Pro-Ject Phono Box S3 B Phono Preamplifier and X2 B Turntable Preview

See the complete review for the Pro-Ject Phono Box S3 B Phono Preamplifier and X2 B Turntable.

The good people at Pro-Ject have sent me a Phono Box S3 B phono preamplifier and an X2 B turntable for review.

The “B” at the end of those model names indicates that they are part of Pro-Ject’s new True Balanced Connection line of components.

These components enable you to build a true balanced connection between an MC cartridge and the phono preamp. External sources of noise, such as wireless networks or nearby components, or even power cords, can introduce noise into your analog signal if you’re using RCA cables. Balanced audio connections, which are standard use in recording studios and live concerts, excel at suppressing external noise and interference.

The Phono Box S3 B can drive both MC and MM carts with its dual mono design and fully symmetrical and discrete gain stage. You can adjust the loading and gain settings simply by pressing buttons on the face. And you get balanced XLR outputs and a five-pin mini-XLR input. That’s quite a bit of functionality for $499USD.

The X2 B is the newest member of Pro-Ject’s True Balanced Connection lineup, and features a dedicated mini-XLR output in addition to standard RCA and ground connections. It utilizes a massive belt-driven acrylic platter mounted in an MDF plinth on adjustable TPE-dampened isolation feet. For $1799USD it’s delivered with a Sumiko Rainier MM cartridge installed on its 9-inch carbon/aluminum tonearm.

Be sure to check back later for my review of these two new exciting components from Pro-Ject.

See the complete review for the Pro-Ject Phono Box S3 B Phono Preamplifier and X2 B Turntable.

Gene Hopstetter

Gene Hopstetter has been collecting records since 1981, when he walked into a record store and spent all of his allowance money on every AC/DC album he could find. In the mid-1980s he worked as a stock-boy in a neighborhood hi-fi emporium, which is when his obsession with sound quality began. He has always had a record player and vinyl in his life. Gene was born and raised in New Orleans, where music and food were invented. In the 1980s and 1990s he was active with two university radio stations, KLSU in Baton Rouge, and WTUL in New Orleans, where he got involved with local music promotion and album production. He earned degrees in Creative Writing and Journalism from LSU, which he somehow manages to use in his current career as an IT professional. When he is not listening to music, reviewing components, or updating his collection on Discogs, Gene enjoys restoring vintage Garrard turntables and cleaning LPs with his ultrasonic cleaner. His most prized vintage hi-fi components are a pair of McIntosh MC30 tube amps, a Garrard 301 cream grease bearing turntable with two tonearms, and a Thorens TD124 turntable. Gene is also interested in contemporary developments in hi-fi, such as Raspberry Pi DACs and streamers, amplifiers with Gallium Nitride transistors, and phono preamplifiers with digital output.