No, this isn't a prop from Doctor Who – it's Pro-Ject's new solution for better audio

Pro-Ject is on a roll right now: just days after bringing back the popular Debut Carbon EVO turntable, the firm has announced two new valve-powered phono stages to give your vinyl an upgrade.

The new pre-amps each feature swappable/replaceable valves, but they come in two different sizes and two different prices. The compact Pro-Ject Tube Box E is the more affordable of the pair at £240 (about $325 / €279 / AU$500), while the larger Tube Box S3 B is £529 (about $715 / €613 / AU$1,110).

Pro-Ject Tube Box E and Tube Box S3 B: key features

The Tube Box E has a fully discrete, dual-mono design without using operational amplifiers (OpAmps). Pro-Ject says this delivers low-noise amplification that's easy to maintain and service over time.

It supports a wide range of moving magnet and moving coil cartridges, and you can adjust the gain settings from the front panel. You can also fine-tune capacitance for MM cartridges and impedance for MC ones via the dip-switches on the underside of the unit.

The Tube Box S3 B is larger, so the capacitance and impedance adjustments are all on the front panel rather than having some of them underneath. It has a fully symmetrical and discrete gain stage and when connected to a balanced-ready turntable via 5-pin Mini XLR it maintains a balanced signal path to help eliminate noise and preserve the detail of the music.

As Pro-Ject says, this is fairly unusual in sub-£1,000 pre-amps as "it requires two individual amplifier sections internally and a more sophisticated electrical layout".

The Tube Box S3 B has two input options, enabling you to connect two turntables simultaneously – one balanced, one unbalanced – and have the unit store and recall the settings for each one.

Both pre-amps are launching in the UK this month, August 2025.