I picked the Mani each time. I have a Pro-Ject turntable and was rooting for them, however, for my ear the Mani provided more nuance, texture, and depth. I was surprised that I clearly preferred it in all three tests.
Love the blind format, and I definitely could not tell the difference. Too many loud concerts! Thanks for these - your comparisons are some of the best I've found.
Great Format! Im currently shopping for a Phono Pre and this is a great way to force to make my own choice and decision. I picked Mani 3 out of 3, ordered one today. Im excited. Thank you for putting this together. Short and very effective.
Thank you for posting this video comparison. I was very surprised to pick the Schiit Mani on all three tests, especially since I just listened on my iPad speakers. However, my ears may be biased, i use a Schiit Mani in my stereo system.
Listened to it on Headphones. I guess it depends on preference but the Mani sounds brighter/clearer, Phono seems to be a bit warmer. But when I consider that i would be listening to it for a longer time i would prefer the Phono it just seems easier to listen to.
having owned both, you're absolutely spot on! mani is trebly but if u listen solely to jazz and vocals its ok on the ears. but if u listen to pop, rock and metal i would say the phono box will be a better pick.
The second two tests were pretty indistinguishable, either due to youtube compression or maybe the choice of sample. I blindly chose the Pro-Ject for #2 and the Mani for #3. In the first test, the Mani noticeably placed the vocalist further to the right channel where the Pro-Ject sounded perfectly centered. I'm very curious which of these was "correct" to the recording.
Had a clear winner on the first two right away - the Mani. The third one was harder for me. Had to go back a couple of times but eventually settled on A, which was the Mani. For the price, I might have to pick up a Mani. That said, I could certainly live with the Pro-ject.
My Mani will arrive for my new TT within the next 12 hours I hope! Closed my eyes but the Mani beat out the other hands down in all three genres of music. PLUS! I trust this company and they always respond. I own a Modi 2 Multibit and a Valhalla 2 tube amp for my headphones rig. I am in Valhalla with this company and that’s why I went with the Mani. I’m a professional musician and ran a large staging company for many years across the southeast. When you find something great you stick with it. I cannot wait for my little white package to arrive tomorrow!
Mani 3, Phono box 0. The differences are small but the Mani has a brighter sound, with more rhythm and more controlled. I'll listen to the wav file on my Hi-Fi system to see if the same thing happens. Thanks for the comparison.
Mani all 3 times. It seemed to have a touch more HF extension and perhaps more depth. They were quite close, though. Not sure it’s worth upgrading from my PhonoBox S.
I preferred the Phono Box on the first two comparisons and couldn't hear much difference on the third. I'm using a cheap Littlebear T8 with a passive pre at the moment as my valve preamp need repairing. It's surprisingly clean and open for £40 but is a little bright for my taste which is the problem I have with the Mani. I have Lyra Clavis Da Capo and Nagaoka MP-110 cartridges so I need the MC option which the Littlebear has.
3-0 Mani To me the Phono Box sounded flatter, more confined, while the Mani seemed like it had more range and was brighter with smoother bass. I listened to each several times before choosing, and the WAV sounded similar to the RUclips version for me. I was using DT770 Pro 80 ohm on an HP laptop with B&O Audio (whatever that is supposed to mean) and audio "enhancements" off. Thanks for this type of comparison.
Picked Phono, Mani, Phono. The Phono sounded more airy and a bit more upfront than the Mani, which is more to my taste. Interesting because I own a Project Phono Box USB before I found this video lol so I guess I have accidentally bought the right phono stage that suits my taste.
I love the Mani. Unfortunately, it has a well documented RFI problem. I had a local radio station that was tuned in perfectly on my Mani when I turned the volume more than half way up. I had to sell it and move on to preamp that is much quieter.
They actually fixed that towards the end of last year. The ones that they're selling now are the new revision which doesn't have that issue They got a lot of complaints about it. In fact, that was one of the reasons I was holding off on getting one and went with the U-Turn Pluto instead.
