🥇 BEST Preamp I've Heard! | Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2 Preamplifier

[@vinyleyezz]

If you’re reading this, I hope you’re staying safe! 😊👍

[@kj-killahh]

Vinyl Eyezz I hope you’re staying safe, I got a SeeYing 3 in 1 record player and it’s 60.00. It’s too late to cancel the order. I want to buy an Audio Technica though. And also I’m getting the Are You Experienced album and I have the Beatles 1962-1966 album.

[@inko123]

Are you going to review the 2M Black?

[@gregbrb]

You have weird hands

[@carlbellwood1015]

Hi jarrett I have an audio technica ATLp 5 direct drive turntable could you recommend a good pair of speakers please

[@seamusmckeon9109]

How did you get the money to get the 2M black?

[@mrhoffame]

I had been looking at pre amps over the past few weeks and had never heard of this one until I saw your video 4 days ago. A shop about 45 minutes from my house had this one and I went to check it out and LOVED it!! Just bought it yesterday. ...so let them know your promotion worked on at least one person lol.

[@artamussumatra6286]

Song of the day : “I don’t think I’ll be dropping 700 clams on a preamp anytime soon.” by me.😉

[@austins.2495]

Nerd

[@Tobyghost2005]

Song of the day Iron maiden run to the hills Love your channel keep it up

[@NoMoreHeroesPunkPostPunk]

I watched this vid when you first uploaded it, I also had a 2M Black .. my TT had just died, so .. what the heck! .. I ordered a new TT and a DS2 (Black with Eucalyptus Endcheeks). I’ve lived with it for a couple of months now .. and it sounds awesome! So .... thank you for doing this vid in the first place and turning me on to it. Song of the Day: Surfs Up by the Beach Boys 🍻

[@victortrujillo2591]

Just bought one of this babies (Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2) for my new set up: Technics 100c, Wharfedale EVO4.2 and an old Anthem MRX-710. Thanks for your informative video. Keep up with the great job you are doing !!

[@gibblisparks9573]

What an amazing coincidence! I also got this preamp recently! And I agree! BEST preamp I have ever used! Really hoping that you can afford to keep it, definitely worth it if you ask me! Any plans on a follow up video where you try it with different tubes? Personally I have not done so yet, but will probably do in the future. Mainly trying new tubes like the "Sovtek LPS", "Mullard" or maybe even the more expensive "Genalex - Gold Lion" (Because I think it is very important to support the very few tube manufacturers that are still up and running) Anyway... Keep up the good work! And stay safe! :)

[@garyglenn3654]

A video on tube options would be great!

[@mrhoffame]

What were you running prior to this one? I seriously considering this one, but have never had a tube amp before so not sure what to even expect. No real way to get a test run lol.

[@gibblisparks9573]

@@mrhoffame I was running a Technolink "TC-778" That also comes with some improved 78rpm support. One compromised single curve besides RIAA, but still better then nothing if you also like to play 78's without breaking the bank =) New they cost around 70-100$.... I think.... There was also a cheaper version of it without the extra 78 support that sound's completely identical to that one (In know, because I've had them both and compared) I also replaced all the (very basic) capacitors in it with ELNA's "RFS" product line. For the price it was actually really good I think! Especially if you recapped it like I did. But of course such a big step up in price from that will (recapped or not) also be a HUGE step up in quality! I hope that helps clearing some things up on what to expect.

[@jake105]

I bought the Pro-Ject Phono Box last year, along with an Ortofon red stylus. Best thing I ever did. I can't spend a $1000.00 on a pre-amp.

[@cpta03]

I’m sure it’s a fine phono preamp. But, at $699 it cost more than my Marantz PM6004 amplifier, which has a built in phono preamp. I use a Schiit Mani, which costs $149, in my tube headphone amp system and it is excellent.

[@UriTV123]

Steve S same. I use the Mani with my klipsch r15pm. The speakers are powered and already had a built in pre amp but the Mani really gave my music that wow factor.

[@keeferdog5617]

WOW- THATS SOME HIGH END RCA CONNECTS YOU'RE USING THERE- "LOOKS A LOT LIKE MY VCR RCA'S"

[@krunchyfrog]

Right before all this started I picked up a tube box s2. I love it. It just sounds perfect. I’m running a ortofon 2m blue. Sooo nice.

