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Sumiko Pro-Ject USB Box (Silver)
See it at Amazon.com for $159.00Average Customer Rating
(5.0 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
Most Helpful First | Newest First | + Share1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent little USB DAC for average applications
(5 out of 5) by A. Helfer on Aug 1, 2009 (Pennsylvania)My ten-year old office cd player/radio was stolen several weeks ago. Rather than buy a replacement--I couldn't find anything comparable--I picked up one of these Pro-Ject USB Boxes (Amazon had the silvers ones at less than half of list price for a short span) and some decent amplified speakers to pry my music collection from the hard drive of my work computer. Obviously, that's not an audiophile set up. However, converting the 0s and 1s to music outside of the computer improved the sound significantly over the internal soundcard's analog outputs. There is no crackling or hiss, which I was getting from the Creative Audigy PCI card's outputs.
I can imagine that this would be a satisfactory DAC for most listeners for most applications. Audiophiles might take issue with it for a few reasons. However, if you're listening to any kind of lossy compressed files (i.e., most MP3, AAC, or WMA files), you won't worry that the box is powered by the computer's USB line voltage (5v) instead of a better regulated and cleaner separate power supply. My collection is in lossless compression, but I don't hear any incredible difference between those files and the one or two MP3 downloads I have in the collection. The amplified speakers I'm using simply aren't revealing enough to demonstrate exactly how the USB Box is handling everything. (At home, I use a solid Headroom DAC and headroom amplifier -- that rig reveals a clear difference between lossless and lossy compression.)
That said, the setup sounds good and clean. The USB Box is doing its job well. It's solidly made and is heavier than you might expect such a small unit to be. It has rubber feet so it doesn't slide around. It's also quite simple -- there's a USB mini port for the input from the computer, and there's a pair of RCA outputs (L + R). There are no switches, lights, or other unnecessary complexity. Setup was simple. I plugged the USB cable into it, and Windows XP recognized it immediately. You can use the included software or other media players.
It's a neat little device. Check it out.
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UPDATE 8/17/09
The Pro-Ject USB Box failed today, only about a month after I started using it. It still generates output, but it is full of digital distortion, as if a chip in the box has partially failed. It is the box, not my computer, as another outboard USB DAC from Headroom works fine with the computer. So now I'll get to try out Pro-Ject's customer support. I'll report back what my experience is. [It turns out that Sumiko is the U.S. distributor of this product for Pro-Ject, which is an Austrian company with a factory in the Czech Republic. Sumiko advised me that Amazon handles the warranty claims. Amazon is going to send me a replacement unit in exchange for mine.]
UPDATE 8/20/09
Because Amazon doesn't have the item in stock and doesn't know when more will arrive, I asked that they refund me for the defective unit. They are doing so. So the customer service experience was pretty good over all, although the failure of the Pro-Ject USB Box after a month was a disappointment. I'm going to try an HRT MusicStreamer instead.
I can imagine that this would be a satisfactory DAC for most listeners for most applications. Audiophiles might take issue with it for a few reasons. However, if you're listening to any kind of lossy compressed files (i.e., most MP3, AAC, or WMA files), you won't worry that the box is powered by the computer's USB line voltage (5v) instead of a better regulated and cleaner separate power supply. My collection is in lossless compression, but I don't hear any incredible difference between those files and the one or two MP3 downloads I have in the collection. The amplified speakers I'm using simply aren't revealing enough to demonstrate exactly how the USB Box is handling everything. (At home, I use a solid Headroom DAC and headroom amplifier -- that rig reveals a clear difference between lossless and lossy compression.)
That said, the setup sounds good and clean. The USB Box is doing its job well. It's solidly made and is heavier than you might expect such a small unit to be. It has rubber feet so it doesn't slide around. It's also quite simple -- there's a USB mini port for the input from the computer, and there's a pair of RCA outputs (L + R). There are no switches, lights, or other unnecessary complexity. Setup was simple. I plugged the USB cable into it, and Windows XP recognized it immediately. You can use the included software or other media players.