Each time (Round 1-3) I chose Mani. The last rocky one (Round 3) was close though, but tended to A = Mani as well. Round 1 (and also Round 2) was the most obvious, Mani definately wins. But the Mani is a bit louder (and this may effect people when comparing in such a test, tending to the Mani), but not the only reason it sounds better ('cause its clearer, more range / wider and more detailed sounding as the Phono Box as well).
Picked the Mani all 3 times. Sounds more lively, better instrument separation and has more clarity and tonal details in the music and vocals. I own an mani and can easily pick it out with headphones on.
There wasn't a HUGE difference between them imo and I decided to hear the three sections twice before picking one, but I ended up picking the Mani every time.
I got the Mani in every three. The upper end seems to "stretch" (??) hard to put it into words a bit more without being tinny and it left the lower mid and below the same.
This is a very nice format really. Although I did not find a clear favourite. In round 3 I could not really make out a difference between the two at all. The clearest difference was in the first sample but I could not eaysily tell which one I preferred. I went fo the Mani first, then the Phono Box and finally switched back to the Mani. But these are really just nuances (and will probably change with varying the setup you had recording and I had listening). But again: I love that format :)
Preference is the mani. I guessed it every time. Once I heard its more openness of sound it was quite easy to distinguish the two. This channel is amazing BTW, do DACs please. Blind test is the only way to evaluate hifi 👍👍👍👍👍
biggest difference i heard, through headphones, was the center image. the Project had a tighter focused center image, the Mani was more spread out. i actually had to listen to it over and over and check if something wasn't wrong with my sound settings. i've listened to this video before on cheap computer speakers, but now the headphones revealed that, and using the WAV file
on first play it was hard to pick a huge difference between A and B, but as soon as it switched back you could tell the better one, and each time I picked Mani. Which is good because I already have the Bifrost and Freya (which were both used when listening to this video).
Mani all the way through! I own it and know it fairly well. Firm bass and pleasant cymbals made it easy to distinguish. Also something about the mids and soundstage that kinda pops (in comparison). Great format! It forces you to choose with your ears, not your preconceptions.
Mani all 3 times. I’ve had one since they were introduced and will be upgrading to a MC soon but I may still keep the Mani depending on its performance.
3-0 in favor of the Mani. It's got more clarity and the sound is brighter to my ears, and I am using a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M50 headphones to listen to this.
maybe i shouldn't have done this with the integrated laptop speakers :) I picked Mani / Mani / Pro-ject, I'm aware that in reality, if seated in front of the turntable + speakers, that i would pick the Mani 10 out of 10 times. Problem also becomes now, that i don't know the tracks, it's important using tracks that you have auditioned over many different pieces of gear. so you develop an understanding for the track's recordings shortcoming's, and you realize how 'open' this track should be sounding. This is not just what piece of gear 'you prefer' this is actually the question of, which piece of gear, were most transparent, letting you hear the track.
I'm not going to tell which one is better . this is very close competition to those whose ears have never been trained like me .In fact I was about to give up while listening the 1st track via youtube. so in the first track i couldn't tell which one was better but then in 2nd track one of them had more weight in bass and in the 3rd round ( track ) i sensed one of them could reproduce more details.
During the initial listening i picked Project Phono Box for round one and the Schiit Mani for rounds 2 and 3. After seeing the reveal of which selections were "A" and "B", I downloaded the audio file and played it at full fidelity (192 Khz) on Foobar2000 which allowed me to hear an audio aspect of the first recording I had missed while listening over RUclips. While listening to the audio file of Round one by way of Foobar2000 and while wearing a pair of very revealing headphones, I heard slightly more of the reverb from Paul Simon's voice and slightly more presence overall by way of the Schitt Mani.
I picked phon box on 3. Mani pumped up the sound more, but in that sample cluttered the high end sound. Other 2 I chose a different one each time. 1st was phono box 2nd was mani
damn, I kept picking the mani, of course I bought the pro-ject (but it was $70 less on clearance). Its something about the vocals with the mani, theres more space surrounding it, more ambiance. Its very moving. I will say with the Radiohead track they were much closer in comparison, but the other two tracks were very noticeable.
