Comparison Parasound Zphono vs Pro-Ject Tube Box DS

Phono correctors, the working circuits of which are made on the basis of lamps.

One of the main advantages of such audio devices is the notorious "warm tube sound", which many music lovers consider the most pleasant and natural. At the same time, this point is rather ambiguous. The fact is that the level of harmonic distortion in tube circuits is several times higher than in transistor circuits, but these distortions are quite specific — they are quite pleasant for human hearing and give the sound a characteristic "atmospheric". But the unequivocal advantage of lamp technology is a good margin for overload. On the other hand, such devices are much more expensive and more complicated than transistor ones, they require warming up after switching on, and the lamps themselves need to be changed periodically (on average, once every few years). As a result, there are relatively few such phono stages nowadays, and they are designed mainly for principled lovers of tube technology.

The highest root mean square (RMS) output level that a phono stage can provide. Actual level may be lower depending on input signal level and gain

Recall that a phono preamplifier usually operates in the form of a preamplifier, boosting a weak signal from a pickup to a line level for transmission to a power amplifier. The minimum signal level sufficient to feed the power amplifier is about 150 mV; however, phono preamps usually provide higher values. This is done on the basis that the higher the intrinsic signal, the less it is affected by external electromagnetic interference. The maximum for modern phono preamps is actually 2 volts on the RCA outputs, higher values can be found on the XLR outputs.

In addition, some nuances of matching the phono stage and an external amplifier are associated with the output level; detailed information about this can be found in special sources.

The signal-to-noise ratio provided by the phono stage when working with an MM-type pickup (see "Intended use")

This parameter describes the relationship between the average output level and the average noise floor of the device. The higher it is, the clearer the sound is, the less extraneous interference it has. On the other hand, it is worth remembering that the overall sound quality provided by a phono stage depends on a number of other parameters. As a result, an advanced model with high sound quality may have a lower signal-to-noise ratio than a low-cost device.

Note that in universal phono stages (see "Intended use") the signal-to-noise ratio for MM cartridges is usually higher than for MC ones; this is due to the technical features of both.

The coefficient of harmonic distortion provided by the phono stage when working with an MM type pickup (see "Intended use").

The lower this indicator, the less distortion the phono stage gives, the more reliable the output signal is. It is impossible to completely avoid such distortions, but it is possible to reduce them to a level that is not perceived by a person. So, it is believed that the level of harmonics of 0.5% and below is no longer audible even to a “trained ear”. However, it should also be borne in mind that the quality of the audible sound is also affected by distortion from other components of the audio system. Therefore, the harmonic distortion of the phono stage should not just be below 0.5%, but as low as possible. Values in hundredths of a percent are considered a good indicator, values in thousandths and below are considered excellent.

The gain provided by the phono stage when working with an MM type pickup (see "Intended use").

This parameter describes how much the signal level at the output of the phono stage increases relative to the level at the input. It is traditionally written in decibels; you can convert decibels into "times" using special formulas or tables. Knowing the gain, you can estimate the actual level of the output signal when using a particular pickup. For example, if the characteristics indicate 35 dB (56.2x), and the “head” outputs 5 mV, then as a result, the signal level at the output of the phono stage without additional processing will be 5 * 56.2 = 281 mV. Accordingly, the input sensitivity of the power amplifier with which this model is planned to be used should be less than 281 mV (however, 150 mV is considered the standard minimum for such amplifiers).

Note that the output level of MM cartridges is noticeably higher than that of MC cartridges, so the gains for them are generally lower (although there are exceptions).

Input sensitivity of the phono stage when working with an MM type pickup (see "Intended use").

Input sensitivity is the lowest root mean square (RMS) signal level at the input, at which the phono stage is able to “perceive” this signal normally, process it correctly and amplify it. Accordingly, compatibility with the pickup directly depends on this indicator: the signal level from the “head” must not be lower than the input sensitivity of the phono stage.

Note that MM pickups are noticeably superior to MC pickups in terms of signal power, so the sensitivity threshold for correctors for them is relatively high — usually about 4 – 5 mV. At the same time, there are correctors with a higher "threshold of perception" — more than 100 mW; they must be connected through special step-up transformers or other similar equipment.

The signal-to-noise ratio provided by the phono stage when working with an MC-type pickup (see "Intended use")

This parameter describes the relationship between the average output level and the average noise floor of the device. The higher it is, the clearer the sound is, the less extraneous interference it has. On the other hand, it is worth remembering that the overall sound quality provided by a phono stage depends on a number of other parameters. As a result, an advanced model with high sound quality may have a lower signal-to-noise ratio than a low-cost device.

Note that circuits for MC cartridges usually give a lower signal-to-noise ratio than for MM cartridges; this is due to the technical features of both.

The coefficient of harmonic distortion provided by the phono stage when working with an MC type pickup (see "Intended use").

The lower this indicator, the less distortion the phono stage gives, the more reliable the output signal is. It is impossible to completely avoid such distortions, but it is possible to reduce them to a level that is not perceived by a person. So, it is believed that the level of harmonics of 0.5% and below is no longer audible even to a “trained ear”. However, it should also be borne in mind that the quality of the audible sound is also affected by distortion from other components of the audio system. Therefore, the harmonic distortion of the phono stage should not just be below 0.5%, but as low as possible. Values in hundredths of a percent are considered a good indicator, values in thousandths and below are considered excellent.

The gain provided by the phono stage when working with an MC type pickup (see "Intended use").

This parameter describes how much the signal level at the output of the phono stage increases relative to the level at the input. It is traditionally written in decibels; you can convert decibels into "times" using special formulas or tables. Knowing the gain, you can estimate the actual level of the output signal when using a particular pickup. For example, if the characteristics indicate 74 dB (5010x), and the pickup outputs 0.5 mV, then as a result, the signal level at the output of the phono stage without additional adjustments will be 0.5 * 5010 = 1005 mV, which is more than enough for direct connection to power amplifier (the minimum level for this is 150 mV). At the same time, we note that among MC phono stages there are models with a rather low gain, designed for specific application formats — for example, to work as a preamplifier for an MM phono stage.