Pro-Ject’s long-running MM/MC box: 40dB for moving-magnet, 60dB for moving coil, a switch on the back and nothing else to think about. Discontinued by Pro-Ject and increasingly hard to find. The Phono Box DC has been discontinued. Pro-Ject no longer lists it, and there is no product page or datasheet on their site any more. We are being upfront about that because it affects the specifications below: every figure in this listing comes from retailer documentation rather than from a Pro-Ject document we could verify. Six independent retailers publish numerically identical figures in Pro-Ject’s own characteristic datasheet phrasing, which strongly suggests they were copied from a real Pro-Ject spec sheet, but we could not find that sheet. Treat the numbers accordingly. What the DC does is simple and useful. A switch on the rear selects between moving-magnet and moving-coil operation. MM gives 40dB of gain into 47kΩ and 120pF; MC gives 60dB into 100Ω and 120pF. There are no other adjustments — no capacitance bank, no variable loading. For the very large number of cartridges that are happy with standard loading, that is all you need, and the DC delivers it with a published 94dB A-weighted signal-to-noise ratio on moving-magnet. The ‘DC’ in the name refers to the DC power arrangement: an outboard supply feeding a low-consumption circuit, keeping mains transformer hum away from a stage that is amplifying a few thousandths of a volt. If you are shopping new rather than for this specific box, the Phono Box S2 is the current equivalent and adds four gain settings, four impedance settings, four capacitance settings and a switchable subsonic filter. Features Switchable moving-magnet and moving-coil operation from a rear-panel switch 40dB gain for MM, 60dB for MC 94dB A-weighted signal-to-noise ratio on moving-magnet Outboard DC power supply, away from the phono circuit Gold-plated RCA in and out Discontinued by Pro-Ject — what we have is what there is Specifications Status: Discontinued by Pro-Ject. No manufacturer product page or datasheet remains online Source of these figures: Retailer documentation, not a verified Pro-Ject document. Six independent retailers publish identical figures in Pro-Ject’s own datasheet phrasing, but we could not locate the original sheet. Every specification below should be read as third-party Type: Moving-magnet and moving-coil phono preamplifier Cartridge support: MM and MC, selected by a rear-panel switch Gain: 40dB (MM) / 60dB (MC) Input impedance: 47kΩ (MM) / 100Ω (MC) Input capacitance: 120pF for both settings Output level: 300mV at 1kHz is quoted by most sources for both MM and MC. One retailer quotes 300mV for MM and 200mV for MC. Sources conflict Maximum output: 9.5V at 1kHz Signal-to-noise ratio: MM 86dB unweighted, 94dB A-weighted. MC 68dB unweighted, 75dB A-weighted THD: 0.01% (MM) / 0.05% (MC) RIAA accuracy: Maximum 0.5dB, 20Hz–20kHz Subsonic filter: None Alternate EQ curves: None. RIAA only Circuit: Described by the Canadian distributor as using low-noise integrated circuits. No dual-mono claim is made anywhere Inputs and outputs: 1 pair RCA in, 1 pair RCA out. No balanced connections Power supply: External. Sources give 18V DC / 500mA and 18V DC / 200mA; they conflict. Standby consumption under 1W Dimensions: 103 x 36 x 103 mm (W x H x D); 115mm deep with connectors Weight: Approximately 570g without the power supply Country of manufacture: Not published in any source found 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.
