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Project Phono Box and Debut 2 TT question

Finally decided to go back to vinyl with Project Debut 2 and phone box. I thought I would start with a budget TT and phono stage and then, as my vinyl collection grows, move up to a better TT. Maybe I was to optimistic but I was not a bit impressed by the project debut 2 and project phono box. Flat, lifeless sound, worst than I remember from my 1st cheap Sony cd player from 1990.

Maybe it’s the phono box, I thought, so I got my trusted Aura VA100 integrated amp out of it’s box and used its own phono input. Much better, at least sounded like vinyl, although not very good. The Debut 2 didn’t convince me and I will buy a better player and phono stage very soon.

Any one with the same experience with the Project Phono Box?
Any one tried the Debut 2 with a better phono stage?

Thanks
nuno_barbosa
pbb
1,135 posts
 
Strangely enough I still have a Phono Box that I have had to turn to when my ARC PH 3 was in for repairs and I didn't find it so bad. I use a REGA P9 with an Ortofon Kontra B. So, while the Phono Box may be an entry-level device, I would think your table, arm, cart or the set-up (or all of the foregoing) could be to blame. You may also suffer from vinyl letdown, a condition brought about by listening too much to vinalysts singing the praise of vinyl at full voice and then being confronted by the reality that it it's only a bloody record player after all. Make sure that the table is properly set-up to start with. That in and of itself is a tricky job, but the first source of issues. Bear in mind that the expression “plug-and-play” was far from being in the vocabulary when God invented the turntable. Good luck.
nuno_barbosa OP
32 posts
 
Hi

Thanks for your reply.
The debut doesn't have much to set-up. It's leveled, anti-skating weight on the correct position. When I used the phono input of the Aura VA100 intgrated amp it sounded as vinyl. Not very good but still ok. Maybe it's the project phono box that's faulty. The sound with it it's lifeless, flat , no bass, cold(almost metallic).
static21
4 posts
 
did you let the tubes on the project phono burn in?
i've heard that new tubes can sound like that until
they break in.
nuno_barbosa OP
32 posts
 
Static21, I'm using the phono box (entry level) not the tube phono box.
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