Pro-Ject Connect It Phono E Phono Cable - 1.23 Meter - Mini XLR to Mini XLR

The Entry Point to a Balanced Phono Connection, at 1.23 Meters

This is Pro-Ject's Connect it Phono E, sold each: a 1.23-meter balanced phono cable with mini XLR at both ends. It is the least expensive way into a fully balanced phono connection between a Pro-Ject True Balanced turntable and a True Balanced phono stage.

A moving coil cartridge is a balanced source by nature — two coils and no ground reference. That balance survives the tonearm and reaches the junction box intact, and an unbalanced RCA connection is exactly where it gets thrown away.

Balanced All the Way to the Phono Stage

Fit and Materials

1.23 meters, mini XLR to mini XLR. It suits a Pro-Ject True Balanced turntable — an X1 B or X2 B, for instance — connected to a True Balanced phono stage such as a Phono Box S3 B or DS3 B. Any turntable and preamp with matching mini XLR jacks can be paired.

Connect it Phono E uses tin-plated copper conductors with gold-plated brass connectors, and a capacitance of 130 pF. Capacitance is the figure that matters on a phono cable, because the cartridge has to drive it — and a moving magnet is more sensitive to it than a moving coil.

Balanced operation is how recording began; unbalanced RCA came later, to make domestic gear cheaper and simpler to build. On the smallest signal in any system, the original arrangement still has the better argument.

Who Is This Cable Best For?

• You have just fitted a moving coil cartridge — a balanced source deserves a balanced path
• You own a Pro-Ject True Balanced turntable — the X1 B and X2 B among them
• Your phono stage has mini XLR inputs — a Phono Box S3 B or DS3 B, for example
• You want balanced without spending much — this is the entry point in the Connect it phono range
• You want lower capacitance — the Phono S and Phono DS come in at 100 and 90 pF; see tonearm cables

What Length Do You Need?

This cable is a fixed 1.23 meters, which suits a phono stage on the same rack as the turntable. Measure the route the cable will follow rather than the gap, and leave enough slack that it hangs rather than pulls at the plinth.

Pairs Well With

What most owners fitting a tonearm cable shop next.

• Phono preamplifiers — the other end of this cable, and the bigger variable
• Phono cartridges — the signal source everything downstream is serving
• Cartridge alignment tools — geometry first; no cable fixes a misaligned cartridge
• Tonearm cables — the other lengths and terminations in the range

Frequently Asked Questions

How many do I need?

One. A turntable takes a single cable to the phono stage, and this is sold each.

What is the capacitance?

130 pF. It is the lowest-cost cable in Pro-Ject's balanced phono range; the Phono S measures 100 pF and the Phono DS 90 pF.

Do both ends have to be balanced?

Yes. A balanced cable needs a balanced output at the turntable and a balanced input at the phono stage. With an unbalanced socket at either end there is nothing for it to do.

Does it only work with Pro-Ject equipment?

Any turntable and phono stage with matching balanced sockets can be paired. Pro-Ject builds it for its own True Balanced range, but the connector decides fitment.

Why does capacitance matter on a phono cable?

The cartridge has to drive it, and a moving magnet is particularly sensitive — too much capacitance shifts its response. Pro-Ject publishes the figure for each cable rather than leaving it out.

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