Couldn’t really tell much difference at first but I thought maybe the mani sounded fuller, less harsh on the high end. Turned up the volume and pretty much confirmed it on round 3. When B starts there is a harsh, almost sibilant cymbal crash. When it switches back to round A, that cymbal crash is much less harsh and fuller. I listened through my sundaras which already lean a little toward being bright, so I think for me the mani would be good. Though if someone was lacking lacking in the top end I think the project would be good.
I listened to WAV file with Zero Audio Carbo Tenore and only had a preference for the Phono Box in round 1. The Mani seemed slightly constrained in audio stage.
Honestly, I only heard a difference on the first sample and it was VERY slight. The last two were neck and neck. My friend, you might have just sold me a Pro-Ject!
Is the Mani hyped in the highs? Or is the phono box rolled off? Or is it cartridge loading issue? Certainly the frequency response sounds less natural on the Mani to me.
I have owned both mani n the phono box (mm version) on my system naim + ls3/5a mani does have extended highs, ear fatiguing especially for rock and pop when listened at optimum volume. I guess it all depends on one's system chain. mani may sound superb on system A but meh on system B
Great thing to do but next time you should put a couple of sounds from the same amp in to see if people recognize. The mani sounded better for me just cant seem to get one in the uk though the main dealer is always sold out
It is difficult to choose. In addition, the question of which turntable was used and which cartridge was used should is important, because different turntable amplifiers are compatible with different cartidges. Anyway- Project, especially if you don't need mc
Interesting! I thought they sounded much closer than I expected after reading various reviews out there. I was always under the impression that the Mani would blow the Pro-Ject away. It didn't! In some ways, the Mani sounded a little more compressed with the Pro-Ject a little more supple. I went B, B, then a toss up for the third track, though the Mani seemed slightly louder but slightly more compressed. Honestly, the Pro-Ject impressed me way more than I thought it would. I like both. Thank you for the great video!
I picked the Mani every time. I am listening on crappy iPhone headphones too. The Mani must really sound great in person for me to pick it each time on what I was listening on.
I found them very close (listening only to the RUclips version) and listened to the video several times, bjt found the Mani to be a bit better. From the results of this test, I think both would be a good buy. IMHO
I have the Mani, Pro-Ject Box DC and Ifi Zen. People who are picking the phono preamp have magic ears! Because you can only see a difference in real and it all depends on your speakers as well. The three of them are really good.
love this format. for 2nd round I picked the phono box..hmmm.. I have owned both the mani and the phono box (the MM model). both are not with me and presently connected to the artdj. between the mani and the phono box (the MM model) the phono sounds smoother on my system and much lesser listening fatigue than the mani. naim 72+140 and rogers ls3/5a 15ohm
I really appreciate and enjoy your comparison videos - thanks for sharing your passion. Have you tried the iFi Audio Zen Phono? If so, how does it rate against the Mani? Thanks!
I feel I can capture it as well as I can heard it live. If possible play the wav file in the link through your system. The mani has more resonance and better imagery, but they are very close
I also picked the mani on all three occasions. Surprised myself. Rock Music was the hardest choice. This was through YT also. I wondered if we heard it in person.?
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
I didn't expect to hear much difference through RUclips, but the Mani every time! Not a world of difference, but noticeable.
Agreed I picked the Mani every time.
I picked the Mani each time. I have a Pro-Ject turntable and was rooting for them, however, for my ear the Mani provided more nuance, texture, and depth. I was surprised that I clearly preferred it in all three tests.
Mani each time. Deeper and sharper bass and clearer highs. Thanks for doing and sharing the comparison.
Mani all three times, my mind is made up now it's time to buy! Thanks for putting this together.
Love the blind format, and I definitely could not tell the difference. Too many loud concerts! Thanks for these - your comparisons are some of the best I've found.
WOW! All 3 times I picked the Phono Box by a slight edge. Nice comparison.
i picked the phono box every time. thank for this!
