and moving coil cartridges so you do have some flexibility if you want to explore moving coil cartridges in the future (or if you already have one of course). Performance is fantastic with crystal clear sound and no noticeable hiss or other sound floor effects. Plug it in and forget about it.

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   – March 10, 2024 Stephanie Kuphal

   Not bad for starters, little noisy at more than half levels, but something to expect at the price level. Will do it for now while waiting for custom preamp, can’t wait to compare.Update 04/30/2024 removed ground wire all together and voila No more static noise!

3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   – April 15, 2024 Deanna Daniel

   About a year ago, I got back into vinyl by setting up an old turntable with a pair of studio monitors. Since I wasn’t using a receiver, I had to get a separate pre-amp to go between the turntable and the monitors.I started with a $25 no-name preamp. It was terrible — harsh, thin sound that was awful to listen to. That one went back immediately.Then I bought the $25 Beringer pre-amp. It sounded much better than the no-name — much warmer and richer — but it had some weird electrical issues. Every time I plugged it in, my speakers made an awful popping sound. They would also make a harsh click when I shut the entire system off. They only made the harsh popping and clicking when I used them with the Beringer pre-amp and I didn’t get any of that when plugging in digital sources. After a year of this, I felt that the Beringer was potentially harming my speakers over the long term. I’ve come to deeply appreciate my studio monitors and I don’t want to damage them over time. Out went the Beringer.I browsed for a better preamp went with this $100 Pro-ject over the ~$75 Pro-jects because I liked the magnet/coil switch on the back. That gives me flexibility to try different cartridge types in the future, which means I’m less likely to have to replace this preamp in the future. I also appreciated the solid build quality and lack of LEDs. It seemed like a no-fuss piece of equipment so I went for it.I’ve had it playing in my system for about a week now and, in short, this thing is wonderful!It doesn’t have any of the weird popping and clicking that the cheap Beringer did, and that’s a relief as it’s the main reason I upgraded. But also… it sounds FANTASTIC. I was expecting somewhat of an improvement in sound quality, but wow — I didn’t think a better preamp would this much of a difference! The sound is cleaner, much more detailed, seems to have a bit more range to it, and individual instruments are easier to make out. The bass feels much more controlled, and the sound goes in my ears more smoothly (if that makes any sense). The most striking difference is in drums — drums sound much closer to what you hear when you out and listen to live music.This preamp sounds fantastic and I don’t see myself needing to replace it again in the future. I’m sure there are better preamps out there if you’re willing to spend more money, but I also doubt there’s as much of a difference between this preamp and the more expensive ones as there is between the cheap Beringer and this one. This is where the buck stops for me, and in the world of audio, there’s a lot to be said for that. If you’re looking for quality audio without delving into the whole “audiophile” world, I think this preamp is a great way to go.

4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   – October 5, 2024 Jamil Volkman

   Really impressed with the sound impact this unit made. Night and day difference between my built-in phono pre-amp and this item. Added much more vibrant sound and power to my vinyl. Highly recommended, especially for the price. I have traditionally used built-in phone pre-amps that come with my receivers however my 1980 Pioneer SX-D7000’s built-in seemed to be failing in the left channel. I added this external unit and was blown away at the improvement. I am using it with my Pro-ject Classic SB turntable that has a Sumiko Blue Point No. 2 MC cartridge.

5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   – December 29, 2024 Easter Dare

   When I resurrected my old Pioneer PL-115D turntable to connect to my new Sonos amp, I purchased an inexpensive preamp to see if the turntable and cartridge it still worked. The sound was surprisingly good, but I suspected there might be room for improvement with a higher quality preamp. So I did some research, and this one from Pro-Ject seemed a good bet for the money. As other reviewers have noted, the quality of the design and manufacture is excellent, and the fact that it will work with just about any cartridge should I decide to upgrade to a different turntable later is a strong plus. I wondered if I would actually detect an improvement in the sound of my turntable and vintage Ortofon cartridge, and was pleasantly surprised as soon as I played one of my favorite classical albums. The sound quality is much fuller, clearer, and sounds superior at lower volumes. This is not exactly a budget preamp, but it doesn’t break the bank either. At this price point it seems an excellent choice and definitely worth the money. It’s a great fit with my new Sonos amp and PolkAudio speakers.