Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital setup

That will work too.

I think he ended up getting both MQA (full decoder mode) and MQB (renderer mode) in the end, so all is good.

I can get either MQB (with Roon doing the decoding/unfold) or MQA (with the S2 doing both functions) so long as I have Fixed Volume selected. That seems to be a key with Roon and this DAC that I have not read elsewhere. If I choose any of the other volume control options, the MQA/MQB icon disappears on the S2 display screen. It’s a bit of an inconvenience if your stereo system and DAC are across the room, but whatever. As far as SQ or system performance for either MQA or MQB, I cannot tell a difference so far.

Sean – do you listen to DSD files also? I thought about downloading some sample files. What S2 settings do you use, and do you have to change the settings when you switch between MQA and DSD?

Hi PR, I have some DSD albums.

I was advised by a very smart chap to leave the S2 DAC on the follow settings permanently, as they measure the best:

Distortion compensation enabled (as I mentioned a few posts up), linear phase and fast roll off.

Fortunately that also sounded great to my ears so I left it there and never touched the unit’s settings again (for both PCM and DSD).

Feel free to play around with the different filters though. Or if you’re lazy like me just take the advice of the smarter chap :grin:

Cool :slight_smile: Thanks – also what are your Roon settings for DSD?

Nothing changes ? With your Mac you need to use DoP for course.

Unless you’re asking about Roon’s DSD up-sampling?

Post a screenshot of the Roon DSD settings you’re asking about. Makes it way easier to compare our settings if I see what you see.

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Thanks. This is much clearer because it shows your DSD material is being converted to PCM (see the signal path).

But you have DoP selected for DSD playback strategy.

Can you show your DSP up-sampling settings?

I have a feeling you have PCM up-sampling enabled there.

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And what are the specs of your Mac? i7? 6th or 7th Gen?

Can it handle up-sampling to DSD256?

With the Pro-Ject S2 DAC I prefered up-sampling everything (PCM and DSD material) to DSD256 (or DSD512 if your Mac can handle it).

Enable 7th Order CLANS and enable Parallelize Sigma-Delta Modulator and choose Smooth, Linear Phase (as a starting point but try the other filters later also).

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MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013)

My screen on the DSP Engine does not have the same options your has… any idea why?

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I currently have a different DAC setup so it will look a little different to yours.

With your signal path screenshot, I’m not seeing the last parts of the path.

Can you show the entire signal path. And what does your DAC display on the screen when you play DSD? DSD64?

These are my DSD options in Device Setup

I currently have a different DAC setup so it will look a little different to yours.

With your signal path screenshot, I’m not seeing the last parts of the path.

Can you show the entire signal path. And what does your DAC display on the screen when you play DSD64? DSD64?

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Hmm that’s different to the previous screenshot - what happened to the PCM705kHz :grin:

In order to apply the -15dB DSP volume it does need to convert to PCM.

So that looks fine.

Can you try enabling DSD up-sampling to DSD128, with the settings I mentioned a few posts up?

So that all PCM and DSD is converted to DSD128? In this case, the S2 DAC’s own filter settings are by-passed (but make sure distortion compensation is always enabled).

And see/hear how it sounds?

Good tips, thanks Sean. You know it sounds really good no matter what I change :slight_smile:

I’ve got to grill some salmon for the family, but will play with the settings later tonight.

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I’ve always added that disclaimer too, especially in the main S2 DAC thread…

Tinkering with filters and up-sampling gives small improvements to my ears but it sounds great even with stock standard settings of the DAC.

A sign of a well designed DAC.

OK the DSD is working now, sounds great too. I’ve been comparing MAGNIFICAT 4 (Et misericordia) in DSD256 and MQA and for my money I think MQA sounds every bit as good. Those DSD files can get pretty big, but I guess it’s only a problem if you don’t have a lot of storage.

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Yep, I don’t have a lot of DSD files but with that DAC I do like up-sampling everything (PCM included) to DSD.

You can do MQA and DSD-upsampling in combination too - where Roon does the 1st MQA unfold (up to 88kHz/99kHz) and then up-samples that to DSD128 or DSD256. In this case you’ll get DSD128/256 on your S2 DAC’s display, not the MQA symbol - but you’re still getting the 1st MQA unfold (as your signal path will confirm).

Without going too deep into MQA on this thread, all of the ‘music content’ is in the 1st unfold, so with Roon now doing the 1st MQA unfold, you get all the music content and can then use Roon’s up-sampling (if you like).

Anyway, there’s probably more combinations to try than time available to listen but it’s a well designed DAC that sounds great with nearly all combinations I’ve tried.

Anyone here own the DAC Box S2+ ? Got one yesterday so I can play my DSD256 files, but despite all settings looking correct on my Stream Box S2 Ultra and Roon Nucleus I can only achieve DSD128. Any DSD256 track gets turned into PCM if I choose DSD Direct, or gets remodulated to DSD128 if I choose DoP.