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Pro-Ject puts vinyl lovers in control with flagship RS2 phono stage

Pro-Ject puts vinyl lovers in control with flagship RS2 phono stage
Pro-Ject describes the Phono Box RS2 as its most sophisticated phono pre-amp to date
Pro-Ject describes the Phono Box RS2 as its most sophisticated phono pre-amp to date
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The feature set includes a fully balanced design, wide gain control, switchable equalization and variable input impedance loading
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The feature set includes a fully balanced design, wide gain control, switchable equalization and variable input impedance loading
The RS2 employs fully balanced, dual-mono circuitry design
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The RS2 employs fully balanced, dual-mono circuitry design
The RS2 offers balanced and unbalanced inputs and outputs
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The RS2 offers balanced and unbalanced inputs and outputs
Pro-Ject describes the Phono Box RS2 as its most sophisticated phono pre-amp to date
4/4
Pro-Ject describes the Phono Box RS2 as its most sophisticated phono pre-amp to date
View gallery - 4 images

Many modern hi-fi amplifiers lack their own phono stage, so an external pre-amp will be needed to give a turntable's signal a boost. A new flagship device from Austrian hi-fi company Pro-Ject is due to go on sale from next month, and is designed for optimum control.

Coming up to its 30th year, Pro-Ject is perhaps best known for its range of minimalist turntables like the Debut, Elemental and X lines, but also manufactures hi-fi components, vinyl record cleaning machines and headphones. The latest product to be added to its catalog is the Phono Box RS2 reference-class phono pre-amplifier, which takes its place as the flagship of the company's 17-model phono stage line-up.

The feature set includes a fully balanced design, wide gain control, switchable equalization and variable input impedance loading
The feature set includes a fully balanced design, wide gain control, switchable equalization and variable input impedance loading

The unit supports both RIAA and DECCA recording standards, with the user able to switch between two equalization profiles via the front panel. The user can also adjust gain across eight levels to match the Moving Magnet or Moving Coil cartridge of the connected turntable, and input impedance load can be adjusted manually during playback.

The RS2 employs fully balanced, dual-mono circuitry design and offers both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA inputs and outputs for connection flexibility, and it features a balance control range of 4 dB in total. The unit benefits from an external 20-V power supply to nip any potential magnetic interference in the bud, and the housing is designed to shield the system from unwanted noise.

The Phono Box RS2 will be available from January 2021 for €1,499 (about US$1,800).

Product page: RS2

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2 comments
2 comments
sidmehta
Impressive features, specially the impedance matching. Unfortunately it's one more component and it's better to have this built in to the turntable. This avoids cables, distances, loose connections, pickup of EMI and RF. etc.
ljaques
That's one way to do it. (chaCHING)
Another is a refurbed Marantz 3300. MAN, those were superb filters/pre-amps.