Pro-ject Pre Box DS2 DAC & Pre-amp Review

[SvanTeK]

Hi all,
Has anyone of you looked inside this box (pics) ?
What type of output amplification ?
Class A or AB ?
Op-amps , discrete or discrete-op-amps ?
If it is op-amps who makes them and what type is it ?

I hope it's SO-8 op-amps, If I buy a Pro-ject Pre Box DS2, I like to roll some op-amps.

 

[JensH]

You can see the inside and get answers to your questions here:
https://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/info/hi-fi/bancs-d-essai/pro-ject-pre-box-ds2-digital-un179840
Some fairly low cost op-amps and an SPDIF receiver, which is not optimum compared to what else is available today.
I wouldn't subject it to a vibration test if I owned one...

 

[SvanTeK]

That was a good read, thanks JensH

 

[Hemi-Demon]

Can I be the only one who thinks that Pro-Ject makes too many similar products? <https://www.henleyaudio.co.uk/shop/product?Search=pro-ject&Submit=Search>. For example, why <https://www.henleyaudio.co.uk/products/Pre-Box-S2-Digital> and <https://www.henleyaudio.co.uk/products/Head-Box-S2-Digital>?

There website is so convoluted and confusing. This was a nice surprise as an overall package. Thanks for the review Amir. If they could clean up the vinyl portion, this would be perfect. What dac chip is being used inside of this?

 

[VintageFlanker]

What dac chip is being used inside of this?

ES9038 Q2M

 

[pjug]

ES9038 Q2M

That's not right. Maybe that is used in some other Pro-ject device, but the Pre Box DS2 Digital upsamples with the AK4137 SRC and the DAC is AK4490.

 

[VintageFlanker]

That's not right. Maybe that is used in some other Pro-ject device, but the Pre Box DS2 Digital upsamples with the AK4137 SRC and the DAC is AK4490.

Sure, I was talking about Pre Box Head 2 Digital and Head Box S2 Digital, both using ES9038Q2M. These were the two products quoted above. Thought @Hemi-Demon asked about them.

 

[pjug]

Sure, I was talking about Pre Box Head 2 Digital and Head Box S2 Digital, both using ES9038Q2M. These were the two products quoted above. Thought @Hemi-Demon asked about them.

I was wondering if I was missing something about the question and answer! Thanks for clarifying.

 

[GianDi]

Very interesting product

 

[VJK_out]

Hi

I'm new (and newbie) to this forum. My current setup is:

Denon AVR 1906
Genelec G Three x2
Audio pro 1.36 active subwoofer

So a typical 2.1 setup I would say. Looking for a preamp for this setup. My sub has rca Line in L+R.

My question is: Can I hook up my gear with this Pro-ject beauty? One RCA (L or R) from sub out -> subwoofer (L or R)? Or do I need some other cable?

This Pro-ject looks very promising because not many DACs have sub out..

 

[pjug]

Hi

I'm new (and newbie) to this forum. My current setup is:

Denon AVR 1906
Genelec G Three x2
Audio pro 1.36 active subwoofer

So a typical 2.1 setup I would say. Looking for a preamp for this setup. My sub has rca Line in L+R.

My question is: Can I hook up my gear with this Pro-ject beauty? One RCA (L or R) from sub out -> subwoofer (L or R)? Or do I need some other cable?

This Pro-ject looks very promising because not many DACs have sub out..

Yes you can connect the sub as you describe with an RCA cable.

 

[AudioSceptic]

Hi

I'm new (and newbie) to this forum. My current setup is:

Denon AVR 1906
Genelec G Three x2
Audio pro 1.36 active subwoofer

So a typical 2.1 setup I would say. Looking for a preamp for this setup. My sub has rca Line in L+R.

My question is: Can I hook up my gear with this Pro-ject beauty? One RCA (L or R) from sub out -> subwoofer (L or R)? Or do I need some other cable?

This Pro-ject looks very promising because not many DACs have sub out..

Not sure what you mean by (L or R). Sub out is mono, isn't it?

 

[pjug]

My question is: Can I hook up my gear with this Pro-ject beauty? One RCA (L or R) from sub out -> subwoofer (L or R)? Or do I need some other cable?

This Pro-ject looks very promising because not many DACs have sub out..

I just discovered that the sub out does not scale with the volume control. So you can really only use this if you use the fixed output. Unless there is a switch somewhere to change this (I will email support). I had been using speaker level input to my sub. I thought the reason was because headphone jack does not turn off the line outputs. But I guess the volume issue is the reason. I wish I remembered; now I have to redo what I had before! I am an idiot. Plugged the rca into one of the fixed outputs. The sub output does scale with the volume knob. The good news is that even though I'm an idiot my memory might have been spot on.

 

[AudioSceptic]

I see that there is a matching Amp Box DS2 Stereo, which uses Hypex and should be good. I think it looks better than the other Hypex implementations too. The combo came out well here (Hi-Fi News review) <https://www.hifix.co.uk/pub/media/brochures/43558s.pdf>. There's also a mono version with more power but I don't know it that's also Hypex.

 

[somebodyelse]

Based on the UcD180LP rather than the newer and better measuring nCore models, so keep that in mind when comparing.

 

[AudioSceptic]

Based on the UcD180LP rather than the newer and better measuring nCore models, so keep that in mind when comparing.

That's good to know, thanks. Does that apply to both models?

 

[somebodyelse]

That's good to know, thanks. Does that apply to both models?

Don't know - it's mentioned in the pdf you posted and recognizable from the internal photos so applies to that model at least. From the difference in power specs I'd guess the mono one uses the UcD250LP instead.

 

[AudioSceptic]

Don't know - it's mentioned in the pdf you posted and recognizable from the internal photos so applies to that model at least. From the difference in power specs I'd guess the mono one uses the UcD250LP instead.

Thanks. I hadn't read all the PDF. What you say makes sense.

 

[GianDi]

do you know if volume control is only in analog domain (also digital inputs)
or analog inputs are "digitalized" ?

 

[pjug]

do you know if volume control is only in analog domain (also digital inputs)
or analog inputs are "digitalized" ?

Yes volume control is analog, after DAC for digital inputs.