Great Format! Im currently shopping for a Phono Pre and this is a great way to force to make my own choice and decision. I picked Mani 3 out of 3, ordered one today. Im excited. Thank you for putting this together. Short and very effective.
With headphones, over RUclips, I had a hard time telling them apart.
Really good format for comparison! I picked the mani all three times. More open airy and close to live sound.
These sound much too similar to pick a winner ....at least the way I am listening to this
I picked Mani two times out of three, round 2 and round 3. Love the format!...
Thank you for posting this video comparison. I was very surprised to pick the Schiit Mani on all three tests, especially since I just listened on my iPad speakers. However, my ears may be biased, i use a Schiit Mani in my stereo system.
Picked Phono Box on all three tests.
I bought the Mani on sale. Very happy with it. It has slide switches on the bottom for any combo of Magnetic or Ceramic style cartage.
Listened to it on Headphones. I guess it depends on preference but the Mani sounds brighter/clearer, Phono seems to be a bit warmer. But when I consider that i would be listening to it for a longer time i would prefer the Phono it just seems easier to listen to.
having owned both, you're absolutely spot on! mani is trebly but if u listen solely to jazz and vocals its ok on the ears. but if u listen to pop, rock and metal i would say the phono box will be a better pick.
The second two tests were pretty indistinguishable, either due to youtube compression or maybe the choice of sample. I blindly chose the Pro-Ject for #2 and the Mani for #3. In the first test, the Mani noticeably placed the vocalist further to the right channel where the Pro-Ject sounded perfectly centered. I'm very curious which of these was "correct" to the recording.
There is a WAV file in the description which you can download to avoid RUclips compression.
The Schiit Mani all the way. Excellent phono preamp..for the performance at this cost point is fantastic, so fantastic that I bought two of them.
Had a clear winner on the first two right away - the Mani. The third one was harder for me. Had to go back a couple of times but eventually settled on A, which was the Mani. For the price, I might have to pick up a Mani. That said, I could certainly live with the Pro-ject.
I picked the Mani with all 3 clips. Clear winner on 1 & 2 with clip 3 a bit closer
I picked the Mani every time but both sounded excellent and I would be happy with either one.
I picked the phono box the first two. Which is lucky cos that’s the one I have so it didn’t cost me any money. This was a great video!!
I picked the Mani every time. No errors, no replays.
After that, i bought one and it's better in person!!!
My Mani will arrive for my new TT within the next 12 hours I hope!
Closed my eyes but the Mani beat out the other hands down in all three genres of music. PLUS! I trust this company and they always respond. I own a Modi 2 Multibit and a Valhalla 2 tube amp for my headphones rig. I am in Valhalla with this company and that’s why I went with the Mani.
I’m a professional musician and ran a large staging company for many years across the southeast.
When you find something great you stick with it.
I cannot wait for my little white package to arrive tomorrow!
Picket Phono Box each time. More natural sound.
Great, objective test. I picked the Mani 2 out of 3 times. It was crisper.
Mani 3, Phono box 0.
The differences are small but the Mani has a brighter sound, with more rhythm and more controlled.
I'll listen to the wav file on my Hi-Fi system to see if the same thing happens.
Thanks for the comparison.
I pick the Mani for round 1. The other 2 were very close. I have lost some of my hearing range with age.
Mani all 3 times. It seemed to have a touch more HF extension and perhaps more depth. They were quite close, though. Not sure it’s worth upgrading from my PhonoBox S.
I picked the Mani everytime. I'm using a Cambridge Audio Solo and I wonder how it compares to the Mani.
I picked Pro-Ject for 1 and 2, Mani for 3. Both are very good. What a great way to compare gear thank you for posting this!
Thanks for showcasing what a minuscule difference there is between decently made inexpensive electronic items.
Haha, a perfectly worded comment!
Picked the Mani each time. Wow
I picked Mani on each occasion.
Same for me!
