The 10 Best Phono Preamps

If you might ever change cartridges, the iFi Zen Phono 3 can keep up. It handles moving magnet and moving coil types, with four gain steps and a separate button for cartridge loading, so it suits almost any pickup on the market. A switchable filter tames the rumble from warped records, and there's a balanced output for amps that take one. The warranty runs one year in the U.S., and the gain switch sits on the back.

The Fosi Audio Box X5 brings moving coil support down to a budget price. A toggle picks the cartridge type, and a knob on the back sets one of four gain levels, enough for most low-output coils. The case is solid aluminum, a ground post takes the turntable's wire, and Fosi backs it for two years. Fosi lists no rumble filter or loading switch, so owners of fussy coil cartridges can outgrow it.

Late-night listeners get a bonus with the Cambridge Audio Alva Duo: a headphone amp with its own volume knob on the front. It takes moving magnet or moving coil cartridges, and Cambridge says its tone curve stays within a fraction of a decibel across the audible range. What Hi-Fi lists the Duo in its guide to the best phono stages. Coil users get one fixed setting, though, with no way to tune gain or loading.

Small switches on the Pro-Ject Phono Box S2 Ultra let you set gain and loading to suit your cartridge, from a standard magnet type to a low-output coil. Its amplifier is built from separate transistors instead of chips, and the metal case keeps out hum. Pro-Ject makes it in Europe. Changing settings means reaching behind your shelf, and the plain box has nothing on the front beyond the power button.

For the common moving magnet cartridge, the Fluance PA10 keeps things simple: plug it in, attach the ground wire and play. A switch adds a rumble filter that cuts the deep thumps warped records and loud volumes can stir up, and a metal shield inside the wood-grain case guards against buzz. Each channel gets its own amplifier chip. It won't work with low-output coil cartridges, and there's no gain setting to change.

Two small vacuum tubes glow on top of the Fosi Audio Box X2, and you can swap them for other compatible types to change its tone. It works with moving magnet cartridges, offers three gain levels, and adds a ground post plus an extra input for a phone or other source. The warmth tubes bring is a matter of taste, not accuracy, and the tubes wear out, so expect to replace them someday.

The NAD PP 2e is a plain, low-noise box from a long-running hi-fi name, meant to sit behind the rack and be forgotten. It handles moving magnet and moving coil cartridges, with one fixed setting for each that NAD publishes in full, and it turns itself off when nothing is playing. A large power brick runs it. Coil owners who want to tweak gain or loading will find no switches for that.

Built for a fully balanced vinyl setup, the Pro-Ject Phono Box S3 B accepts a tonearm cable with a small balanced plug and sends out a balanced signal on XLR jacks, which helps reject hum over long cable runs. Front buttons set gain, loading and a rumble filter, and it remembers the settings for each of its inputs. Few turntables use the balanced plug, so many buyers will pay for a feature they never touch.

Small enough to tuck beside a turntable, the Pro-Ject Phono Box DC has been on sale for more than a decade. A switch on the back picks magnet or coil, the metal case blocks interference, and Pro-Ject builds it in Europe. The design shows its age, though: each cartridge type gets one fixed gain, and there's no way to adjust loading or filter out rumble.

If your turntable lacks a built-in preamp and your speakers lack a phono jack, the Fosi Audio Box X1 fixes that for little money. It works with magnet cartridges, has a ground post, and adds a headphone jack so you can listen privately while the speakers stay connected. Its noise floor is modest, so a faint hiss can show up at high volume or with sensitive powered speakers.