Posted on Tue, 13 Nov, 2018
Posted by Dan

The Stream Box S2 Ultra is the latest streamer from Pro-Ject. Already the recipient of an EISA award, this DAC-assisting device has a wealth of connectivity options and is geared up to get the best sound out of digital files.

The Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra: A DAC’s Best Friend

Built to be used in conjunction with a DAC, the EISA award-winning Stream Box S2 Ultra is a neat addition to Pro-Ject’s existing range of excellent box-shaped designs. As an internet-ready streamer that makes both light work of enabling several streaming systems simultaneously and stands up to the task of meeting every self-respecting audiophile’s craving for the highest quality of sound, the S2 Ultra excels whether listening via Wi-Fi, Ethernet or Bluetooth.

First ascending to aural prominence as steadfast champions of the vinyl listening experience, even as the popularity of compact discs and such related digital technology began to take hold, the Austrian manufacturer has recently built a new name for itself as the creator of various box-shaped audio solutions that have greatly enhanced our listening habits. These distinctive, and visually uniform, systems have taken many forms: DACs, pre-amplifiers, headphone amplifiers and phono stages, with the Stream Box S2 Ultra joining this collection as a system switched on to the online and digital listening habits of the modern audiophile.

Connecting to a DAC via its USB type-A output, the device, acting as a classy, high-resolution network bridge, makes file support issues a thing of the past – a bona-fide boon for users that have previously struggled with file incompatibility. In terms of file quality itself, this can be run up to PCM 32bit/352.8 kHZ and DSD256. A satisfying limit by anyone’s estimation.

Time For A Detox?

Pro-Ject further underline their allegiance to the listening experience of their users by crafting a way to improve the clarity and precision of music played directly from a computer. When plugged simultaneously into a PC and a DAC, the S2 Ultra becomes a much-needed “USB detox device” that works to dial down the distorting signal that too often sullies computer-based listening experiences.

It’s a push for sonic excellence and consistency that Pro-Ject enshrines throughout the Stream Box S2 Ultra, regardless of which digital source it deals with. And, with no hint of exaggeration, there’s an awful lot of them to choose from.

Stream On!

Coming ready with Spotify Connect and TIDAL, it’s a product that doesn’t shy away from provisioning for the big guns, bestowing the user with an extremely expansive arsenal of streamable music in the process. Those who subscribe to Roon, a streaming service perhaps not as widely-known as either Spotify or TIDAL, will welcome the news that the device is Roon-ready, with Pro-Ject making it extremely simple to play streams via this source. But such incredible connectivity doesn’t end there.

Away from the file-streaming circuit, Pro-Ject has taken pains to allow users to plumb the depths of internet radio with the inclusion of Shoutcast. An expected standard for most modern streamers, the option to access a whole host of global radio and news stations is a smart choice from a company now keen to explore the potential of the internet. Such an aim is again driven home with provisions made for Shairport, a method for Apple product owners to send files to the box via Airplay. When it comes to physical connectivity, two USB ports provide the option of plugging in external hard drives. They really have thought of everything.

Easy To Use

And what it succeeds with in streaming and connectivity options, it more than equals in user-friendliness. Control of the system can be obtained in three different ways: via an application, a conventional web browser or, if making use of the HDMI output, an external monitor. With an opensource app tended to by a large following, ease-of-use and regular updates are guaranteed.

Furthermore, the device’s graphic user interface is incredibly easy to navigate, with its “Browse”, “Playback” and “Queued” options a breeze to operate and appealing to the eye. There’s certainly much to be learned from such simplicity.

If you’re after a streamer switched on to every prominent streaming service and method of playing digital files, you could do much worse than Pro-Ject’s Stream Box S2 Ultra. In its combination of accessibility and connectivity, it ticks almost every box on the digital audiophile’s checklist. Stream on!

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