I have Roon set to a fixed output. I was speaking more to the DAC itself as there are cases where a fixed and variable output are both preferred depending on situation.
I read that there is a way to control the RCA and headphone out volume separately but can’t find out where it is on the DAC.
On another forum someone mentioned:
“John Westlake (along with many designers I guess) has put a lot of work into jitter control in the last couple of years. He designed (but has never developed into a product) a stand-alone jitter-reduction box, called “Detox”. He has said that the technology in Detox was trickled-down into the PBS2D, and that it is that technology which is one of the key design facets which contributes to the PBS2D’s unexpectedly high performance (for the price). So, perhaps there is as much jitter control going on outside the ESS chip as inside it?”
This may (or not) explain why TOSlink sounds great with this DAC (and many good modern DACs these days, as he says above).
Perhaps, provided that part of the electronics is used for toslink and not only for USB. But even so, the toslink can’t be reclocked as far as I know. I think, at least in my case, that toslinks total electronic isolation outweighs the advantage USB have of precise clocks. I wonder how beneficial a toslink reclocker like the Wired Remedy Reclocker would be (it can take toslink both as input and output)?
Maybe we can get @John_Westlake to help us here?
I also asked John W just a week or two ago, on this same thread.
I think his ‘Detox’ work is essentially a re-clocker inside the DAC box, before the signal goes to the dual DAC chips… if it is true that his Detox work has filtered down into this DAC for SPDIF inputs.
The user manual states “Volume settings are stored separately for headphone output and RCA output.”
You can see the change in volume on the display when you connect or disconnect the headphone jack.
Today the Aune X7s Class A balanced amplifier arrived, together with the Aune XP1 Linear Power Supply and an Audiophonics Linear Regulated Low Noise Power Supply. I’m using the Audiophonics LPS to power both the PBS2D and Raspberry Pi 3 with 7" Touchscreen powered by RoPieee.
The PBS2D is connected to the USB of a NUC7i7 running ROCK. The RPi3 is used only for control.
Still waiting for the balanced Cardas headphone cable. Its currently at in customs clearance.
SQ has improved as expected.
Another advantage is that I’m adjusting volume blindly now, no longer distracted by the dB reading on the PBS2D.
This is a l-o-n-g – but very interesting! – thread, so I may have missed this but…
Does anyone know how the Pro-Ject DAC Box DS2 Ultra compares to the Pro-ject device this thread discusses?
http://www.box-designs.com/main.php?prod=dacboxds2ultra&cat=source&lang=en
Is the only difference a separate power supply?
As I read this the separate power supplies are built into the unit. In addition it is “upgradeable” with an optional linear supply. Oddly Sumiko – which distributes Pro-ject i the U.S. – just told me:
“At this time there is no external power supply for 5V components.”
But I don’t see any voltage specs for either one. (I was asking Sumiko about a separate power supply for the S2 Digital which I do understand to be a 5V unit.)
Do you read it differently?
And further to the specs, the S2D (this thread) is designed by John Westlake. The other DAC is not.
This might be of interest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1ggnaiioq0
My wild guess is that it will be a really good add on to the S2 DAC might even be able to power it.
We will probably know more after the Munich show in May.
So is a far summary of the discussion with John Westlake so far this:
A separate well designed linear power supply should improve the S2D’s performance. But one is not made by Pro-ject for this purpose for this product?
John’s advice there may apply even beyond his DACs. A good way to find out is if you are able to directly ask the DAC designer, case by case.
We were very lucky in this case to have access to John directly, regarding the S2D.
Thanks. But was I correct in assuming Pro-ject does NOT make a linear power supply for the S2D? So the various choices can be found in the suggestions earlier in this thread?
There was talk (and an image somewhere) of a Pro-Ject battery based PSU coming, but no timeline.
If you get a chance, try and speed read through the early discussions in this thread with John. The entire thread is long but the discussions with John weren’t over a long period of time. It’s good reading, especially the PSU discussions.
I did as you advised and it was worthwhile. I noticed references to various inexpensive linear PSUs but I also noticed that John Westlake’s response to the Wyred 4 Sound PSU (most expensive discussed) was that he would buy it.
I have been considering the Uptone Audio LPS 1.2 – which is almost as expensive as the Wyred 4 Sound but can’t power 4 devices – because I already own an ISO REGEN. Has anyone been able to compare these two as PSUs for the Pro-ject device?
Marc Dirac @ Computer Audiophile has put all useful info about the S2D in this Google Doc: http://goo.gl/LbevA6 including reviews links.
The thread itself is very long but full of info and very helpful guys (particularly left channel). You’ll certainly find responses there: https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/34777-pro-ject-pre-box-s2-digital-mqa-hw-decoding-at-reasonable-cost/
What USB cables are recommended with this DAC?
I use a cheap Chinese linear power to my S2, but a $50 iFi iPower 5v also works very well (in fact Im not sure which of my PSUs sound best). Both gives a jump in SQ compared to the switched PSU that comes with the DAC, and that in turn improves the sound from powering through USB.
To sum it up: at the very least, spend $50 for an iFi Power 5v.
Or at the very very least (as I posted earlier in the thread and got the thumbs up from John W):
For those in the US, with the right microUSB adaptper of course, this linear PSU:
I’m not in the US so the Jameco linear PSU wasn’t an option for me to try sadly.
