Pro-Ject - Record Box E Black

A switchable MM/MC phono stage with a USB analogue-to-digital converter built in, so the same box that feeds your amplifier can also feed your computer.

Record Box E does two jobs. On the analogue side it is a competent switchable phono stage: 40dB into 47kΩ and 120pF for moving-magnet, 60dB into 100Ω and 120pF for low-output moving coil, selected by a switch on the rear panel, with a published 94dB A-weighted signal-to-noise ratio on moving-magnet. On the digital side it has a Burr-Brown PCM2904 analogue-to-digital converter and a USB output, so you can transfer records to a computer.

Be clear about what the digital side is and is not. The PCM2904 is a 16-bit delta-sigma converter running at up to 48kHz, over USB 1.1, through a Mini-B connector. That is CD resolution at best. It is entirely adequate for making a listenable copy of a record you cannot buy on any other format, for archiving a family LP, or for putting a rare pressing on a phone. It is not a high-resolution archival transfer chain and Pro-Ject does not claim it is.

Also worth saying plainly: no recording software is included. Pro-Ject’s manual tells you to find your own, and does not name one. Audacity is free and does the job on every desktop platform, but you will be downloading it yourself.

The analogue and USB outputs are both live, so the Record Box E can sit permanently between your turntable and your amplifier and you plug the computer in only when you want to record something.

Features

• Switchable moving-magnet and moving-coil phono stage — 40dB / 60dB
• Built-in Burr-Brown PCM2904 USB analogue-to-digital converter
• Analogue RCA output and USB output both live at once
• 94dB A-weighted signal-to-noise ratio on moving-magnet
• Cartridge type selected by a switch on the rear panel
• External power supply

Specifications

• Type: Moving-magnet and moving-coil phono preamplifier with a USB analogue-to-digital converter
• Cartridge support: MM and MC, selected by a switch on the rear of the unit
• Gain: 40dB (MM) / 60dB (MC)
• Input impedance and capacitance: 47kΩ / 120pF (MM); 100Ω / 120pF (low-output MC)
• Output level: 300mV at 1kHz for a 3mV MM or 0.3mV MC input
• Maximum output: 9.5V at 1kHz
• Signal-to-noise ratio: 94dB A-weighted (MM); 75dB A-weighted (MC)
• THD: Less than 0.01% (MM); less than 0.05% (MC)
• RIAA accuracy: Maximum 0.5dB, 20Hz–20kHz
• Subsonic filter: None published
• USB converter: Burr-Brown PCM2904, 16-bit delta-sigma
• USB sample rates: 32 / 44.1 / 48kHz. 16-bit is the ceiling — no 24-bit or 96kHz option is published
• USB connection: USB 1.1, 5-pin Mini-B connector
• Recording software: None supplied. Pro-Ject’s manual instructs the user to obtain their own recording program and does not name one
• Inputs: 1 pair RCA
• Outputs: 1 pair RCA analogue, plus USB
• Channel separation: Not published. Pro-Ject publishes no channel separation or crosstalk figure for any product in the Phono Box or Tube Box range.
• Power supply: External universal supply, 18V DC / 500mA. The unit draws 100mA
• Dimensions: 120 x 32 x 100 mm (W x H x D); 115mm deep including sockets
• Weight: 250g without the power supply
• Country of manufacture: Not published for this model
• Warranty: Two years from date of purchase, extendable to three years by registering the product with Pro-Ject and subscribing to their newsletter. Pro-Ject states that warranty is administered by the local distributor and that terms can vary by region; no separate United States term is published. Coverage requires purchase from an authorised dealer — The ’In Groove is one.