Every project begins somewhere. When Boulder’s engineers began work on the 508 Phono Preamplifier, they began with inspiration from the absolute pinnacle of vinyl playback: the 2008 Phono Preamplifier, easily the most celebrated phono stage of all time.

But that’s where the similarities end. Where the 2008 was pure excess with no constraints on parts selection, scale, or price, the 508 is pure efficiency. As the smallest Boulder in more than two decades, the 508 packs an enormous amount of performance in a single, small chassis. A chassis that is carved from a single block of metal, no less. All of the proper inputs, outputs, and adjustments are here. As is the one constant from every Boulder product since Day One: a stunning level of performance. And it’s still made entirely in Colorado.

We’ve been enjoying this fantastic new phono stage for some time now, and it’s even found its way into some of our personal systems.  If you’d like a big chunk of world-class phono performance in a compact, elegant, and much more affordable package, the new Boulder 508 is worth an audition.