CD / SACD players and transports — Pro-Ject CD Box E

The CD Box E is an entry CD transport and DAC in one small chassis, built for a system where a computer or streamer is not part of the plan and physical discs still make up the library. It is aimed squarely at someone replacing an ageing CD player rather than building a digital front end from scratch, and it makes no attempt to double as a network source.

Position in line

It sits below the CD Box S3 in Pro-Ject's disc-playback range, with a simpler digital section and no display beyond basic transport status - the S3 adds a more capable DAC stage for the same disc mechanism format, which is the main thing separating the two rather than a difference in build quality or mechanical loading. The gap between adjacent tiers in a source-component range like this one is often narrower in practice than the price difference suggests, particularly once the signal reaches a well-matched downstream system.

Key specs that matter

Rated response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz, a flat CD-standard bandwidth with no attempt to extend beyond what the format itself carries. Output level is 1.8 V single-ended, on the low side of line level, so downstream gain should be checked if it is feeding a passive preamplifier, since a passive design adds no gain of its own and a low source output can leave little headroom on quiet material. Distortion is specified at 0.04%, respectable for the price class but a step behind the S3's figure, reflecting a simpler DAC chip rather than a fault in the transport mechanism itself. At 1.43 kg and a 206 x 55 x 153 mm footprint it is built to sit in a small rack, not to anchor one.

Sound and use context

Expect a neutral, unfussy presentation without the added warmth some tube-stage or NOS designs bring to disc playback - the character here comes from the amplifier and speakers downstream more than the transport itself, since the DAC stage is a straightforward chip-based design rather than a voiced analogue output stage.

Pairing

The 1.8 V output works into any line-level input; a preamplifier with healthy gain suits it better than a passive one given the modest output level, particularly if the volume control tends to sit high in the travel with other sources.

Alternatives

The CD Box S3 uses the same slot mechanism with a more advanced DAC chip and lower distortion, for a moderate premium - the sensible step up if disc playback is the main source rather than a secondary one, and worth the difference if the system's resolution elsewhere would expose the entry model's higher distortion figure.