[@garyglenn3654]

I also have a 2m blue. What turntable and speakers are you using?

[@krunchyfrog]

Gary Glenn project debut carbon esprit and klipsch r15m

[@garyglenn3654]

krunchyfrog Thanks for the reply. I am at the low end, Technics SL-1210MK2, Polk Monitor 75T. Wondering if the DS2 would make enough of a difference or not.

[@krunchyfrog]

@@garyglenn3654 I got it a local stereo place that has a pretty good return policy. They let you try it out for 60 days and you can return if you're not happy. World Wide Stereo. I wasn't sure how much difference a tube amp would make either.

[@LyndonSoulGroove]

HI Jerry, about 18 months a go I purchased this very Amp, as I always wanted to invest in a reasonably priced Valve Amp for the future, as I have never heard a Valve phono stage before, Wow what a difference, Old & New recordings sound superb ! needs a bit of running in and you hear even more detail :)

[@artbarnard3603]

I notice that you went from the Ortofon Blue cartridge to the Black cartridge on your Fluance RT85 turntable. What made you decide to do that? Is it that much better?

[@FedericoYulita]

Good video but I really wish you showed us the difference by playing some tracks or something. I have no idea how different it sounds compared to the integrated pre-amp by watching this video.

[@jasonostergaard681]

What about the real question here - is it worth the $700 price tag to the average vinyl consumer?

[@rajoconnor]

Just picked one up on a KILLER deal. I’ll send a review when I get it dialed in.

[@VintageLuxmanStereoCollector]

I have a vintage 1979 preamp (Luxman CL35 MkIII) with a built-in phono-stage. It has two SUT (Step Up Transformer) plug-in modules on the back that allow for Moving Coil (MC) cartridges to be used. I can connect two turntables with two TT inputs (MM & MC). The preamp uses 7 tubes, with two of the seven dedicated to the phono-stage. Nice video as I have been researching other phono preamps to experiment with 👍👍

[@TheVinylGuru]

YOU HAVE BEEN MISSED. I WAS WONDERING WHAT WAS UP. YAY.

[@johns7845]

The Vinyl Guru right? I was like damn this corona v? Also, i love your channel. I subbed a week ago, you are so funny

[@floransyousif2854]

We wanted more jarett. It’s true. Btw, nice YT name girlie

[@kingwithacapitalk614]

The Vinyl Guru I saw you commented on my video too 😂 haha

[@alrightnow1124]

I just bought this PTDS2....it’s amazing! It has open up my system! I hv the ortofon black as well! But this phono pre-amp has a amazing sound of realism that’s beautiful! Go get yours!

[@guidoneugebauer6482]

I started out with the smaller brother of the Tube Box DS2, the Phono Box DS, years ago. Over time I changed this to a Musical Fidelity MX-Vynl. That was basically triggered by going all in with a Pro-Ject Xtension 9 Evolution turntable and a Ortofon Quintet Black Cartridge.

[@n0aimatall]

I have the (much) smaller brother - Phono Box S2. I really like it. Would be great to check out the difference of the two. :)

[@72cpugeek]

Yes having a good preamp makes a difference ! Real Talk !!

[@AdurianJ]

My vinyl setup is messed up. My stylus and pre-amp are both more expensive than the player. I run an Ortofon 2M Bronze on an Audio Technica 120 player and a Pro-Ject Tube DS2 pre-amp.

[@jon4715]

I think it's better to call it a phono stage. A pre-amplifier can be as simple as a volume pot with single ended ins and outs, it doesn't need to have any gain at all.

[@mathiasteier6228]

1:47 "This thing travelled all the way from Austria to Austin". Omg, didn't know there is a company making Hi-Fi audio equipment and turntables in my state (Lower Austria) :O

[@cobrap1748]

Jo, Pro-Ject mocht guats Zeig! Hab selber seit einigen Jahren die Phono Box und muss sagen, sehr guter Klang, vor allem für damals nichtmal 100€!

[@shardie78239]

These new Hybrid Tube Amps are amazing. If you get a chance, listen to the Billy Amp made in Canada. Wow! Of all the Tube Amps out there look at the Muzishare X5, X7 priced at 675.00 and 800.00 the detail circuits etc are very will done. Great review!

