The Duel, Part 2

This is continued from the first part of "The Duel", so please refer to it for more details about my set-up!

Tonight, the duel between the Pro-Ject Phono Box S2 and the twice as expensive Lehmann Audio Black Box Statement came to a thundering conclusion. 

Mounted was my sample of a 20 year old Audio Technica OC9 moving coil cartridge. A new moving coil cart is simply not in my budget, but this old classic still works just dandy!

This old beastie, despite all opinions about the cantilever suspension dying a slow rubber grommet death after 5 years (I for one think this is mainly a sales pitch for new junk, as long as you store your treasures in good temperature and humidity conditions), still delivers the sounds locked up in the vinyl grooves in a way, that my most recent brand new and best moving magnet cartridges simply cannot replicate.

It sounds positively great using my Pro-Ject S2.

However, on the Lehmann Statement it really comes to life in a way I never experienced before!

Toto IV (1982, CBS Master Sound, HC47728, 7464-47728-1) is a well known classic. 

On the Pro-Ject S2, the vinyl sounded a lot like the radio and CD deliveries I was used to. There was simply nothing wrong, and the S2 just amplified the sound my OC9 delivered with all the improved detail in a very enjoyable way.

Then I put the record on the other machine connected to the Lehmann Statement. 

It suddenly came to life in a spectacular way. The sound started to pop, bass was cracking, and something magical (hard to describe) had happened to the clarity and spaciousness of just everything. It was the kind of thing you need to hear to understand.

The Lehmann Black Box Statement was absolutely the immediate clear winner without any arguments.

The one question is this:

Is it worth the extra money?

The rest of your system needs to keep up for sure, especially your cartridge and turntable!

As I mentioned in Part 1, the extra money spent on this Lehmann vs. the Pro-Ject S2 can actually buy you a fairly decent amplifier you may not have yet!

Prices for everything have gone up last year, so you cannot include speakers anymore, but still, 200 bucks stepping up from the S2 to the Lehmann is a real word difference that many people cannot sneer at!

Most likely, a phono-preamp will be in your shelf for many years, so budgeting and how to pay it or save for it will be a very personal decision.

I have to say that my personal budget is really restricted, and I am happy with and enjoy my Pro-Ject Phono Box S2. While it is "entry level", cheaper than many other phono-preamps (but expensive for frugal observers), and sneered at by some HiFi snobs, it is certainly already above what most people have in their homes. But had things gone differently, the Lehmann Black Box Statement would be my pride and joy for sure!

If you have the budget, go for it. There is nothing to regret with the Lehmann!