It is fair to say that the humble phono stage has more impact on the quality of record replay than any other part of the amplification chain. Such a unit not only does the heavy lifting as far as amplifying the cartridge’s tiny signal goes but also performs the delicate equalisation necessary for a flat frequency response. At the same time, it shouldn’t add too much noise and distortion into the equation either.
This isn’t an easy job to do, so it comes as no surprise to find that the phono modules built into most non-premium integrated amplifiers are pretty limited in ability. In most cases, a dedicated, stand-alone phono stage will give you a better sound, and that’s where Pro-Ject’s Phono Box DS2 comes in.
