Pro-Ject has launched two new CD players
Pro-Ject, the world market leader in turntables & Co., has built up an exceptionally astonishing because of the affordable and good variety of hi-fi electronics in recent years under the moniker Box-System. And now when everyone is just thinking about music streaming, the Austrians are introducing two CD players in a lovely box form as part of this electronics line: the Pro-Ject S3 and its larger brother, the DS3.
The CD Box S3 player offers even more: it is the forerunner of the upcoming S3 range. Its aluminum housing houses a 1.54′′ monitor with a color inversion function that displays all necessary CD information. The front panel buttons or the accompanying remote control are used to control the device. And it's incredibly small: at 20.6 x 5.5 x 16.0 cm. It also works with Texas Instruments' well-proven PCM 1796 DAC, which can handle bit depths and sampling speeds of up to 32bit/384kHz.
"New DACs frequently aim for a greater bit resolution," explains Heinz Lichtenegger, Pro-boss Ject's and genius. However, we use the PCM1796 because of its analog, pleasant, and easy-to-hear tonal quality. It's the ideal choice for a CD player that has to sound as similar to an analog record as feasible."
The Pro-Ject CD Box DS3 is slightly more expensive and technically superior. Texas Instruments' DAC chip PCM1796 is also utilized here. The DS3, on the other hand, is equipped with a Blue Tiger CD-80 servo from Stream Unlimited, which, according to Pro-Ject, "together with the clever 4-point suspension of the drive provides an excellent reading of the music." "A CD drive can only be as good as the servo that controls it," says Heinz Lichtenegger. The CD player's muscles are controlled by the brain. Stream Unlimited's Blue Tiger CD-80 servo is the most advanced CD servo on the market."
Also great: the sturdy metal shell may be outfitted with wooden side panels with magnetic holders, which can look stylish. Furthermore, the family idea enables the DS3 to be linked to the linear power supply known as Pro-Ject Power Box DS2 Sources.
The technical data of Pro-Ject S3 and DS3 at a glance
model Pro-Ject S3 Pro-Ject SD3 DAC TI PCM1796 TI PCM1796 special feature external plug-in power supply external plug-in power supply exit digital: 1 x SPDIF, analogue 1 x RCA digital: 1 x SPDIF + 1 x TOSlink, analogue 1 x RCA Dimensions 20.6 x 5.5 x 16.0 cm 20.6 x 7.1 x 20.0 cm Weight 1.3 kilos 1.66 kilos
Pro-Ject notes that both CD players were specifically intended for playing CDs and are not derivatives of DVD or Bluray drives, as is so often the case, and are meant purely for 1:1 bit-accurate CD playback. Both CD players, the Pro-Ject S3 and DS3 will be available through Pro-Ject and the ATR - Audio Trade website in March 2022, which is now.