[@tristanaquilina8281]

Hey, Just some 16 year old that watches your videos. I bought my Kilpsh speakers after watching your review !, I've paired them with an Onkyo A-9030 amp and I use a J.A Michell GyroDec with a Rega RB-300 arm. Amazing dec! Stay safe !

[@Fons53]

My pre amp is a Cambridge P651........very nice I think. Much better than a Project box S I had a few years back. My cartridge is a Denon DL 160 homc......... greetings from Holland 😀

[@Dr.AnonymousPro]

My first turntable was a Dual 1019. Got it as a kid from an older cousin for my 9th birthday. Loved everything about it. Especially that it offered 16 RPM *and* 78 RPM speed settings. You could experiment with the records you had by testing how they would sound really slow and really fast, lots of fun discoveries on sound were made that way. Later became a pro audio engineer. ;) My personal favorite pre-amp is one that sits inside an old (1980s) Luxman amplifier. I still use the amplifier just for that part alone. There are no speakers connected to it, I just use the line-out from it solely for the phono preamp. This Tube Box looks interesting, I would love to test it myself, but they're not sending me stuff to test for free.

[@rodrogers8337]

My preamp is a Crown Straight Line Two solid state unit. It is paired up with two Crown Power Line Three amps. I've always loved them. Unfortunately, Crown no longer makes a consumer line. They're strictly professional. Bummer! But all US made in Elkhart, Indiana.

[@ph0real444]

Using the NAD PP2e in combination with a tube power amp, the Project debut carbon with Ortofon OM40. Been thinking about upgrading the phono pre-amp and this Pro-ject model did came to mind. Instead I upgraded a few cables which also made a nice difference to the soundstage. Thanks for the review!

[@PaleVillian]

I have a Bellari PA550 preamp. I like the fact that it has 3 knobs which control volume, bass, and treble. But I am really interested in this Project you reviewed.

[@jacobjarvis1335]

Have you ever tried the Schiit mani?

[@net_news]

the Mani is great but Tube Box DS2 much much better than the Mani, warmer, detailed, it's worth every (additional) penny. xD

[@frederickfranchi6408]

@@net_news that's interesting that you say it's a lot better than the Mani I may pick it up since I recently purchased a Denon 103R cartridge which has a low output so the cartridge May benefit with this pro-ject preamp????✌

[@net_news]

@@frederickfranchi6408 yeap, for the 103R the Project is much better because it's created with MC in mind. BTW even if you use MM (I use an Ortofon Blue and a Red) it sounds better than the Mani, it's a higher level product (more expensive too).

[@thecarman3693]

One other huge plus with most tube gear is you have the ability to roll your tubes ... meaning you can try different manufacturer's tubes of identical specs. Basically, not all tubes are created equal. There's a whole world out there to explore.

[@MysticRobC5]

Thanks for the review. I just bought this preamp to go with a new Pro-Ject 6 PerspeX SB turntable and a 2M Black cartridge I've ordered. Hoping that these components will work well together.

[@user-gk7gs6cf1e]

Did they? Thinking about doing the same

[@MysticRobC5]

@@user-gk7gs6cf1e I decided to get a Quintet Black cartridge instead of the 2M, and the three components sound amazing. I couldn't be happier!

[@chippsdippen]

Song of the day: The Pot - Tool

[@vinyleyezz]

Excellent choice! 👍

[@chippsdippen]

@@vinyleyezz Thank you. It was the song that made me realise how good this band really is and is to this day my favorite band ever. Also it was you that made me wanted to check them up after one of your videos that brought them up. Love your work and thank you for getting me interested of the amazing world of vinyl.

[@Toogoodtobetrue458]

For some reason I read polpot not pot tool...

[@Silent-Lucidity]

A nice Project turntable, this amp, and a nice set of speakers would make for an awesome system for a bedroom or office.