I preferred the Phono Box on the first two comparisons and couldn't hear much difference on the third. I'm using a cheap Littlebear T8 with a passive pre at the moment as my valve preamp need repairing. It's surprisingly clean and open for £40 but is a little bright for my taste which is the problem I have with the Mani. I have Lyra Clavis Da Capo and Nagaoka MP-110 cartridges so I need the MC option which the Littlebear has.
Picked the Mani every time! I own the project and looking to upgrade!
3-0 Mani
To me the Phono Box sounded flatter, more confined, while the Mani seemed like it had more range and was brighter with smoother bass.
I listened to each several times before choosing, and the WAV sounded similar to the RUclips version for me. I was using DT770 Pro 80 ohm on an HP laptop with B&O Audio (whatever that is supposed to mean) and audio "enhancements" off.
Thanks for this type of comparison.
I picked the Schiit in the first two but couldn’t make a bunch of separation on the last one. Just bought the Schiit so glad I preferred it.
Picked Phono, Mani, Phono. The Phono sounded more airy and a bit more upfront than the Mani, which is more to my taste. Interesting because I own a Project Phono Box USB before I found this video lol so I guess I have accidentally bought the right phono stage that suits my taste.
The Mani sounded clearer each time and it was the one I managed to pick each round. I actually picked up the Mani, b-stock for $99.
hey i was interested in grabbing one b stock, did urs come with a power adatper?
I love the Mani. Unfortunately, it has a well documented RFI problem. I had a local radio station that was tuned in perfectly on my Mani when I turned the volume more than half way up. I had to sell it and move on to preamp that is much quieter.
They actually fixed that towards the end of last year. The ones that they're selling now are the new revision which doesn't have that issue
They got a lot of complaints about it. In fact, that was one of the reasons I was holding off on getting one and went with the U-Turn Pluto instead.
Wrap foil around the phono leads and problem is solved 100% looks odd but works!
I have the newer release. That issue is gone.
Mani 2 out of three. Thanks for the video very well thought, I liked
Each time (Round 1-3) I chose Mani. The last rocky one (Round 3) was close though, but tended to A = Mani as well. Round 1 (and also Round 2) was the most obvious, Mani definately wins.
But the Mani is a bit louder (and this may effect people when comparing in such a test, tending to the Mani), but not the only reason it sounds better ('cause its clearer, more range / wider and more detailed sounding as the Phono Box as well).
Picked the Mani all 3 times. Sounds more lively, better instrument separation and has more clarity and tonal details in the music and vocals. I own an mani and can easily pick it out with headphones on.
There wasn't a HUGE difference between them imo and I decided to hear the three sections twice before picking one, but I ended up picking the Mani every time.
I got the Mani in every three. The upper end seems to "stretch" (??) hard to put it into words a bit more without being tinny and it left the lower mid and below the same.
This is a very nice format really. Although I did not find a clear favourite. In round 3 I could not really make out a difference between the two at all. The clearest difference was in the first sample but I could not eaysily tell which one I preferred. I went fo the Mani first, then the Phono Box and finally switched back to the Mani. But these are really just nuances (and will probably change with varying the setup you had recording and I had listening). But again: I love that format :)
Preference is the mani. I guessed it every time. Once I heard its more openness of sound it was quite easy to distinguish the two. This channel is amazing BTW, do DACs please. Blind test is the only way to evaluate hifi 👍👍👍👍👍
biggest difference i heard, through headphones, was the center image. the Project had a tighter focused center image, the Mani was more spread out. i actually had to listen to it over and over and check if something wasn't wrong with my sound settings. i've listened to this video before on cheap computer speakers, but now the headphones revealed that, and using the WAV file
I liked the Phono Box more on all three. Sounded more open.
Interesting video, my results were round 1 Pro-ject, round 2 Schiit, round 3 draw. Each box has benefits and detractors depending on genre of music.
agreed. with mellow stuff mani is good. for harder stuff I would say the project will be less fatiguing
I had the same results. Already ordered the Mani, though, so I'm going to have to like it, now!
on first play it was hard to pick a huge difference between A and B, but as soon as it switched back you could tell the better one, and each time I picked Mani. Which is good because I already have the Bifrost and Freya (which were both used when listening to this video).
