New turntable... and now?

[PhONOPhOBiC]

So I got a very nice present from my gf this Christmas... a Project Elemental turntable!

Now, I don't really have a great system at the moment - Teac CR H230 with Wharfedale Diamond 9.0 speakers... pretty basic, I know! I will probably upgrade my system at some stage but just wondering if it's worth to buy a phono preamp and run it though the AUX input while I'm waiting? Also, is it worth investing some money in a decent preamp right now that I can reuse when I upgrade my system? Would the Project phono box be a good option both for my current system and a future upgrade?

 

[iMark]

If you don't have the USB version of the Pro-Ject Elemental you will need a preamp unless you upgrade to an amp with an integrated preamp.

It's up to you how much you want to spend on the preamp. You may find that a relatively inexpensive one is more than good enough. If you also want to digitize records you may want to invest in a preamp that also has USB out.

There are many types of Pro-Ject phono boxes but I'm sure the Phono Box E and the Record Box E (with USB) are more than good enough for your player and any future amp. With this turntable it's unlikely that you will upgrade to MC cartridges so I don't think you need a preamp that works with MC cartridges.