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

[arcman]

I did not see anything about a new update. It’s just the current updated does not see the unit. 

[left channel]

2 hours ago, arcman said:

I did not see anything about a new update. It’s just the current updated does not see the unit. 

 

I think the firmware updater checks for your current firmware version, and gets confused when you're already updated to the latest. That would change if they release a new update.

[arcman]

Ahh. That makes sense. Great to know

[arcman]

I wonder how the new SMSL MQA Dac compares to the S2

[Mihail IOV]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/689938551214806/permalink/1218053768403279/

 

This is a new DAC and there is no much info but I found this fresh post on FB.

[TomETS]

After the last Windows 10 update my S2 dac stopped working.   Looking around and trying a few things it seemed that the 384K upsampling setting I was using had been dropped and that is why the dac stopped functioning.  Scratching my head about the hows and whys of this.  Anybody have any information, really sounded good at 384K.  Now the highest upsampling is 96K.  Have not listened long enough to say good or bad at 96K.

[Javier de Esteban]

Hi!

 

I am having issues decoding TIDAL Masters:

 

- 1st some songs (like Taylor Swift's Lover) turned on and off the MQA decoding. Always the same songs.

- Then some albums (like The Beattles' Abbey Road) were not decoded as MQA.

- Now none MASTER album is decoded as MQA.

 

I have tried using different laptops and cables but I have the same issues.

 

Anyone having the same issues? I have reached to MQA and they say is not any issues in TIDAL.

 

Thanks!

 

Javier

[Jud]

4 hours ago, TomETS said:

After the last Windows 10 update my S2 dac stopped working.   Looking around and trying a few things it seemed that the 384K upsampling setting I was using had been dropped and that is why the dac stopped functioning.  Scratching my head about the hows and whys of this.  Anybody have any information, really sounded good at 384K.  Now the highest upsampling is 96K.  Have not listened long enough to say good or bad at 96K.

 

Try reinstalling the Pro-Ject driver. You might also look at the sound settings after you do that.

[TomETS]

Javier:

 

My solutions to MQA problems:

 

In More Settings:

 

Use Exclusive Mode : On

Force Volume: On

Enable software decoding (MQB purple light fix a lot of issues)

 

Then I cancelled Tidal, gave up on MQA and got Amazon Music High Res.  Was running Windows upsampling at 384K (problem in repair described above.). Cheaper than Tidal with an Amazon prime account.  Sounds good, at least at 384K.

 

Tom

 

[Javier de Esteban]

12 hours ago, TomETS said:

Javier:

 

My solutions to MQA problems:

 

In More Settings:

 

Use Exclusive Mode : On

Force Volume: On

Enable software decoding (MQB purple light fix a lot of issues)

 

Then I cancelled Tidal, gave up on MQA and got Amazon Music High Res.  Was running Windows upsampling at 384K (problem in repair described above.). Cheaper than Tidal with an Amazon prime account.  Sounds good, at least at 384K.

 

Tom

 

 

Thanks Tom, 

 

I have done everything and still the same....

 

I have even tried Amazon now, High Res doesn't look to be available in Spain...

 

So I have launched Qobuz to see if they have improved and they have a new 25€/month subscription... it sounds great and better High Res catalogue than TIDAL MASTER's... so I think I have to say goodbye to TIDAL after a few years.

 

Thanks!

 

J

[TomETS]

Referring to the changes in Windows moving me from 384K to 96K:  I reinstalled the drivers and got no change.  After two day where the computer had been restarted and some usb cables switched around I looked at the dac and the display said 384K.  ??? All the up-scaling options were again available in Windows.  I'll take it, but weird Windows stuff.  

[arcman]

So what is the consensus on the best (non battery) power upgrade for the s2? When I first got the unit a couple years back, people mentioned the ifi power cable (around $50 I believe). I'm not interested in battery power. 

[left channel]

On 10/19/2019 at 7:29 PM, arcman said:

So what is the consensus on the best (non battery) power upgrade for the s2? When I first got the unit a couple years back, people mentioned the ifi power cable (around $50 I believe). I'm not interested in battery power. 

 

The consensus is that there is no consensus. 🙂 The recommendation of the designer of the S2D should of course be given great weight, and he has argued for linear power supplies. Having said that, the iFi iPower is not linear but iFi argues it's just as good, and some on this thread have reported good results with other iFi switching power supplies. IMHO much depends on how clean the power is at your location. I use a $9 linear wall-wart.

[ambre]

Hi all, 

 

My new Usbridge Sig and Shanti installed. First impression a league better than my previous Usbridge feeded  by Sbooster and IfiPower.
 

But I use the 5v, 1a second power supply to feed my Project Pre Box  S2  digital too with the Shanti supply.  I my opinion UsbBridge Sig and Project makes 1 + 1 = 3

 

Ps. I use the Usbridge Os-DietPi as NAA for HQ- Player 4.1.2 in combination with the Uptone USB Regen and shunted (JS) smps. 

Next step might be to upgrade to USB to the Uptone USB Regen and Lp2 power supply.

 

Dear Allo you have done a very nice step in development.😄

 

Ps. 2 Allo support told me for the time being not to update the latest DietPi version!

[Rhed6]

Is there anyway to increase the output in the S2D? Some tracks, even MQA ones in tidal has good output. But most tracks are too low. Even in ITunes. Like it can’t drive my amp and speakers. I have my sensitivity gain on my amps maxed out. And the S2D up 0. Still sounds low. But there is some tracks are just loud that I have to turn down.