Mani all the way through! I own it and know it fairly well. Firm bass and pleasant cymbals made it easy to distinguish. Also something about the mids and soundstage that kinda pops (in comparison). Great format! It forces you to choose with your ears, not your preconceptions.
Noticed the cymbals the most on the third clip. Was way obvious.
Mani all 3 times. I’ve had one since they were introduced and will be upgrading to a MC soon but I may still keep the Mani depending on its performance.
I liked the pro-ject because of its have more relaxed sound.
3-0 in favor of the Mani. It's got more clarity and the sound is brighter to my ears, and I am using a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M50 headphones to listen to this.
I agree. And I listend over my macbook pro speakers and I even have a hearing aid on one side.
The Mani output is a bit softer so it was easy to pick it out.
I picked the Mani each time. Fits my budget, too!
maybe i shouldn't have done this with the integrated laptop speakers :)
I picked Mani / Mani / Pro-ject,
I'm aware that in reality, if seated in front of the turntable + speakers, that i would pick the Mani 10 out of 10 times.
Problem also becomes now, that i don't know the tracks, it's important using tracks that you have auditioned over many different pieces of gear. so you develop an understanding for the track's recordings shortcoming's, and you realize how 'open' this track should be sounding. This is not just what piece of gear 'you prefer' this is actually the question of, which piece of gear, were most transparent, letting you hear the track.
I picked the Mani each time. I am waiting for the Mani I ordered right now. Should be here in a couple of days.
Mani all three times. I have a Project phono box mkII but after hearing the brighter, cleaner Mani then I will be getting one
#1 Mani, #2&3 Pro-Ject. I own a Mani. It powers my Goldring 1042. I love it. But on this occasion, the Pro-ject seemed slightly better. :)
on all three sets i picked the Mani. transients, detail, and resilient bass were present on each sample.
...hifitommy
Mani all three times. Now i can sleep well (i bought mani before hearing this video - it's in transit now ;) )
I'm in the same boat as you; Mani is already on the way! I don't think I'll be disappointed.
I'm not going to tell which one is better . this is very close competition to those whose ears have never been trained like me .In fact I was about to give up while listening the 1st track via youtube. so in the first track i couldn't tell which one was better but then in 2nd track one of them had more weight in bass and in the 3rd round ( track ) i sensed one of them could reproduce more details.
Schiit Mani on all three. Great video.
During the initial listening i picked Project Phono Box for round one and the Schiit Mani for rounds 2 and 3. After seeing the reveal of which selections were "A" and "B", I downloaded the audio file and played it at full fidelity (192 Khz) on Foobar2000 which allowed me to hear an audio aspect of the first recording I had missed while listening over RUclips. While listening to the audio file of Round one by way of Foobar2000 and while wearing a pair of very revealing headphones, I heard slightly more of the reverb from Paul Simon's voice and slightly more presence overall by way of the Schitt Mani.
Please do a this phono box vs pp400 behringer
Mani vs rega fono mm? Thanks
dear Audiorpheus, when you heard both of these live, which was brighter sounding/had more treble. thank you so much
The Mani
I picked Mani on 1 & 2 and Phono Box on 3.I'm using the Tisbury Domino.I wonder if it is better than Mani.
I picked phon box on 3. Mani pumped up the sound more, but in that sample cluttered the high end sound.
Other 2 I chose a different one each time.
1st was phono box 2nd was mani
In this blind test , each time I choosed Mani.
What are the songs used in the first two rounds? Thanks :)
damn, I kept picking the mani, of course I bought the pro-ject (but it was $70 less on clearance). Its something about the vocals with the mani, theres more space surrounding it, more ambiance. Its very moving. I will say with the Radiohead track they were much closer in comparison, but the other two tracks were very noticeable.
Couldn’t really tell much difference at first but I thought maybe the mani sounded fuller, less harsh on the high end. Turned up the volume and pretty much confirmed it on round 3. When B starts there is a harsh, almost sibilant cymbal crash. When it switches back to round A, that cymbal crash is much less harsh and fuller. I listened through my sundaras which already lean a little toward being bright, so I think for me the mani would be good. Though if someone was lacking lacking in the top end I think the project would be good.
