Having Issues with New Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra

Exactly like my settings! Hey, @Rune. What is your setup? Would you mind sharing? Or is that something I should be able to see in your profile? Pardon me, although I know how to post stuff, I haven’t been on here long enough to know all the features of this Community.

Thanks!

Edit: BTW, thanks for keeping up the interest. I have yet to hear anything back from the Roon folks; the Stream Box is Roon Certified. I was able to make contact with Pro-Ject Support-US (via Sumiko Audio in Minneapolis) yesterday but the guy I spoke to needed some time to set up Roon. He admitted that I probably knew more stuff about Roon than he did. They have my phone and email are are supposed to get back to me soon.

Hi @Marcus_Guerrero - I’m not sure if this will help at all, but I am also using a Streambox S2 Ultra / Pre Box S2 Digital, although my Roon core and library are running on a NAS.

I just found a free DSD download (as I don’t have any) to try and it all seems to be working fine here.

The only setting I have that is different that I can see compared to Rune’s post is the “DSD Auto Volume Level” as shown:

That seeting does seem to have a “Warning” associated with it if you click the help sign - so might be worth ruling out?

Not sure if that helps you at all - but good luck with it, as it sounds pretty damned good if you get it working!

Hi @Marcus_Guerrero, maybe the logs could shed some light on your problem. You can get them by following the steps on https://volumio.github.io/docs/User_Manual/Sending_logs_for_troubleshooting.html

Hello @Marcus_Guerrero,

Thanks for your patience while we investigate this issue.

What I’m going to do is go ahead and enable diagnostics on your account. The next time that your Roon Core contacts the Roon servers, a support package will be uploaded containing advanced diagnostic logging.

The next time you have trouble with playback, please reply back in this thread with the local time that this occurred. What we will then be able to do is request a new set of diagnostic logs and focus in on the events occurring at the time of playback failure.

-John

Hello @John,

I wish you would have informed me sooner. I’ve been working on it every evening this week when I get home from work. I’m just about to give up on it and return it to Audio Advisor and get a refund. I’ve not received any help from Audio Advisor or Pro-Ject US. I’m an audiophile, IT Guy, and tech nerd. It’s rare that I cannot get anything to work.

I even brought it to work today to do some troubleshooting; I also have a Pre Box S2 here on my desk attached to my work iMac and listen to TIDAL while I work. However, I don’t have a Roon license or core here at the office.

Hi @Andreas_Fruehwald, I’m at work right now with my Stream Box connected to the Pre Box. I’m on my iPad using the Pro-Ject Play app and streaming from TIDAL. I am playing tracks that are MQA and the MQA indicator is not lighting up on the Pre Box. On the front of Stream Box I have my USB drive connected and I’m playing MQA 24bit/192 album of Aretha Franklin’s “Young Gifted & Black”. No MQA indicator light on Pre Box. On same USB drive I have DSD64 of Cat Stevens’ “Tea for the Tillerman”. When trying to play, the only sound coming from speakers is loud white noise. Mind you, I’m using a 2nd Pre Box which I have at work. Same Pre Box, just different color.

Edit: Just wanted to add, when playing Cat Stevens DSD, although I heard no music just white noise, it was still displaying DSD64 on the Pre Box.

Thanks, @Dave_Kitson. I’ve already played around with these settings and have ruled them out.

@Andreas_Fruehwald - What is Volumio and who am I sending the logs to?

Hello @Marcus_Guerrero,

In the “Playback Options” menu on the Stream Box S2 Ultra, what do you have configured for the “Mixer Type” setting? Try setting this to “None” and then clicking the “Save” button.

When you are playing MQA content, what sample rate is the Pre Box S2 Digital showing on the display?

-John

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@John - Oh my effing God! Are you kidding me? It’s working!!! All MQA files playing from TIDAL and on USB drive including DSD files! Had 1 second of white noise when I started to play DSDs but they are all playing perfectly now. Pre Box is lighting up MQA indicator and the dots are changing colors to indicate resolution; Pre Box is also displaying the correct resolutions i.e. 48k, 192k, DSD64, etc.

This is all via Pro-Ject Play iOS app so I have yet to try this at home with Roon.

Please tell me what that setting is all about???

What a breakthrough. Hallelujah!!! Thank you @John. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and hope it works with Roon at home tonight.

I had just given up and requested an RMA to return the Stream Box. Truth.

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@john - Home now and connected to Roon with the applied setting you suggested. It’s working! What more can I say? Overjoyed. Finally!

Thanks a million!

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Hello @Marcus_Guerrero,

I stumbled across this thread when searching for someone experienced with either Mac mini AND Pro-Ject stuff in a Roon environment. Bingo. :wink:
My question ist how would you rate the ProJect Stream Box S2 Ultra vs. the Mac mini as a Roon endpoint feeding an USB-DAC? Have you ever tried this out? Do you hear any difference? Plainly spoken I am very suspicious about these overpriced audio-only boxes just for the sake of hopefully jitter-reduced USB output. Would be very interested in your findings/opinion.

–Geefes

Hi there - My Mac mini was previously my Roon Core. I built my own ROCK (Intel NUC) which is now my Roon Core.

My ROCK, Pro-Ject Stream Box S2, and Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital are all hard wired to my network. My Pro-Jects are my endpoints to my stereo system in my office/man cave and I have an Oppo 203 as endpoint to my living room Home Theater system.

The Pro-Ject combo has performed flawlessly and I’m very happy with the audio quality. I don’t consider them “overpriced” at all. I think they are “competitively priced” and are a great value. The Stream Box can be used with Roon and also be controlled separately with an app on your iPhone or iPad to stream Spotify, TIDAL, Qobuz, etc. and can access DLNA-enabled media servers on your network. Also has Bluetooth and Airplay and can play files from USB drive connected to it.

You can read this review and decide for yourself, https://darko.audio/2019/03/have-your-pi-eat-it-pro-jects-stream-box-s2-ultra/. The Stream Box has been criticized for being a high-priced Raspberry Pi.

Based on my experience though, I have no problem recommending it.

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Hello Marcus,

I agree with you - the Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra, is excellent value for money. I have one since over a year which I use as a Roon Endpoint to drive my SGCD + S300.
Those who call it an overpriced Raspberry Pi, have most likely never listened to one.

Hans Beekhuyzen has an excellent more technical review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CX-pZRhbtI

Enjoy!

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Yes! +1 for Hans. I trust his reviews and I subscribe to him on YouTube. Thanks for the reminder.

Here is a link to another post documenting my Streambox setup:

I’ve been trying to play DSD64 on the Ayre QB9 Twenty via the S2 Ultra but it keeps defaulting to DoP 352kHz, tried a few of the fixes in this thread but to no avail. When I try to set Mixer to “None” in Playback Settings it doesn’t seem to consistently save, for what it’s worth.

Has anyone encountered this on their devices, either through USB playback or Roon?

Hello, I have a similar problem with Nuprime DAC 10, is not detecting DSD capabilities. This is because a mistake in older kernel used, and was corrected by ropieee and even on new versions of standard volumio.
I contacted Volumio, Project and dealer without any response.
Maybe Roon guys will have more success.
In mean time, I use another Raspberry pi CM3 module loaded with ropieee (they don’t provide recovery image to custom volumio installation).
Thank you

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