EAR Phonobox = HORRIBLE

A few thoughts, but I’m just throwing spit on the wall abscent any further info.

First, your cartridge is a moving magnet, is it possible that it is connected to the moving coil input of the phono pre? There is a button on the back that is marked MM/MC and it should be in the MM position. This would absolutely explain it.

Have you put 20, or so, hours of use on the phono preamp?

Also, the input impedance of your preamp is 50K ohms and the lab test below, indicates the output impedance of the phono pre varies up to 6.4K though only on the bass. Although close, this diverges from the accepted 1:10 ratio. In my experience, 1:20 is actually preferred for optimizing dynamics.

Normally, an impedance mismatch would roll off the bass and squash dynamics, but audible effects can vary quite a bit. Although an interesting possibility, I don't think this is what is at play here.

The output of your cartridge is well matched to the gain of the phono pre, so IMHO that is not it.

Another thought, often a clearer component can allow us to hear previously obscured details in the source. Is it possible that your phonograph cartridge is not optimally aligned, particularly the VTA/SRA? I find it quite telling that you list all of your components with the exception of the phonograph and tonearm, so your touching life story is rather short on the detail that Lew was asking for. No?

https://www.hifinews.com/content/ear-phonobox-phono-mmmc-preamplifier-lab-report

Has a tube come loose during transit?

Thank you very much for all the thought you put into this. First in my personal opinion I don't think my clear audio turntable and matching arm would drastically change the sound of my system from great to horrible so I didn't bother to mention it but it's worth a shot.

I just assumed that any issue I was having with a sound would likely come from the new component that I introduced in the system which was the phono stage.. 

Anywho you may have something there in your thought process that you're phono box comes with a volume control I did have it set to moving magnet and had the volume at 75% on a whim I changed the configuration to moving coil and brought the volume up to about 98% and it sounds so much better I wonder what's going on though

What you are experiencing is certainly NOT due to an impedance mismatch between phono stage and linestage (contrary to Viridian's suggestion).  The ratio is about 1:9.  That is barely different from 1:10 and anyway at that level there would be no audible attenuation of treble, let alone such an overall signal degradation.

If we are talking about the Clearaudio Performer v2 cartridge, that is an MM cartridge with an output of 3.6mV.  That first of all is quite likely to overload an MC phono input, which would cause distortion in and of itself.  Your report that the system sounds much better with the phono set to MC and also with the attenuator set for a higher output (less attenuated than previously) does not make any sense at all. When you had the cartridge connected to the MM inputs, was the load resistance also set for 47K ohms? Because if you had it driving the MM inputs but the load was set for a typical MC cartridge (e.g., 100 ohms), that WOULD sound horrible and might account for your original complaint. Meantime, have you consulted the seller?