[@GIR2609]

Im happy you're reviewing real gear keep it up. I have a custom build for my pre amplifier. 3 tubes and an on off thats it. I was looking at project before i decided to build one

[@ajmoore2201]

Good to have you back man! And to answer your question I use a Rega Fono MM Mrk 3 Phono Preamp which sounds awesome

[@vinyleyezz]

Adam Moore nice! 😎👍

[@jordanfanning1407]

Glad to see you have a new turntable! Very nice, man! I remember commenting years ago saying you'd eventually want something other than the Audio Technica. The setup is looking very nice now. Love tube amps. Stay safe, brother!

[@manFromPeterborough]

I'm looking to upgrade the 120 with 140XP, which has no USB BS and fully earthed

[@pennfootball71]

I use a Rogue Audio Ares Tube phono stage with upgraded to cryo treated Mullard and Gold lion tubes from upscale audio in Kevin's stash grade. It was $1900 plus about 150 - 200 bucks in tubes.

[@emperorjulian2159]

Song of the Day: Electric Light Orchestra - Mr. Blue Sky. Great song to keep us believing in the better future after time of rain

[@Trance88]

It would be a great song to play once things start returning back to normal.

[@katie8528]

Great video Jarrett! Hope you are staying safe :)

[@vmvlev]

i calld pro-ject when i got my tube box ds years ago and they sad the ortofon 2m red setting is not the right setting for the 2m black

[@gamerzflame1607]

Is the blue the same as the red?

[@vmvlev]

@@gamerzflame1607 setting ? yes ..

[@hobojon44]

can I use it with the marantz pm7000n

[@jackmessaros5313]

hey man, hope everything is doing alright

[@michaeljacobson4844]

Terrific video! I have the Pro-ject Tube Box DS; any thoughts on whether it's worth upgrading to the DS2? (I too use an Ortofon 2M Black cartridge.)

[@JuanGarcia-cx3ch]

Could you do a video on your preamp recommendations? I’m not sure which one to buy! Thanks!

[@devastor99]

Did you use the stock power Adapter or the external Power Box DS2 Sources?

[@SaabSurpemacy]

Song Of The Day: Road To Nowhere by Talking Heads

[@user-uc4jr4sp2x]

What is the yellow album behind you with St. John on the cover?

[@HDaudioEnhance]

Excellent. Don't own one but I always wondered what all those settings were for ;)

[@rodrogers8337]

Hey Jarrett, check the specs for your 2M Black!! And hey, are you taking in any new records from us peones out here?

[@glcanon]

Jarrett, what’s the Yellow album behind you with Jesus on the cover?

[@vinyleyezz]

It’s the album “Advaitic Songs” by OM, a great doom rock band! I think that might be John the Baptist on the cover. If you like Black Sabbath then you’ll love this album too! 😊

[@garyglenn3654]

Hi Jarrett. New subscriber here. This is the second video of yours I have watched. This one cost me..LOL! I just purchased this Preamp. I will get it Tuesday. Can’t wait! Thanks for the great info!

[@chrispuhara8934]

Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away - Stevie Wonder

[@IntheGrooveSoundtracks]

Song of the Day: "Routine" by Steven Wilson

[@UriTV123]

i use the schiit mani pre amp. got it about a week ago and it sounds amazing and its great for the value.

[@fabioauguanno9628]

Hi, is it better than Schiit Mani? I have the Schiit and I hesitate to invest on this Pro=Ject phono tube. Do you hear significant improvements? Thanks 😊

[@AndyP126]

Yamaha A520 amp phono stage on one turntable. ART DJ PRE II plugged into JBL LS-305 on the other turntable

[@taiya2859]

Wow so detailed! Love that preamp!!!!!! Quarantine haircut? BTW I am Sandy!

[@chrisirion9649]

I'm using the Little Bear T7, but the stock tubes are garbage, so I got the GE Jan 5654W tubes. Lower grade preamp, but the upgraded tubes make it sound better.

[@holymary2199]

Jarrett, since we're all home now and have plenty of free time, what do you think about updating your vinyl collection? :)

[@TuneHead]

Thinking of pairing this with a vintage Sony ps-X50 with Rega ANIA (LOMC) cartridge into Parasound NC200 pre, Zonemaster 2350 power amp into custom 3 way towers and duel SVS subs. What you think ?

