Almost 22 years ago, I invested in a very expensive turntable and felt that I had reached vinyl nirvana. I paid a professional $200 to properly install the cartridge, setup the table which had a finicky suspension system, and help me mount the turntable shelf to the wall.
My building at the time was a pre-war in downtown Toronto that needed an upgrade on the electrical front. Noisy to say the least.
No matter what I tried, my turntable setup always sounded noisy; ground loop issues, constant hiss, and it became a a source of depression (first world problems). Why bother spending almost $8,000 on such a system if it sounded terrible.
A local dealer suggested that I have my arm and table modified so that I could run a fully balanced rig; which also included upgrading to a balanced phono stage. I sold a few other items to facilitate the changes.
Extreme? Perhaps.
But when I listened to the same records that mattered to me — I was stunned by the differences in clarity, noise floor, and overall dynamics of the sound.
Does a balanced setup always sound better? Not necessarily and I’m not convinced that every manufacturer who markets “balanced” is really offering that.
Pro-Ject knows what it is doing and the prices on these new phono stages are quite sensible.
Sumiko and Pro-Ject USA are proud to announce the new Phono Box DS3B, Phono Box S3B and X8 Turntable from Pro-Ject Audio Systems. The new products aim to offer listeners a truly balanced experience, resulting in dynamic sound, less noise and improved signal to noise ratios.
The Phono Box S3B and Phono Box DS3B round out Pro-Ject’s complete line of balanced phono stages, both offering a versatile MM/MC phono stage which features dual-mono circuitry, a fully symmetrical and discrete gain stage and
balanced inputs and outputs.
As the majority of Pro-Ject turntables offer a completely balanced signal from the
cartridge to the junction box, a truly balanced signal results in lower noise, and the sort of quiet, deep background typically only experienced in esoteric high-end systems.
Previously only available in more costly phono preamps, the balanced inputs allow the quietest connection between a moving coil cartridge and the phono stage, the new phono boxes uphold the reputation of high value, high performance the Pro-Ject brand is known for.
The new X8 Turntable is a true high-end solution with major technical features adapted from the Xtension 9 and 10 models.
The X8 includes a TPE damped mass-loaded platter, which is precision machined and balanced out of a single piece of aluminum, partially supported by opposing neodymium magnets which decreases the load on the main bearing.
This massive, perfectly balanced platter works in concert with the precision ceramic inverted main bearing to create a smoothly rotating base for your vinyl with perfect speed stability.
Price & Availability
Like all Pro-Ject Audio Systems products, the new models are handcrafted in Europe and will be available in the US in limited quantities via select Authorized Pro-Ject Dealers beginning April 2022.
- Phono Box S3B: $499 at Crutchfield
- Phono Box DS3B: $799 at Amazon
- X8: $2,499 at Amazon with Sumiko Moonstone cartridge
