Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital: MQA HW decoding at reasonable cost

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14 hours ago, Knight Rider said:

Hi everyone! I have this DAC and I only use it with Tidal desktop app in Windows 10. I also noticed that it makes a big improvement if I use external power supply with micro usb adapter. Now I'm looking for alternatives to replace that included tiny PSU. Ifi's iPower is maybe one simple and cheap solution. But what you think about this one, could it work?: http://www.aqvox.de/usb-power_en.html

 

I use one to power my R-Pi.

Make sure one Ampere is enough for your needs.

 

R

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14 hours ago, left channel said:

 

 

 

Many here agree! Just for the record, the designer of this DAC likes it best with Distortion Compensation disabled and the filter set to Optimal Transient, however his own lab instruments agree with @Miska's that the best setting is Distortion Compensation enabled, and also that the filter should be set to Brickwall. YMMV.

The Audio Quality menu has two options,  "Best" and "Test".  Best sets the above-mentioned features the way the designer likes them, while Test sets them the way the instruments like them. You can also go into the menus to individually adjust those however you'd like including several other filter options, after which Audio Quality will display "User".

 

When the DAC is decoding MQA the filters are disabled (because MQA has its own built-in filters), but Distortion Compensation can still be adjusted.

 

 

 

That sounds a bit like the VW emissions scam.

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1 hour ago, left channel said:

Well. Back here at ground level, where my Pro-Ject box is simply a drop-in digital replacement for a low-cost high-quality Schiit stack, I have another suggestion for a linear power supply. This should perform better than my $11 Jameco/ReliaPro wall-wart, while avoiding the shortwave RFI plus line hum issues of the $50 iFi Power: the TeraDak U9VA Linear Low noise Power Supply, USD $44 plus s/h.

 

Have you seen this one?

 

https://www.audiophonics.fr/

 

Sorry, wrong link...

 

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/hi-fi-power-supply/linear-stabilized-power-supply-9v-3a-squeezebox-duet-b-v3-p-8480.html