[@paulcunning5159]

AWESOME Song Of The Day ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@Toni-xv9qz]

Nice video as always ! Do you recommend the AT- lp 120x or fluance rt 82 ? Thanks

[@vinyleyezz]

Very tough decision, they’re both really good. The benefit of the LP-120XUSB is that you can play older shellac 78 RPM records, with a special stylus. Other than that, they’re very close in terms of sound quality and features.

[@Toni-xv9qz]

Vinyl Eyezz Awesome thank you 😊👍🏽

[@pennfootball71]

You hooked up those RCA's to a $900 phono? This can not be unseen..come on at least get some worlds best cables or mogami RCA's you don't have to go full nuts with Siltech but jeez.

[@DAVIDGREGORYKERR]

What about getting a Preamp that uses the 2X KORG NUTUBES 6P9 vacuum tubes one for each channel.

[@deepblue8143]

Hello great video! I was looking for this in different colors, most notably the black with wood trim and I cannot seem to find it. Does anyone know where I can find that particular color? Thanks.

[@MrPortwinestain]

I just got this same preamp in all black to pair with a Ortofon 2m red cartridge. However when I paired it with my Marantz SR5001 receiver I'm getting a PEAK icon flashing to turn on the Att. When I do that it lowers the sound. I may have to look into getting a new receiver.

[@joseeliasguzman7742]

cool song - dream on

[@UriTV123]

Song of the day: A Tribe Called Quest - Can I Kick It?

[@19Peace69]

Yes you can!

[@gregeizans1334]

"Quiet is the New Loud" is a killer album.

[@cameronrhodes604]

Song of the day: Where My Heart Will Take Me - Russel Watson

[@JPWillson]

Song of the day: Nowhere Man - The Beatles

[@randaldunn1642]

Quick question.. On one of you older videos you had mention a jazz album.. You described it like picture yourself in a dimly lit smokey jazz club and this is that music or something like that! Probably way off.. anyway.. I have looked for hours and got cross eyed looking for the video with your link to it.. Would you happen to remember that album? Thank you for you time! I enjoy you videos!

[@vinyleyezz]

Yes! It’s the album “Sunset Mission” by “Bohren and der club of Gore”. It’s a superb album that instantly transports you into a 1950’s black and white Noir film! Very cool album!

[@randaldunn1642]

Vinyl Eyezz that’s it! Thank you for taking the time to remind me! I appreciate it!

[@timleelim9930]

When you said the song of the day was Won't You Be My Neighbor, I thought immediately of the Ugly Kid Joe song "Neighbor", which wouldn't really be most people's idea for a song of the day suggestion.

[@KJ-yq5gm]

Thanks for the review, this preamp 99% of what I am looking for the missing 1% is a remote control. but I'd get my lazy butt if it is that good. can you use the other input for anything other than phono?

[@Majnun74]

I’ve got a Nikko nr1019 receiver > Sansui sr 222 belt-drive > KLH model 6/2 cabs. Should I get this preamp? How does a mixed tube and solid-state console work together?

[@adatur6837]

I have handmade tube phono preamp and it sounds fantastic. I had project tube box but for my ears it doesn't sounded as good as my handmade phono. If you want much better sound i can recommend you to change cables from your turntable to tube box if you can of course. If your cables have total pF (capacitance) from 150 to 300 (2m black capacitance range) than you are good my friend. But if your cables don't have this amount of pF than your 2m black doesn't give you the best sound, it it does not work properly trust me i know. I bought cables which have total pF i need and now sound is much much better.

[@kaedenwuysang7132]

Song of the day little richard - long tall sally

[@travismorrill7884]

Does anyone have a recommended speaker/receiver combination that helps get the best out of this preamp (inexpensive or otherwise)? Song of the Day: "Jambi" by Tool

[@ttheone3518]

Song of the day Modern Talking - Brother Louie

[@Ammiin1998]

song of the day: 19-2000 by gorillaz

[@fernandoestrada631]

Is it best to buy this pre-amp with a beginner turntable or buy a better turntable with built in pre-amp? Trying to improve my overall sound. I have high-end speakers already that are part of my theatre room. My receiver does not have a phono pre-amp input. Thanks!