[Miska]

1 hour ago, Rhed6 said:

Is there anyway to increase the output in the S2D? Some tracks, even MQA ones in tidal has good output. But most tracks are too low. Even in ITunes. Like it can’t drive my amp and speakers. I have my sensitivity gain on my amps maxed out. And the S2D up 0. Still sounds low. But there is some tracks are just loud that I have to turn down.

 

It has normal line level output voltage of about 2V just like other line level devices.

 

Maybe you have software volume set to lower somewhere?

 

[Rhed6]

Ok thanks.. I’ll check that. Could be volume in the Mac mini.

[zachary]

Howdy y’all,

 

I seem to be having a similar issue as some other folks on this thread, but nothing I’ve read seems to solve my issue.

 

I have a Pre Box S2 Digital DAC. When I connect the DAC to my Mac computers (I’ve tried 3 different Macs) via USB and play MQA songs from Tidal, the “USB” icon on the LCD screen on the DAC turns from white to red, and displays an “MQA” icon.

 

However, when I connect the DAC to my Windows 10 PC via USB and play the same songs, the “USB” icon remains white and no “MQA” icon appears. I’m concerned that the DAC is not hardware decoding MQA tracks from Tidal on my Windows PC as it is with my Macs.

 

I have done the following:

- Per the DAC manual, I have downloaded and installed the latest Windows driver.

- I’ve followed these steps and set these settings per the manual:

 

→ Control Panel → Hardware and Sound → Sound → Playback: select Speaker/ProJect Pre Box S2 Digital

→ Properties → Supported formats: make sure nothing is assigned

→ Level → Sound: setting must be 100

→ Enhancements: disable all enhancements → Advanced → Default Format: set to studio quality 24/192

 

- The DAC is connected via USB to the computer directly (no hubs).

- The DAC is connected to power.

- In Tidal, I have the Pre Box S2 Digital selected under “Sound Output” (the speaker icon), and under “More settings,” the following are set:

— Use Exclusive Mode: OFF

— Force Volume: OFF

— Passthrough MQA: ON

 

Manual I am following:

https://www.project-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Manual_Pre-Box-S2-Digital.pdf

 

My first guess is that, per the manual, selecting the “Default Format” value to “Studio Quality 24/192” is upsampling/downsampling all tracks to that format—and also not hardware decoding MQA—regardless of the format of the source track. Another reason I believe this to be so is that the LCD screen on the DAC—at the same time it is not displaying the MQA icon—displays “192” in the lower right corner, always (regardless of what track is playing, MQA or not—it says this for every song I play). To be clear: even when I’m not playing a 24/192 track.

 

Any thoughts?

 

I’m hoping there’s a way to—in Windows 10 settings and/or the Windows driver/app—tell the DAC to automatically detect the quality of each source track as they are played (some will be 24/192 MQA, some 16/48 not MQA, etc. etc.), and have the DAC play at that quality (as my Macs appear to be doing)? The most important thing here is to ensure the DAC is in fact hardware decoding MQA tracks from Tidal / other sources. It would make sense that if it was doing this, the “USB” icon would turn red and the “MQA” icon would appear, which it’s not.

 

Thanks y’all!

[Miska]

3 hours ago, zachary said:

— Use Exclusive Mode: OFF

 

This is at least one reason, if exclusive mode is off it goes through Windows sample rate converter, software volume and mixer.

 

[left channel]

11 hours ago, zachary said:

— Use Exclusive Mode: OFF

— Force Volume: OFF

 

@Miska's nailed it: Exclusive Mode should be ON. Also Force Volume should be ON; you've got a hardware volume control.

[zachary]

@Miska + @left channel YOU ARE THE BEST.

 

That fixed it. (Turned Use Exclusive Mode: ON and Force Volume: ON.)

 

Can't believe I didn't think to try this... Then again, on my Macs, I don't need to enable these two settings in order for MQA to appear—though, from the sounds of it, I should be. And definitely will from now on.

 

Very much appreciate y'all! 🕺🏻

[chauphuong]

I have said goodbye to S2D. Its replacement SMSL M500 just does a better job for the same price.

[Mark Dirac]

I have been playing music on my S2D via Moode on my new Allo USBridge Sig. I have an issue with clicks, which Allo have resolved by downgrading me to Moode v5/Linux kernel 4.14.92 from June 2019! (Latest version of Moode is v7) (My bug report is here:

Allo say "Some DAC's having issue with the latest Linux kernel versions. And it is working fine with old kernel versions. Mainstream kernel of the OS ,we cannot alter."

 

I am surprised to learn that this popular and fairly-recent DAC is no longer compatible with Linux.

Have others had trouble with the S2D on Allo products, or on Linux? Can anyone explain what is the problem and whether there are workarounds. Or is this DAC now obsolescent for Linux?

[Miska]

3 hours ago, Mark Dirac said:

I am surprised to learn that this popular and fairly-recent DAC is no longer compatible with Linux.

Have others had trouble with the S2D on Allo products, or on Linux? Can anyone explain what is the problem and whether there are workarounds. Or is this DAC now obsolescent for Linux?

 

At least I haven't noticed any issues so far.

 

[Jud]

No problem hooked up to a microRendu 1.5 with latest updates to its Linux OS.