Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital Impression Thread

[gimmeheadroom]

I don't think MQA drop-outs (maybe 2 - 3 per hour) are "issues" with the device, more with Tidal itself. Mytek Digital Liberty DAC, twice as expenive, is having similar problems. Anyway, using MQB is 100% working solution. And while you don't need DAC support for SW unfolding, for rendering you do, and there are absolutely no issues with it. So, I (still) consider S2 the best DAC below €1000 you can buy

And it's designed and made in Europe

I don't have any dropouts with MQA using either Oppo 205 or Mytek Brooklyn DAC+. I don't think the problem is Tidal. Do you have high speed internet?

I didn't know but I found one review that says the S2 is made in Slovakia!

 

[OuYang]

I also prefer to use software (TIDAL, UAPP, Roon) to do MQA 1st unfold, let DAC doing MQA Rendering. On Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital I found some (very few) albums on TIDAL sound strange using MQA (Full Decoder), using MQB (Render only) is ok.

 

[radekhulan]

I don't have any dropouts with MQA using either Oppo 205 or Mytek Brooklyn DAC+. I don't think the problem is Tidal. Do you have high speed internet?

500Mbps download, 10ms latency, should be fast enough to stream a song

Drop-outs could probably be solved by different / updated S2 firmware, but that will never happen, as chief designer is long gone.

Anyway, still do not see any better DAC for €400

 

[Left Channel]

Mytek Digital Liberty DAC, twice as expenive, is having similar problems.

I don't have any dropouts with MQA using either Oppo 205 or Mytek Brooklyn DAC+. I don't think the problem is Tidal. Do you have high speed internet?

Sad to say, to avoid all dropouts without resorting to MQB, one must buy not the $300 Pro-Ject S2D, not the $900 Mytek Liberty, but the $2,000 Mytek Brooklyn. On another forum the developer of HQ Player replied that the way the Brooklyn handles this problem results in all streams going through the MQA process, including non-MQA content. That means everything will pass through MQA's static upsampling filter. For best results, he recommends that Brooklyn users manually disable MQA when listening to PCM music. A used Oppo 205 is another option I suppose. Or MQB.

I didn't know but I found one review that says the S2 is made in Slovakia!

Yes, designed in Austria (and England, in this case) and manufactured in Slovakia. Maintaining quality when contracting out manufacturing across borders requires a lot more communication and travel than most companies realize, but good luck to them.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I forgot to mention it but a Bluesound node 2i is another option. I don't get dropouts playing MQA over that either.

 

[chauphuong]

I rarely use Roon. Just hours ago I turned on Roon then have it updated from 1.6 to 1.7. With Roon 1.7 my S2D worked well with Tidal MQA for more than an hour without dropouts (in Roon setup, DA is both decoder and renderer, so no MQB). Anyone has the same experiences with Roon 1.7?

 

[swampy1977]

Hi, do you know how to turn off this DAC when it's connected to PC via USB?

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Hi, do you know how to turn off this DAC when it's connected to PC via USB?

Apparently impossible

 

[swampy1977]

Apparently impossible

I saw another forum post about turning off HID driver on Win10. However, I cannot find any such driver on my PC.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I saw another forum post about turning off HID driver on Win10. However, I cannot find any such driver on my PC.

I read about a lot of issues and quirks regarding this DAC so I decided not to get it. I think pulling the cable is the only way to turn it off if it is connected to a PC that is running.

 

[swampy1977]

I read about a lot of issues and quirks regarding this DAC so I decided not to get it. I think pulling the cable is the only way to turn it off if it is connected to a PC that is running.

What kind of issues and quirks? I bought it almost 2 weeks ago and so far it's been great. I basically turn off PSU at the back of my PC when I shut it down

 

[gimmeheadroom]

What kind of issues and quirks? I bought it almost 2 weeks ago and so far it's been great. I basically turn off PSU at the back of my PC when I shut it down

If you are happy with it then there is no reason to discuss it

 

[swampy1977]

If you are happy with it then there is no reason to discuss it

Ok understood. It's my first DAC so yes I am happy with it. It improved my listening experience with my Meze 99 Neo by miles. Though I am now considering to buy headphone amp and HifiMan planar headphones.

 

[Mark Dirac]

What kind of issues and quirks? I bought it almost 2 weeks ago and so far it's been great. I basically turn off PSU at the back of my PC when I shut it down

When the DAC was first sold, some of us recorded our tips, tricks, discoveries and workarounds for this DAC. It's a Google Doc:

Pre Box S2 Digital additional info

It's worth a look for any "serious" or geeky user.

(Yes, it is indeed still a great DAC.)

 

[H20Fidelity]

I needed a new desktop dac/amp for my Tralucent IEMs, I was deciding between this and RME ADI-2.

I took my IEMs in-store and demoed both, the RME sounded very good but felt the Project Box took my IEMs to their performance ceiling and the RME didn't extract any more from them. The RME also showed slightly more vocal sibilance which my IEMs are sensitive with. I have also tried RME with HD800s, it sounded very good so this is just a synergy thing between my IEMs and the Project Box.

I ended up saving a heap of money and walked out with one.