[@israelhz9881]

Great video! - have you ever listened to music through studio monitors? I don’t know much about the science behind them, but I do know that music is heavily referenced on them. I guess it makes sense because all music is created via monitors haha

[@VasilyTwist]

The question is how it sounds in compare with internal phono stage of Yamaha AS 1100/2100? Because I see one in this video and I’ve got one too, and something tells me that Yamaha’s one is actually better... what do u think?

[@joseeliasguzman7742]

i have a Marantz 1122DC connected to my Turntable, do you think I can connect this Project tube Box pre amp?

[@pixeldoom2406]

Hey Vinyl Eyezz, If you read this, I really like your videos! I'm 17 years old and I'm really into vintage hi-fi stuff! I've got a setup with a 3 head reel to reel recorder, a 3 head dolby s tape deck, a sherwood turntable, a graphic equalizer, cd player, tuner, and some 1978 speakers that sound better than most speakers I ever heard! I even managed to make a vintage looking digital music player by connecting a wd tv live media player to a small black and white tv set through composite! You helped me align my cartridge, so thank you for that (I'm using the audio technica at-vm95e) Have you ever heard of the img stageline spr-6 preamp? I heard some really really good things about it. I heard it sounds better than preamps that cost 10 times as much. (it's about 40 dollars I think). Would be awesome if you could do a review on it or something, for us people looking for budget preamps. Anyways, keep up the great videos and stay safe!

[@pixeldoom2406]

Also, Song of the day: Band on the run - Paul McCartney and Wings

[@johnsweda2999]

You might find 200 pf is better loading on the ortofon black question is why ortofon black? I suppose somebody loves them. Get an Spower supply for it will make it sound a lot better or even a cheap 60$ Chinese ultra linear low noise one. Need to isolate that cartridge from the head shell Origin live make a good isolator or two nylon washers. You really want to get the back of the arm low as possible as well if you got vta adjustment put a half an inch bolster Wood block with a 5 degree slope or quarter of an inch if your arm won't go that low

[@Eden-xy7gk]

Song of the day: All Things Must Pass-George Harrison

[@seamusmckeon9109]

Do you hate all Crosley turntables, or just cruisers?

[@aydinpehlivan772]

Song of the Day= My Life by Billy Joel

[@bernardsuttler9315]

Great review also like to know the price of the amp thank you

[@vasekrous4969]

I have a question, how can I clean or get of the dust from my velvet cleaning pad? What is the right way?

[@masa4O3O]

Could you make a video about preamps only? like top 5 in each price segment or smth. I bought a receiver with phono back then because I didn't know better but I literally only need the phono preamp. So I wanna sell my receiver and buy a preamp but most of them are so cheap I can't imagine the sound could be that great?

[@jasonmccraw5516]

Thank you for the video, as I am currently in the market for a preamp. Unfortunately, this particular preamp is quite a bit out of my price range. I have recently ordered a Fluance RT85 and it will be arriving soon. Do you have a suggestion for a starter preamp in the $50 - $100 range? Love the channel and appreciate all the information you provide. Thank you!

[@pqodbenliah]

I bought an RT84 and am using an Art DJ Pre II. Cheap and sounds fantastic, you won't be disappointed aside from the blindingly bright led on the front.

[@jasonmccraw5516]

Thank you!

[@somnathchoudhuri]

I switch between my Ortofon Blue and my AT VM95-EN, my ART DJPREII and Cambridge Azur 651P, Yamaha RX A-1080 and Onkyo TX-NR686. I have Polk RTI A7 speakers with a Velodyne MiniVee. Is it worth it to upgrade the Cambridge OR the ART DJPREII Preamps to the Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2?

[@danz409]

hey. i had gotten into vinyl about 2 years ago and bought myself a AT LP120 and LOVE it. i had another model prior but wasn't happy with it and took it back. the AT LP120 blew it out of the water. but i'm thinking of getting a Ortofon 2M Red cartrage and a tube amp. how much of a difference would these make and would they be worth the ~$200-$250 to upgrade to?

[@manFromPeterborough]

Is your 120 the old model or is it the 120X ?

[@samuelthornhill9612]

I see that Advaitic Songs album by OM on the wall behind you, great taste!

[@liam204ml]

Just wondering what’s the best amplifier if I’m using Yamaha HS7 speakers? Most amps don’t come with Jack connections as I’m running XLR to jack cables from my speakers