Pro-Ject X2 B/S3 B

It’s long been known among record player cognoscenti that pick-up cartridges have an intrinsically balanced output. They have separate left and right grounds, blue for the left and green for the right. Yet it’s only in the more esoteric systems that anyone takes advantage of the potential noise reduction this promises. Pro-Ject is keen to change this with a range of turntables and phono stages equipped to make a genuine balanced connection possible. The Pro-Ject X2 B turntable/S3B phono stage is a prime example of this change.

This realisation occurred due to the company’s purchase of Musical Fidelity a few years ago. This move brought existing Musical Fidelity owners into contact with the engineers at Pro-Ject. Balanced ancillaries to suit components with the DIN connections was a frequent request. They realised it would be possible to bring balanced connections to a much wider audience by offering an appropriate input on their phono stages.

Normally, this would involve a pair of XLR sockets. However, such things are expensive and bulky in relation to the compact nature of Pro-Ject’s Box range of electronics. Pro-Ject instead chose the five-pin mini-XLR for the True Balanced Connection. The matching cable can carry separate signal and ground connections for the signal along with an earth for the tonearm. It replaces two RCA cables and an earth wire in one fell swoop. Only Pro-Ject turntables with a B suffix are equipped with a mini-XLR output. The company makes an adaptor cable with RCAs on one end and a mini-XLR on the other. If you buy the Pro-Ject X2 B turntable/S3 B phono stage with this connection on both, you get the mini-XLR cable gratis.

Anyone for a shellac revival?

A 50mm thick machined MDF plinth makes the X2 B a chunky turntable. It sits on three metal feet and has a 30mm thick acrylic platter. The latter is quite a luxury at this price point, and what’s more, Pro-Ject has had the good grace to supply a felt mat with it, which is always a good idea. Unusually for the brand, the X2 B has a sub-platter, so the motor and belt are not visible; most other Pro-Jects at this price have a perimeter drive belt.

The belt for 33 and 45rpm is flat, but a second round belt is supplied with a different pulley to get the platter up to 78rpm for the shellac enthusiasts out there. Speed switching is electronic with a button on top of the plinth, on/off for the motor is underneath the plinth in what has become a popular style. Power is provided by a 15V switched mode wall-wart supply, which means there is potential for an upgrade if you want it.

The nine-inch tonearm is made from aluminium and carbon fibre. It offers adjustment for VTA with a collet fixing in the base. Pro-Ject suggests that azimuth can be adjusted, but you’ll need to review the manual to see how it’s done. The bearing is a gimbal type, and downforce adjustment is achieved by turning the damped counterweight on a stub at the back. Given that this turntable is supplied with a specific cartridge, I was surprised that the counterweight ended up quite as far back as it did when the requisite 2.3g downforce was applied. As a rule, it’s best to keep the high mass of a counterweight as close to the bearing as possible so that the cantilever doesn’t have to counteract too great a force from the momentum of the weight.

Balanced connections

The cartridge supplied and fitted is an Ortofon Quintet Red moving coil. Apparently, you can use balanced connections with moving magnets. The Quintet Red is entry-level at £319 and has an ABS and aluminium body with an elliptical tip on the end of its cantilever. It’s nothing fancy but is clearly capable of decent results if this record player is any indication. The only unusual thing about the Quintet Red is that it likes low impedance loading, and the spec suggests 20 Ohms or more is suitable for its seven-ohm internal impedance characteristic.

The S3 B Phono Box is a rather attractive compact unit for its asking price, I particularly like the pin hole LEDs that indicate input, gain and loading. There is a good array for each with a step-less 10 to 47k Ohm impedance range and a 40 to 65dB gain range. It could accommodate a wider range of cartridges than the enthusiast at this end of the market is likely to throw at it. Connections extend to balanced in- and outputs alongside the traditional RCA varieties. The outputs are on conventional XLR sockets with short XLR cables included in the box for those with balanced inputs to connect to. An SMPS wall-wart supplies power as per the turntable, but this time, it’s an 18V type.

Thread and weight

Setting up the X2 B involves putting the belt around the motor and sub-platter, fitting the platter, and putting the counterweight on the tonearm. The latter is slightly confused by the calibration of the weight, which, in this case, didn’t entirely agree with the figure given by a downforce scale. There’s a thread and weight anti-skate device to fit on the back of the arm and the mat to put on the platter, but that’s about it.

