Pro-Ject Phono Box RS2 Phono Preamplifiers silver

Pro-Ject has announced the Phono Box RS2, an advanced and highly capable MC/MM preamplifier, available next month

Pro-Ject has announced what it claims is its most flexible phono stage yet. The Phono Box RS2 is a fully balanced, fully discrete MC/MM phono preamplifier with extensive customisation options to suit any turntable and cartridge. The Austrian audio company also says that no expense has been spared with this new model. Apart from passive RIAA and DECCA equalisation, the discrete circuitry does not involve operational amplifiers (op-amps), the end result of which Pro-Ject claims will produce a more neutral, natural, dynamic and vivid sound.

Furthermore, the fully balanced circuitry is said to maintain absolute signal integrity, resulting in reduced noise, errors and unwanted interference. It is thanks to this layout that the phono stage's signal-to-noise ratio measures (40dB): 89dB A (10mV) for MM cartridges and (60dB): 79dB A (1mV) for MC cartridges.

Pro-Ject have also paid a lot of attention to the cartridge matching options, offering eight optional gain settings, ranging from 40dB to 70dB. As the 70dB gain involves a voltage amplification of many times the signal of the original, the quality of the electrical circuitry is essential and must be incredibly quiet, hence the other electrical design choices made by Pro-Ject.

The load impedance can be adjusted manually via one of the two front-mounted potentiometers. This allows continuous adjustment of the impedance during playback, from 10 to 1000Ω. There are also eight different capacitance options, allowing for better cartridge matching with MM systems.

The Phono Box RS2 also features a second balance potentiometer on the front to adjust the exact centre of the soundstage. This varies by 2dB to the left or right. There is also a subsonic filter switch that activates at 20Hz. Inputs and outputs are both RCA and balanced XLR.

To maintain signal integrity, the Phono Box RS2 is supplied with an external 20V power supply. During 2021 Pro-Ject Audio Systems will also introduce an updated, higher-end version of the linear power supply that will work with the Phono Box RS2. The Power Box RS2 Phono (as the future power supply will be called) will feature a transformer and circuitry specifically designed to provide a clean and stable 20V signal to the Phono Box RS2. Additionally, it will feature an extra 15V output for direct connection to a supported Pro-Ject turntable.