Pro-Ject Vinyl Noise Reduction System S3
There are plenty of albums out there that aren't pressed anymore or are simply beloved but old and possibly damaged. Pro-Ject set out to make them playable once again with its Vinyl NRS (Noise Reduction System) Box S3. It sits between the phono preamp and the integrated amp, digitizing the line-level signal at 24 bits/96 kHz. Once digitized, an algorithm goes to work removing crackles at one of two user-defined intensities, while the optional NRS boosts the signal-to-noise ratio. As a result, noise and crackles can be reduced by up to 8dB, and the galvanically-connected inputs and outputs ensure there's no impact on clean, newer pressings when it's turned off.