Pro-Ject Phono Box S2 Ultra Black

The Phono Box S2 Ultra sits at the top of Pro-Ject’s acclaimed S2 range, bringing the sonic performance of the limited-edition Phono Box Ultra 500 into a permanent, affordably priced product. Designed for serious vinyl enthusiasts who demand audiophile performance from a compact, well-engineered unit, it represents a significant step up from standard phono stages in both build quality and sonic refinement.

Unlike conventional phono preamps that rely on operational amplifiers in the signal path, the Phono Box S2 Ultra uses discrete transistor circuits throughout, resulting in a notably cleaner and more natural sound. Audiophile-grade polystyrene capacitors are used in the RIAA equalisation network, a specification more commonly associated with much more expensive designs. The solid metal casing provides effective shielding against electromagnetic interference, and a precision split RIAA equalisation stage ensures accurate tonal response across the full frequency range.

The unit supports both moving-magnet (MM) and moving-coil (MC) cartridges via a switchable gain setting, with four gain levels (40 dB, 43 dB, 60 dB, 63 dB) covering everything from high-output MM cartridges to low-output MC designs. Input impedance is switchable between 10 Ohm, 100 Ohm, 1 kOhm, and 47 kOhm, and input capacitance can be set to 100 pF or 220 pF, allowing fine-tuning to match a wide range of cartridges. A switchable subsonic filter attenuates rumble at 18 dB per octave below 20 Hz, protecting amplifiers and speakers from unwanted low-frequency energy. The Phono Box S2 Ultra is available in silver or black to suit different equipment rack aesthetics.