Company & Product Overview
If you are reading this review, then you’re probably looking for a way to integrate your DAC into your network. You might already have a great DAC in your audio setup, and if you do, you’re in luck. Any 2 channel music fan with a high-end DAC who doesn’t want to waste money on a streamer with a DAC built-in will find the Stream Box worthy of considering.
But, trust us — you have never seen anything like the little Stream Box S2 Ultra. Pro-Ject’s Stream Box S2 Ultra, featured in today’s review, is an excellent example of the company’s unique ability to offer the most connectivity and performance compared to anything else on the market.
If you store a substantial library of hi-res music files on hard drives, USB sticks, or NAS storage devices, and you’re looking for the best way to get these devices into your network with Roon compatibility and MQA, then Pro-Ject has something very interesting for you. For $849, it offers the most flexibility and the largest feature-set in a single device we have ever seen.
For anyone not familiar with the brand, Pro-Ject Audio is the world leader for high-performance turntables and cool micro-sized high-end components that are eye-catching and fun to listen to. At Audio Advice, we get excited about brands that create musically satisfying products without you having to spend a ton of money — with their unique manufacturing facilities based in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Pro-Ject achieves the perfect balance.
Since 1990, the brand has brought astonishing products to the world of high-end audio at reasonable prices. Winning more than 100 awards from all over the world, including 10 ESIA awards, and the Red Dot Design Award, clearly, the brand knows what success is made of.
Stream Box S2 Ultra, itself, won the EISA’s 2018-2019 Best Product of the year. It’s a very special “toolbox” for high-end audio that completely transforms any USB DAC into a wireless streamer. While it can fulfill a multitude of other functions, its main goal is to be the device that can get any USB DAC into the network.
But, before we get into this review, it’s important to note that the Stream Box S2 Ultra needs a DAC, a headphone amp, or a receiver with a USB input to operate.