Using the X2 B is aided by a good lift/lower lever and a magnetic catch on the armrest, which gives you some confidence that it won’t jump off if the arm is accidentally brushed. The results were pretty decent with the supplied RCA cables. This is because it combines an even tonal balance with a good sense of timing; the latter was lacking with older models, and it was enough to undermine my enthusiasm for the brand. Now we have a reasonably priced Pro-Ject that can boogie with the best of them, well, almost.

Good levels of detail

the Pro-Ject X2 B turntable/S3 B phono stage package delivers good levels of detail. It’s adept at picking out the quieter elements in a mix coherently and engagingly. This is apparent in the spaces between instruments and voices. The backgrounds are quiet enough to open up the presentation. This means you can follow individual contributions while enjoying their combined effect. I particularly enjoyed Stevie Wonder’s ‘I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)’, where the vocals are multiplied with Stevie singing “Lord please answer my prayer” behind the chorus, moving stuff.

Switching from the RCAs to the balanced mini-XLR connection provided a worthwhile uplift. It gives the immediate impression being one of increased volume. However, it soon became clear that this was because the noise level had dropped. It’s an increase in dynamic range rather than volume. This produces a calmer, more precise, and deliberate result. It’s a situation that enhances timing because everything is hanging together more coherently on the Dan Berkson track Unity, which starts to swing. The saxophone is more lyrical and engaged, rising to the next level.

Towers of dub

The deck serves the bass well. The decent platter mass clearly helps to give the sound some weight and impetus. I particularly enjoyed Select Cuts from Blood and Fire, Chapter Two, where the dub ebbed and flowed most cogently. The low bass remains articulate and tuneful regardless of how heavy the beats got, and on Yabby You’s ‘Rally Dub’, they get pretty meaty. These results are achieved with a near entry-level phono stage. I tend to pull out a reference phono stage in these situations to see what the turntable is capable of, but not here.

The overall result from the Pro-Ject X2 B turntable/S3 B phono stage was compelling. It has strong dynamics, high detail levels and excellent timing. The balanced connection is clearly a significant benefit. I wouldn’t work if the turntable and cartridge were not doing the right thing. However, they pull detail off the vinyl in a cohesive and even-handed manner. I’m happy to say that the X2 B does this very effectively. Also, the DS3 B Phono Box does nothing to undermine its efforts. The potential for upgrading the cartridge and power supplies also makes this an appealing proposition for those who enjoy a tweak or two. Even straight out of the box, this combination is a honey!

Technical specifications

X2 B turntable

• Type Belt-drive turntable with arm & cartridge
• Rotational Speeds 33⅓ RPM, 45 RPM, 78 RPPM
• Supplied Tonearm Length 9-inch
• Supplied Cartridge Ortofon Quintet Red
• Drive Mechanism Flat rubber belt
• Speed Control Electronic
• Platter Type 12-inch acrylic platter with felt mat
• Platter Weight Not specified
• Bearing Type Stainless steel
• Plinth Configuration solid MDF
• Dimensions (H×W×D) 150 × 460 × 340mm
• Weight 10kg
• Price £1,399

Phono Box DS3 B

• Type Solid-state, MM/MC phono stage with balanced input and 12v triggers
• Phono inputs One pair single-ended (via RCA jacks), one balanced (via mini-XLR connector)
• Analogue outputs One pair single-ended (via RCA jacks), one pair balanced (via XLR connectors)
• Gain 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 dB
• Input impedance Stepless 10–1000 ohms or fix 47kOhms
• Input capacitance 50, 150, 300, 400pF
• Output impedance Not specified
• Output level Not specified
• RIAA linearity < 0,25dB/20Hz–20kHz
• Distortion THD at 1 kHz < 0,001% MM, < 0,004% MC
• Signal to Noise Ratio MC (60dB) 85dBV, 91dBV – ‚A‘ weighted. MM (40dB) 104dBV, 111dBV – ‚A‘ weighted
• Dimensions (H×W×D) 72 × 206 × 194mm
• Weight 480g without PSU
• Price £529

Manufacturer

Pro-Ject Audio Systems

www.project-audio.com

UK distributor

Henley Audio

www.henleyaudio.co.uk

+44(0)1235 511166

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