- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
You may return most items within 60 days of delivery. Returns made within 30 days qualify for a full refund, while returns from 31 to 60 days are eligible for store credit or an exchange. If the return is due to our error (incorrect or defective item), we’ll cover the return shipping costs.
Refunds are typically processed within one week of receiving your return.
To start a return, log in to your account, go to Complete Orders, and click Return Item(s). We’ll notify you by email once your refund is processed.
For full details, please review our return policy!
A New/Old Way to Upgrade Your MC
Low output MC cartridges send an output that’s about a tenth the output of MM cartridges. This means they require a specialty phono preamp with more gain & different electrical parameters… unless you add a step-up transformer to prep the signal for your MM phono stage!
The MC Step-Up Box S3 works very differently from a phono preamplifier. The windings ratio of the transformer determines the gain factor. As it’s a passive device that doesn’t require a power supply, no additional power can be produced. The increase in voltage is achieved through a corresponding decrease in current.
As there is no amplification, the MC Step-Up Box S3 is remarkably low in noise & distortion with a lively, dynamic & natural sonic signature.
Why Use a Step-Up Transformer?
Once upon a time, step-up transformers were all but required for the optimal handling of a low output MC cartridge’s signal. Active amplification technology was simply too noisy back then (defeating the purpose of the low output design). A step-up transformer removes active amplification from the equation & passively boosts the signal the old-fashioned way. Operating entirely apart from mains power, it’s an opportunity to silently add 21 or 24dB, which amounts to an output that’s comparable to MM cartridges (this is why a step-up transformer’s output is connected to an MM phono preamp input). Needless to say, modern active amplification has improved by leaps & bounds. MC phono preamps can apply all the necessary gain without inducing excessive noise levels… yet there remains a niche population of critical listeners who continue to swear by the performance of the step-up transformer. It’s just a different approach that, pending your low output cartridge and MM preamp, may be just what you’re after!
Designed & Handmade in Europe
The Step-Up Box S3 is carefully designed and handmade in Europe. Our goal is to develop a technically flawless device in a housing that is only as big as necessary. Due to the timeless design & rigid aluminum chassis, the MC Step Up Box S3 is built to last an eternity. With high-quality materials & components and a well-thought-out design, Pro-Ject brings the concept of MC step-up transformers back into the conversation.
Product Details:
What to expect in the box:
Thanks for subscribing!
This email has been registered!
placeholder