The Phono Box is closely related to the preamp that Pro-Ject fits to some of their turntables and as a result of this, it is designed to be resistant to noise induced from other components that is potentially useful if you have to place it very near a turntable. It is also a pretty simple looking device but offers reasonable levels of gain and usefully low noise levels. The Phono Box MM is the most affordable model they make and offers support for moving magnet cartridges. Pro-Ject makes turntables for every occasion and their preamp range is barely less well stocked. You also get an impressive three year warranty too. This is not a pretty preamp and it doesn't have huge amounts of gain but it sounds more than respectable for the sensible asking price. You get a little grey box with an external PSU and the ability to output either to stereo RCA connections or a quarter inch jack. The PP400 is designed to receive the signal from a moving magnet cartridge and at gain- that's it. With this in mind, here is a shortlist of strong performers at sensible money:īehringer produces a range of pro and semi pro audio equipment that is designed to do exactly what is says it is supposed to with a minimum of fuss or frippery. This makes archiving your vinyl easier but again, if you have no need for it, it is functionality you don't want to be paying for. This allows a phono preamp to create a digital signal that can be used for ripping to a computer. This is potentially very useful either if you have a system that doesn't have much gain or as a way of keeping noise levels down to a minimum. Having moving coil support keeps your options open for future upgrades but if you don't plan on using a moving coil design, it is circuitry you don't need.Īdjustable gain Some preamps have the ability to offer different levels of gain to better match the amount of gain and headroom your amplification has. Moving Coil Cartridge Support - More commonly encountered at higher price points, moving coil cartridges have a much lower output than moving magnet designs so a phono stage that supports them needs even more gain. So, other than plenty of noise free gain, what else do you need? This will depend on you own equipment, but affordable preamps have a few differentiations, and some of them might be useful: Affordable valve preamps are interesting and periodically fun devices but they are rarely quiet in their operation- although more expensive models can sound breathtakingly good. I'm pleased to say I'm the proud owner of a preamp that can do just this and I'll probably be buried with it.Īs such, my recommendations are driven by my own personal beliefs and for this reason as we are discussing affordable models- and having read some of the comments on what constitutes affordable, I really am going to try and keep the budget right down on this one- there are no valve based models being discussed. In a perfect world, the level of background noise generated by my preamp at idle should be no higher than my digital source- that is to say effectively nothing. I'm afraid I've never been one for this 'romantic' sound theory that seems to be the thinking in a few people I've spoken to. I have a stack of units in a bedroom upstairs that chart my journey to finding the amount of gain I need at the noise levels I demand. A poor preamp will be a little noise factory and if you have a preamp that is doing this, no other part of the replay chain, no matter how good it might be in theory is going to deliver its best.īefore we go any further, I might as well admit, I have a real hang-up about noise induced by phono preamps. This is best achieved without introducing unwelcome noise into the gain because once it is there, it is going to be present in ever increasing amounts as you increase the volume. In order for your system to be truly involving you need enough gain to hit the volume levels you need. I have mentioned before that the job a phono preamp is asked to perform is simple enough in description but the mechanics of doing so are amongst the more demanding challenges asked of any piece of audio equipment.Īs such, it pays not to dismiss the difference a good preamp can make to your system. Whether it is built into your turntable, amp or receiver, or a separate device in its own right the phono preamp remains the unsung hero of your vinyl replay.
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