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Product details
The sound produced by your turntable is actually quite soft – if you plug it straight into your music system, you’ll have to turn the volume waaaaaay up, and even then, it’ll sound a bit thin. That’s where the Phono Box comes in; it boosts the sound coming from your turntable up to a level that your music system can work with, and balances it out so you get a fuller, more natural sound.
More info
Most turntables use a Moving Magnet cartridges, while some more expensive options use more detailed Moving Coil cartridges. Those two cartridge types require slightly different treatment, but the Phono Box is capable of handling either at the press of a button, so if you upgrade your cartridge in future, the Phono Box has got you covered.
The Phono Box’s solid metal helps keep vibrations from getting into your music, which is a real challenge for a phono stage – because it boosts low signals, the vibrations can get boosted too, leading to distortion and ugly humming noises. It also makes the Phono Box more durable, so you’ll have a long and happy life listening to your records. Plus, it looks good!
Space-efficient and inconspicuous, the Phono Box can slot neatly into small spaces like behind your turntable, or on top of your amplifier, to do its job without getting in your way.
Specifications
Input impedance, MM: 47 kohms/120 pF
Input impedance, MC: 100 ohms / 120 pF
Gain, MM: 40 dB
Output voltage typically: 300 mV/1 kHz at 3 mV/1 kHz (MM input)
Gain, MC: 60 dB
Output voltage typically: 300 mV / 1 kHz at 0,3mV/1 kHz (MC input)
Max. output: 9.5V (1kHz)
Noise floor, MM: 94 dBA
Noise floor, MC: 75 dBA
THD, MM: 0,01%
THD, MC: 0,05%
RIAA-equalisation curve accuracy: 20 Hz - 20 kHz / max. 0,5 dB
Outboard power supply: 18V / 200 mA DC
Standby power consumption: < 1 watts
Dimensions: W x H x D 103 x 36 x 104 (115 mm with sockets)
Weight: 570 g
In the box
Phono Box phono preamplifier
Power cable
Instruction manual
More from Instant Classic
Why buy from Instant Classic?
Instant Classic is an online record and music system store from Melbourne, Australia.
We offer great upfront deals as well as Australia's first hifi subscription service. Our returns are no-fuss and we're all about treating our customers how we'd like to be treated.
We're available by email, phone, livechat, WhatsApp - whatever your flavour is. We're online during business hours of course, but we aim to get back to you pretty fast at any waking hour. Usually you'll hear back from us very quickly.
If you don't like your purchase for whatever reason within the first 50 days, we'll take it back! None of this 'product must be in brand new condition' nonsense - we want you to be happy. Just make sure it isn't damaged.
Learn more, or if we haven't yet answered what's on your mind, contact us.
Is analogue better?
Vinyl is a cost-effective way to get into proper audio. Some experts argue it it gives a better experience than digital, with a lack of compression and a naturalness that’s hard to replicate.
Digital relies on a computerised interpretation of sound-waves. Turntables and records, however, maintain analogue integrity by translating these sound-waves into physical grooves and vibrations rather than 0s and 1s.
I liken turntables to coffee. They can be terrible or wonderful.
Rightly done, they'll produce a brilliant sound and last you a long time. But the bad ones sound gross and can damage your records.
It's all about materials and construction. A turntable is a mechanical instrument that needs to measure record grooves in a delicate way.
What to *avoid* in a turntable
This product page will run through what makes the Primary E such an ace deck for the money. But what shouldn't be inside a turntable is just as important as what is. Here's a summary of the things to avoid, and we've got more detail here.
Inbuilt speakers. This is baaaaad. They're small and tinny, so you'll be strangling whatever signal does come out of the record. But also the vibrations being inside the chassis create a feedback loop which goes back into your records.
A tonearm that's too short or made out of the wrong materials - this will interfere with the accuracy of what's embedded in the record. Small platters are bad too - they'll eventually warp your records due to the edge overhang.
Stylus and cartridge that put the wrong pressure on your records or are made out of bad materials. These will distort your sound and potentially damage your vinyl.
Cheaper motors that don't spin precisely in time. You'll hear higher or lower pitch in your music.