Question - why did/do you find the Pre Box S2 to be “meh”?
I have a Pre Box S2 and while I do like the sound, the unit is a bit under powered for high impedance, hard to drive full size headphones. However it does a great for low impedance, easier to drive headphones.
So I was just wondering.
I use mine in my full hi-fi system, its an amazing DAC for the money - Chord say if you turn it off at night (leave plugged in both power and data USB but just turn off power button) that will ensure the battery doesn’t degrade - my battery time still lasts as long as it did when used purely as a mobile rig.
So I guess one could say that what the Pre Box S2 can do depends on what cans it’s doing 
The DAC section of the S2 is probably fine – but it did not do anything good for me with then Aeons. I added an rHead amp, which improved things slightly, but to my ears things still sounded a bit bland, closed-in, bass-shy, shirll (cymbals). Added an USBridge, later a microRendu. Added SBooster LPUs. Then I looked at the mess of boxes and cables and sold it all. While fully functional, the flimsy case and knobs (volume control skipping a beat every now and then) and remote did not do much for me either.
The Poly/Mojo combi sounds better balanced and a bit more meaty to my ears. I’m not a DAC fetishist really – most of my HP listening these days is done via an LG V30 phone-with-DAC, which drives the Aeons with ease.
Feature-wise there’s lot to like about the S2, but I don’t care much for MQA or DSD – and I was not fond of the one non-stock filter.
So yeah – that leads to ‘meh’ – for me. Sean seems to like it – and if you do too, all is good in the world. 
My two headphone stations.
This, I use most of the time, as it’s by my desk.
Transport is a microRendu, Pro-ject Pre Box S2 Digital DAC and recently added Schiit Magni 3 amp. MrSpeakers Æon closed back.
This sits in a quiet corner of the house. Cheap solution but pretty decent for casual listening.
Raspberry Pi w/RoPieee as transport, Meridian Explorer 2 DAC/Amp and B&W P7.
Thanks for the response. My Pre Box S2 is in my bedroom system and therefore does not get used on a daily basis. I do agree that for everyday use the build quality needs a little more heft but in secondary system it does the job very nicely.
Let me know and I’ll buy your Hugo2 
yes optical from imac running roon.
never been an headphones listener (same as joel, the OP)
recently, though, I ventured into this minefield 
too and this is what I picked:
btw… Focal Elex… highly recommended 
(spent days at a local dealer listening to all the usual suspects in the up to $1500 
range then… took a leap of faith. well… almost: Focal Clear were those I liked the best)
Just picked up two new headphone stands from Amazon
Stands with headphones - the tray is for the cable but I use it for small items I keep on my night table.
Just the stands
For the frist set up, you step over the mine .
Very good set up.
thank you
though… if we don’t consider my portable setup (Chord Mojo + AtomicFloyd SuperDarts <- stunning for baroque music, btw)… this is my second attempt 
first one was, two/three years ago, a Teac HA-501 + Beyerdynamic DT-880s. but never liked it 
oh… wait… third attempt, actually: last year, after selling the Teac, bought a used Auralic Taurus and been quite happy with it. then got mad with Auralic 
and sold all their stuff I had 
My latest addition:
Beyerdynamic T5p - great sounding closed back headphones that are easy to drive and therefore make both my iPhone and Pro-ject Pre Box S2 Digital sound glorious!
New cans at home, so I’ve updated my office setup!
Grado SR-125 drivers on Turbulent Labs cups and headband, with aluminium rods 3d printed by a guy in Poland (can’t find his link though). All through a Fulla Schiit, which makes for a brilliant sounding and extremely comfortable setup for under $500.
sonicTransporter i5
≫ wifi ≫ WinPC
≫ Hugo M Scaler ≫ dual BNC ≫ Hugo 2
≫ Meze Empyrean
Someday my DAVE will come…
A few weeks ago I finally added a headphone amp to my setup again: a SPL Phonitor mini. It’s not as fancy as the “big” Phonitor with its meters and all but seems to do the work nicely.
Then by accident I rediscovered my old Sennheiser HD 595 in a cupboard and tried them on the Phonitor mini as an alternative to the Grados I usually use (RS1e as I wrote somewhere above). That was an interesting experience - for one because I had forgotten how comfortable over-ears could be. But also because for non-classical stuff the HD 595 sounded quite pleasing so I decided to keep them around.
It should have ended there but no - somehow the over-ear-experience kept nagging me so currently I’m listening with a Focal Clear Pro. Even so the Focal are bigger than the Sennheiser they are still quite comfortable to wear. And they sound great, I think. I’m afraid I will keep them …
I see what you did there.
Great kit you got there. … sorry about your wallet. Hehe.