I listened to WAV file with Zero Audio Carbo Tenore and only had a preference for the Phono Box in round 1. The Mani seemed slightly constrained in audio stage.
Picked the Mani on #1 and #3. Had no preference on #2. I thought the Pro-ject was a tad thinner sounding.
Honestly, I only heard a difference on the first sample and it was VERY slight. The last two were neck and neck. My friend, you might have just sold me a Pro-Ject!
Is the Mani hyped in the highs? Or is the phono box rolled off? Or is it cartridge loading issue? Certainly the frequency response sounds less natural on the Mani to me.
I have owned both mani n the phono box (mm version) on my system naim + ls3/5a mani does have extended highs, ear fatiguing especially for rock and pop when listened at optimum volume. I guess it all depends on one's system chain. mani may sound superb on system A but meh on system B
Probably because the Mani is a budget phono and the RS is extremely under valued and can compete with higher end gear
Great thing to do but next time you should put a couple of sounds from the same amp in to see if people recognize. The mani sounded better for me just cant seem to get one in the uk though the main dealer is always sold out
Downloaded the .wav and listened to it from my Macbook pro to a JDS Atom Amp driving Hifiman 4xx headphones. Picked the Mani every time!
It is difficult to choose. In addition, the question of which turntable was used and which cartridge was used should is important, because different turntable amplifiers are compatible with different cartidges. Anyway- Project, especially if you don't need mc
Interesting! I thought they sounded much closer than I expected after reading various reviews out there. I was always under the impression that the Mani would blow the Pro-Ject away. It didn't! In some ways, the Mani sounded a little more compressed with the Pro-Ject a little more supple. I went B, B, then a toss up for the third track, though the Mani seemed slightly louder but slightly more compressed. Honestly, the Pro-Ject impressed me way more than I thought it would. I like both. Thank you for the great video!
I agree about the mani sounding compressed. I thought the project had a smoother soundscape. Maybe its system dependent?
I picked the Mani each time, and not because I have one. The second test stood out the best with the bass.
I picked the Mani in all 3 rounds. I have a project phono box. I might need to upgrade
I picked the Mani every time. I am listening on crappy iPhone headphones too. The Mani must really sound great in person for me to pick it each time on what I was listening on.
MANI...and very obvious. Thanks!
I found them very close (listening only to the RUclips version) and listened to the video several times, bjt found the Mani to be a bit better. From the results of this test, I think both would be a good buy. IMHO
I picked the Mani every time. Probably no surprise. I own one!
What receiver do you have connected to your turntable?
Great video! What cartridge is being used?
I have the Mani, Pro-Ject Box DC and Ifi Zen. People who are picking the phono preamp have magic ears! Because you can only see a difference in real and it all depends on your speakers as well. The three of them are really good.
love this format. for 2nd round I picked the phono box..hmmm.. I have owned both the mani and the phono box (the MM model). both are not with me and presently connected to the artdj. between the mani and the phono box (the MM model) the phono sounds smoother on my system and much lesser listening fatigue than the mani. naim 72+140 and rogers ls3/5a 15ohm
I really appreciate and enjoy your comparison videos - thanks for sharing your passion. Have you tried the iFi Audio Zen Phono? If so, how does it rate against the Mani? Thanks!
I picked consistently and it was Project each time. Mani has a closed in and compressed presentation by comparison
I have my Mani. I picked each and all three times
Thanks ! Very close indeed. What were your live impressions?
I feel I can capture it as well as I can heard it live. If possible play the wav file in the link through your system. The mani has more resonance and better imagery, but they are very close
Audiorpheus Thanks !
I also picked the mani on all three occasions. Surprised myself. Rock Music was the hardest choice. This was through YT also. I wondered if we heard it in person.?
I picked the mani on the first two then the phono box on the last. What does that mean?
Mani each time. I'm glad because I have a Mani.