Pro-ject Pre Box S2 Set-Up Digital Question

Audio Gear Talk
21

Hi @krjtx,

You may also want to try this DAC on another PC, maybe this behavior is specific to your Windows PC and another performs may work as expected?

Or I would even reach out to Pro-ject support and ask if the firmware you have installed on it is the newest. I have found the support page for the DAC listed here so checking the drivers + firmware would be a good step.

I wouldn’t give up just quite yet, there must be something different in your setup here compared to the other customers who are using this DAC without issue and spending a bit more time troubleshooting this issue is worthwhile in my opinion.

– Noris

22

@noris appreciate the advice. I will try Pro-Ject Support. I had already tried the drivers and updated firmware from their web site as well running on different Windows PC. I will report back if I get it resolved.

1 Like
23

As said earlier - got the same DAC (slightly different attached) but works great w/ Roon in general and sounds great. Little gem by John Westlake.

iMac -> Stream Box S2 Ultra -> Pre Box S2 Digital

My (audio grade) USB cable is not insanely expensive but as short as possible and of good quality.

24

Same over here: happy user
Feeding the DAC via USB from Allo’s USBridge.

25

I see that you have the DS2 icon in your path not the S2 icon; but I do not assume that this is causing the issue.

26

Could you change your setup to the wrong DAC as shown and test? Would do myself but traveling at the mo.

27

I have now tried with audio quality USB cable and setting the DAC correctly in Roon. But still the same issue. I am wondering if anyone on the forum has the same set-up going directly from Windows 10 PC via USB cable into the Pre Box S2 Digital?

Really appreciate everyones advice (this is a great community).

28

Yep.

Are you using the stock power supply?

If yes, what if you power the DAC by USB only?

And if no, what if you power the DAC with the stock PSU?

No differences?

29

@dabassgoesboomboom to answer you questions I had tried all your suggestions, and all variations produced the same results. Even the same result when tried on a different Windows 10 Laptop. So, yesterday it was packed up and returned. Now trying to decide whether to try another one of the same DAC or try the micro iDSD Black Label.

1 Like
30

I’ve had both. Both are different but both great.

I would give the Pro-Ject S2 another shot if you can get another unit, risk free to try… it may have just been a bad unit. These things happen unfortunately.

Are you after DAC only (just using RCA outputs) or also looking for DAC & Headphone Amp combination?

31

I really only need the RCA outputs, as well as 192kHz+ sample rate and MQA (DSD is a nice to have).

32

Lesson learned!! I received a second Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 today, plugged it in worked perfectly. As I was unpacking I could tell this was different - inside the box the S2 was differently packaged. Also on the bottom of the unit was a sticker with the serial number, this did not exist on the first one. Looking back I ordered both through Amazon but now realize the first one was from a company I have never heard of, while the second I was careful to order from Audio Advisor - a company I have ordered from successfully before. So all sounds good so far. Thanks for the help and convincing me to try the S2 again.

3 Likes
33

Glad it worked out. :smiley:

34

Counterfeit products are a problem on Amazon. I’m purchasing directly from manufacturers more often because of this.

35

I just got a Black Label. SQ is great but it has its issues to. I cant get ASIO to work properly and would not pass through MQA but will in WASAPI. Also the iematch output seems to be faulty and has no or very low output on left channel. Their support has also not been that good. Nearly end of week and no solution to my problems or even offered a replacement.

36

Ifi nano going back, just ordered one of these.

37

I was having similar problems with my Pre Box s2. It worked for months just fine, then started distorting with HD files of my own and streamed from Tidal (MQA’s). It WAS the usb cable. Did not suspect that! THANK YOU for the reply about the cable. I just switched to another usb cable and viola! Works fine again.

Chris

1 Like
38

Hi guys,

Could you help me understand a thing about Pre Box S2.

In the Pro-ject Audio Control Panel, you have “Volume” tab.

Does it work in wasapi mode?

Can you control PCM, DSD, MQA volume from computer windows controls?

Thanks!

39

Hello @Volodymyr_Pavlenko,

I do not have the Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 on hand at the moment, so I cannot claim that this will be 100% accurate.

If the Pro-Ject Audio Control panel “volume control” is causing the volume shown on the Pre Box S2’s display to change, I would think that you would be able to use it with MQA and DSD playback.

If the control panel does not cause the volume shown on the device’s display to change, it may be modifying the USB chipset’s internal software volume control which will result in an non-Bit Perfect (no MQA or DSD) signal being sent to the device’s DAC.

-John

40

I have tried some testing with my Pre Box S2 using waaspi.

The output volume “master” in the Pro-ject Control Panel appears to have no connection to the either the PC volume, or the volume on the DAC. The Analogue 1 & 2 control does alter the volume setting on the PC.

But @john appears to be correct, I tested with MQA and when I lowered the Master Volume on the Pro-ject Control Panel it did stop the DAC output of MQA but when returned to ‘0’ the MQA output resumed.