Pro-ject Phono Box DS2 USB Phono Stage Review

[hollis]

Please share how you use the miniDSP SHD to record LPs. As it has no analog inputs.

 

[d'Brit]

View attachment 171097

Thanks, my mistake. I was thinking of the less expensive SHD STUDIO.

 

[hollis]

Thanks, my mistake. I was thinking of the less expensive SHD STUDIO.

Sorry if that was a touch snarky.

There is also a new Minidsp Flex, that is much much cheaper. 2 analog in, 4 analog out, Dirac, and a volume screen.

 

[C. Cook]

Sorry, it wasn't clear from the writeup. Does the volume control work for the phono input w/ output to a power amp? Not interested in the digital/USB section.

 

[ribosradagast]

Sorry, it wasn't clear from the writeup. Does the volume control work for the phono input w/ output to a power amp? Not interested in the digital/USB section.

No, the audio volume control is only for the digital out.

 

[C. Cook]

No, the audio volume control is only for the digital out.

Arrghh. I'm having a helluva time finding a nice little phono-only preamp that also has a volume control in a compact form factor. Do you happen to know of any? The volume/gain control is of utmost importance to me because I don't want to buy any more equipment than necessary for my very specific use case (TT -> Preamp w/ volume control -> Hypex power amp with XLR only inputs.

 

[hollis]

Arrghh. I'm having a helluva time finding a nice little phono-only preamp that also has a volume control in a compact form factor. Do you happen to know of any? The volume/gain control is of utmost importance to me because I don't want to buy any more equipment than necessary for my very specific use case (TT -> Preamp w/ volume control -> Hypex power amp with XLR only inputs.

Have you considered the Parks Audio Puffin?

 

[C. Cook]

Have you considered the Parks Audio Puffin?

No, hadn't heard of it. I'll look into it thanks.

 

[C. Cook]

Have you considered the Parks Audio Puffin?

Just reached out to them and bought the Puffin w/ digital out (that I'll probably never use, but who knows). Thanks again.

 

[hollis]

Just reached out to them and bought the Puffin w/ digital out (that I'll probably never use, but who knows). Thanks again.

My heart warmed to read your post. I have a Puffin myself. It is very very good. I have wired the SPDIF out into the AES input of my 8c and been totally happy. Best of all worlds.

Cheers!

 

[C. Cook]

My heart warmed to read your post. I have a Puffin myself. It is very very good. I have wired the SPDIF out into the AES input of my 8c and been totally happy. Best of all worlds.

Cheers!

Shannon has been very responsive and helpful so far. I'll probably receive the Puffin before I get the turntable, so I'll have some time to play around with the functions before actually plugging everything in.

 

[hollis]

Shannon has been very responsive and helpful so far. I'll probably receive the Puffin before I get the turntable, so I'll have some time to play around with the functions before actually plugging everything in.

Thats great to hear (though possibly rude on another manufacture's thread).

There is a setting to turn off RIAA equalization so it works as simply a pre amp. The eq tilt function I would say is especially useful. I really liked the manual and definitely check online for a firmware update, free features are added all the time.

 

[deadwood83]

The price in the title should be updated.....

Oof.

 

[multisport4me]

Argghhh....I just tried one of the DS2 USB models as my PS Audio Nuwave died and it was the only thing I could find available that would give me SPDIF output along with the usual cartridge loading, gain, etc. in a phono pre. The toslink output is a mess. I tried using it with both a Eversolo Z8 and my Marantz AV10 and in both cases there is an oscillating noise - similar to a helicopter - if I turn the gain up past 50dB. So its back in the box and back to the dealer it goes. PS Audio said they don't have parts for my Nuwave but then told me to send it anyway as they think it may be a low noise regulator that apparently fails and they do have that part in stock. It worked like a charm as a phono stage ADC for 8+ years using the coax SPDIF out. Now the question is how long and how much it will cost to fix it. In the interim, if anyone has a Parks Audio Puffin with SPDIF out they want to part ways with, let me know.