Pro-Ject Connect it RCA E Semi-Balanced Phono Interconnect Cable with Earth Leads 123cm Review (2026)

Who this phono cable is for

This is a dedicated phono interconnect from Pro-Ject, sized at 123cm, meant to run between a turntable's RCA outputs and a phono stage or amplifier's phono input. It suits owners of a Pro-Ject or similar turntable who are hearing hum, noise or a flat, closed-in sound through a stock or generic cable and want a cable engineered specifically for the very small voltage a phono cartridge produces. It is most worthwhile for someone with a reasonably resolving cartridge and phono stage, since cable differences show up more clearly once the rest of the signal chain is not the limiting factor. A listener on a genuinely entry-level cartridge and phono stage will likely hear a smaller difference and may be better served spending that money on the cartridge itself first.

What makes it a phono-specific cable

The Connect it E uses 99.99 percent oxygen-free copper conductors with a semi-balanced, dual-shielded design rated at 130 picofarads of capacitance over its 1.23 meter length, low enough to avoid dulling high frequencies the way a high-capacitance generic cable can with some cartridges. Semi-balanced here means the shielding is connected at only one end rather than both, following the cable's marked orientation, which is a specific technique for reducing hum pickup on a phono line rather than a marketing label. A separate earth or ground lead is included and connects between the turntable's ground point and the amplifier's grounding terminal, which is the standard fix for the low hum many turntable setups develop without one. The RCA plugs are gold-plated brass for a secure, corrosion-resistant connection at both ends.

Installing and living with it

Setup is a matter of connecting the RCA ends to the turntable's output and the phono input on the amp or phono stage, then running the separate ground wire to the grounding screw or terminal, tightening it enough to make firm contact without over-torquing the connection. Because the cable is marked for correct orientation on the semi-balanced shield, it is worth checking that the labeled end faces the receiving component rather than installing it backwards, which can undercut the noise rejection. Beyond that, a phono cable needs little ongoing care beyond avoiding sharp bends near the connectors and keeping it away from power cables and transformers, which can still induce hum even with good shielding.

Trade-offs and rival cables

The clearest trade-off is price relative to a generic RCA cable of similar length, and on a budget system with a basic cartridge and phono stage, some of that investment may be hard to hear back. The gain from better shielding and lower capacitance is real but system-dependent, so it rewards a turntable and phono stage that are already resolving rather than fixing problems that live elsewhere in the chain, such as a bad ground point on the equipment itself. In the same cable guide, the Pangea Audio Premier XL and Premier SE phono cables both score a little lower at similar lengths, representing other purpose-built phono cable options in roughly the same tier as this Pro-Ject.

Verdict

For a turntable owner chasing lower noise and a cleaner phono signal, with a cartridge and phono stage good enough to show the difference, the Connect it E is a well-engineered choice and earns our score of 8.9 out of 10. Buyers on an entry-level cartridge and phono stage combination should weigh whether that budget is better spent upgrading the cartridge first, since a phono cable this good has more to reveal in a system that is already resolving detail. Anyone dealing specifically with hum should make sure the included ground lead reaches their amplifier's grounding terminal before buying, since that connection is central to how this cable performs.

Frequently asked questions