Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital Impression Thread

[fallsroad]

The only place in the US you can reliably get it is here: https://audiolab.com/product/pro-ject-pre-box-s2-digital-edition-23-dual-mono-dac-preamp/

I know because I had to work with both them and Pro-ject to get one for myself and I know they got a shipment of black ones!

The Edition '23 is the same price the old version originally was, but is $100 more than the old version right now because Pro-ject lowered the price of the old one when this new one came out presumably to clear it out

Thanks for the info. I've seen the original version available new and used for a reasonable price. I'd be driving Sennheiser HD 650s and HD 660s2 for music and movies. Does the knock on its power output apply to the phones I use?

 

[ruinedx]

Thanks for the info. I've seen the original version available new and used for a reasonable price. I'd be driving Sennheiser HD 650s and HD 660s2 for music and movies. Does the knock on its power output apply to the phones I use?

If you don't plan to buy an additional headphone amplifier you definitely would want the Edition 23 with those headphones because they are high impedance

However, on a limited budget you'd be better off with the old version and put the $100 difference towards a Garage1217 Project Polaris ($265-$305 depending on chassis material you pick) which will better drive those headphones than either the new or old pro-ject.

another option to soften the blow of the cost of the additional amplifier is the Pro-Ject Head Box S2 Digital on clearance for $250 direct from the distributor - https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Ject-Head-Digital-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B073WDC2WM/ - then put the $250 saved towards the above amplifier. The Head Box S2 Digital retains the overall character of the Pre Box S2, but has only a single dac instead of dual dac and doesn't support MQA - but is still an excellent DAC - and this cheaper DAC plus the amp will be way better than the edition 23 by itself with your headphones.

 

[ruinedx]

I am actually having one problem with this unit, and I have seen it mentioned on another forum as well:

So long as its plugged into the PC, the S2 (both 2017 and 2023 versions) appears to prevent the PC from activating screen saver or sleep mode. Tried a bunch of debugging and it seems an issue with the data portion of the pro-ject usb interface. Probably can be fixed in firmware, but its been a long time this device has gotten an update. hmm. Anyone run into this and find a way to fix?

EDIT: I found the answer on Reddit, apparently Aune X1S has the same problem: Here is the fix.

When plugged in, Windows 11 assigns the Pre Box S2 an "HID-compliant consumer control device" driver, under the Human Interfaces category. By using the "Physical Device Object name" field of each of these HID drivers in the system, one can determine which driver belongs to the dac by recording all the numbers with the DAC unplugged, then plugging it in and seeing what new Physical Device Object name is added. Once you figure that out, disable the HID-compliant consumer control device driver that corresponds with the S2 and the computer will now enter sleep mode as normally. This is a one-time thing you need to do, and it doesn't impact the DAC performance or featureset in any way I could find

 

[ruinedx]

On a whim, I picked up the "Stream Box S2 Ultra," got an offer I couldn't refuse

I've seen this advertised in the Pro-ject materials as the "head unit" to control the DAC all over the place. Then I started looking at John Westlake's plans for the MDAC2, and I realized that the Stream Box S2 Ultra + Pre Box S2 Digital are basically an unbalanced version of that unreleased project. So, now I know why there is no power button with the Pre Box S2 Digital - when its plugged into the DAC port of the Stream box S2 ultra, the S2 ultra powers it on and off. While they are sold seperately, I'm fairly sure they were designed as a pair.

On a side note, it may be placebo, but to me it seems like the USB Detox in the Stream Box S2 ultra improved the signal more than the Pre Box S2 digital by itself