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Considering the Pro-ject Box CD RS2 Transport ? You might want to read this, first.

I recently bought one of these and soon returned it.

In terms of SQ, it clearly outperformed my Simaudio 260DT so I've no complaints in that regard. 

However, I could not get used to its toy-like dimensions.

It would not stay stationary, due to its light weight, so I had to hold it in place with one hand while operating its tiny buttons and loading/unloading discs with the other. 

Needless to say, this issue was only exacerbated once I placed it atop my preferred footers.

While audiophile geishas may find it ideally-sized, I found it highly impractical.

Given that our only current choices for this new drive are the Pro-ject and the 28K Gryphon, it would seem there's an empty niche in the market for a reasonably affordable alternative, housed in a full-sized case. 

To be fair, Steve Guttenberg did grumble a little about ergonomics but on the whole, reviewers' attention has been fixed squarely upon the Pro-ject's undeniable virtues.  

I'm not suggesting everyone will experience what I've experienced nor am I attempting to dissuade anyone from buying this unit- my aim here is simply to shine a light on what's been, so far at least, largely absent from discussions I've encountered. 

 

 

 

stuartk
stuartk OP
2,880 posts
 

BTW, I'm a half-decent guitar player, so it's not like I'm totally uncoordinated when it comes to manipulating my digits. The Sim transport poses no issues for me.

Also, resolution has never been my topmost priority when it comes to audio, so this factors into my decision process as well.

In fact, I've been looking for speakers and over and over again I encounter reviewers' comments about forward/hot/tipped-up treble. Seems this is the current fashion, like 1 3/4" nuts on acoustics. 

charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 

@stuartk, 

Former trumpet player here 😊.  I'm with you in that I have an aversion to a clinical/dry/analytical sonic character.  I believe that good resolution can be accomplished in a natural and musical manner.  I find the Pro-Ject quite organic yet also  able to resolve and be informative. Did you not find it natural and engaging? Over the few weeks I've had it,  this quality has steadily increased. Anyway I definitely appreciate your perspectives. 

Charles 

stuartk OP
2,880 posts
 

@charles1dad:

Sorry for the confusion-- I only meant to say that because resolution is not my highest priority, returning the Pro-ject was not as big a deal as it might be for others. I wasn't making any negative judgments about the Pro-ject itself. 

I was, however, complaining about the prevalence of speakers that (unlike the Prop-ject) end up with fatiguing highs (fatiguing for someone like me who is very sensitive to any harshness that region) because the designer(s) apparently choose to prioritize resolution above all else.  

Hope this makes at least a little more sense. . . 

 

taww's avatar
taww
128 posts
 

Fascinated to try the RS2 now… I had heard the performance was pretty special. I’m currently evaluating the PS Audio PerfectWave SACD (Marantz SACD M-3 transport) and will have a review out in the coming weeks. I have a Cambridge CXC v2 on hand as a baseline reference. Obviously not a fair comparison but the RS2 certainly would be. The I2S link to my DirectStream DAC is an obvious advantage for the PWT transport and it does indeed sound better than SPDIF and AES-EBU, but it’s relatively subtle, at least with a generic HDMI cable (better one on the way).

deralte
33 posts
 

I finally decided to keep the CD RS2 and accept the strange SHUFFLE behaviour. Sound quality is superb and might even get better in the future when I own a DAC with I²S. I cannot agree about the complaints about the size and the weight.

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