"Strongly recommended to those who don't want to drop big bucks on a networked digital music system." - John Atkinson, Stereophile
Best Product Award 2018-2019 – EISA
Upgrade Your Favorite DAC with Future-Proof Streaming
With the Stream Box S2 Ultra Pro-Ject has designed a completely new product in the streaming world. It features exceptional control functionality and unprecedented audio performance. Its main goal is to be a universal device that can get any USB DAC into the network, upgrading your favorite high-end DAC with modern and future-proof streaming capabilities.
In fact, The Stream Box S2 Ultra is so good, it was honored with a Best Product Award for 2018-2019 in the Streamer category by EISA, the European Imaging and Sound Association, a unique association of nearly 50 trade publications from 23 European countries.
"The Stream Box Ultra S2 is a Raspberry Pi-based network bridge – wifi/Ethernet in, ‘optimised’ USB out – loaded with low noise power supplies that have this fist-sized unit do double duty as a USB pipe cleaner," notes John H. Darko at darko.audio.
With the steadily increasing popularity of internet streaming services, such as TIDAL or Spotify, audiophile interest has shifted towards network enabled devices. However, many great sounding products do not offer network ability, either because they are too old or their main focus was not on networking. The solution has often been to replace them with a new and modern device, stream audio via Bluetooth, or to compromise and use a smartphone or tablet via their analog output to feed active speakers or amplifiers. There hadn't been a really good solution until now.
Stream Box S2 Ultra, the Smart Addition
Stream Box S2 Ultra offers modern connectivity with its network inputs and USB A output. This USB output is specially optimized for audio signals, using a dedicated internal power supply and only top audiophile grade components. You won‘t run into file-support issues, because Stream Box S2 Ultra acts as a network bridge that passes the files directly to your DAC. Since most DACs only have one USB input, Pro-Ject designed Stream Box S2 Ultra also to be a "USB detox device" which eliminates noise from the data stream. Simply connect your PC to the micro USB input of the unit and connect your DAC to the audio output. This way you can clean the noisy signal of your PC in order to enjoy your music to the max.
Pro-Ject's new remote control iOS and Android App is based on an opensource project and has a large community behind it. This guarantees full support and future improvements. You can also operate it using a Web browser from your computer.
Features Galore
Stream Box S2 Ultra supports the most popular streaming services: Spotify and TIDAL. Both services offer you a sheer endless amount of music, guaranteeing you, that you never run out of music to listen to. By implementing Shoutcast, Pro-Ject also gives you the option to listen to various internet radio stations. You can listen to your favorite radio shows, access the news, and discover new channels from all around the world – with just a few clicks.
The rear-panel HDMI video output lets you connect your monitor to the Stream Box S2 Ultra. It will then show you the graphic user interface, ready to act on your commands. With the implementation of Shairport, Pro-Ject was even able to give the iDevice users out there another possibility to send data to the Stream Box S2 Ultra.
There are two USB inputs on Stream Box S2 Ultra, one on the front panel and one on the rear panel. Both give you the possibility to connect an external hard drive to the unit. Using one of the various control scenarios (App, Webbrowser, external monitor) you can pick from your own selection of audio formats. The file system supports up to PCM 32bit / 352.8 kHz and DSD256.
Pro-Ject is a big supporter of Roon software, which is why the company wanted the Stream Box S2 Ultra to be Roon Ready. This way you can simply pick your Stream Box S2 Ultra in the Roon interface and send bit-perfect audio streams to it over your network. This incredible feature set makes Stream Box S2 Ultra future-proof. Use it with Pro-Ject's Pre Box S2 Digital and you'll have the most versatile audiophile combo in its price class.
Product made in Czech Republic.