It's a neat little device. Check it out.
-----------
UPDATE 8/17/09
The Pro-Ject USB Box failed today, only about a month after I started using it. It still generates output, but it is full of digital distortion, as if a chip in the box has partially failed. It is the box, not my computer, as another outboard USB DAC from Headroom works fine with the computer. So now I'll get to try out Pro-Ject's customer support. I'll report back what my experience is. [It turns out that Sumiko is the U.S. distributor of this product for Pro-Ject, which is an Austrian company with a factory in the Czech Republic. Sumiko advised me that Amazon handles the warranty claims. Amazon is going to send me a replacement unit in exchange for mine.]
UPDATE 8/20/09
Because Amazon doesn't have the item in stock and doesn't know when more will arrive, I asked that they refund me for the defective unit. They are doing so. So the customer service experience was pretty good over all, although the failure of the Pro-Ject USB Box after a month was a disappointment. I'm going to try an HRT MusicStreamer instead.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
The best thing you can do for your computer audio setup!
(5 out of 5) by Phil Minnick on Dec 11, 2008 (Columbus, OH)I decided to pick up the Sumiko Pro-Ject USB DAC because of expert reviews currently online, and Pro-Ject's stellar phono stages and turntables. I was able to test the Pro-Ject USB Box pretty extensively on the Integra DTM 5.3 integrated amp connected to a pair of B&W 685's. What I did was connect the stereo output from my laptop's sound card as well as the DAC's RCA output into another input of the Integra. I did a lengthy AB test and the results were pretty significant.
One word that sums up the DAC is dynamics. When I listened to FLAC audio files on my laptop I was amazed at the punchy bass drum. The cymbals were much more realistic sounding. Also, the instrument separation was significantly improved. In general, the high and low frequencies benefited the most, but the snare drum also really jumped out of the mix with the DAC. From the laptop sound card, it sounded very flat and compressed.
I then wanted to test it with a pair of powered Behringer Truth 2301-A studio monitors. I have personally used these for over 5 years for casual listening and I used to mix with them. I just plugged them straight into this puppy. The improvement is phenomenal compared to using the laptop's audio output. Gone was much of the excess noise generated by the computer and in its place was a new, very dynamic sound. The bass separates clearly from the kick drum and the cymbals became crystal clear. It literally sounds like a whole new setup. For the price, I can't think of a better upgrade for a simple system like that.
The result of adding the Pro-Ject USB box would surely be significant enough that anyone with a set of ears could instantly notice a difference. This would surely appeal to the average college student.
Unfortunately, I did not have any other DAC's to compare it with. I do like the simplicity and small footprint of the ProJect. It simply has a USB input (no power cord necessary) and an L,R RCA out. I let it run all day and did not even get warm. For an MSRP of $159 this is definitively an affordable piece of audio equipment for a college student or someone working in an office, listening to music on their computer.
Also see:
Tech Radar Expert Review: http://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/hi-fi-and-audio/accessories/pro-ject-usb-box-dac-483623/review?src=rss&attr=all
Strengths:
Very simple. 1 USB input, L and R RCA output
Small footprint
Solid construction
Fantastic improvement in sound quality (clarity and dynamics)
Generates no noticeable heat
Comes with driver and Foobar 2000 very straightforward instructions
Weaknesses:
No Balanced XLR output like others in this price range.
Similar Products Used:
Pro-Ject Phonostage
One word that sums up the DAC is dynamics. When I listened to FLAC audio files on my laptop I was amazed at the punchy bass drum. The cymbals were much more realistic sounding. Also, the instrument separation was significantly improved. In general, the high and low frequencies benefited the most, but the snare drum also really jumped out of the mix with the DAC. From the laptop sound card, it sounded very flat and compressed.
I then wanted to test it with a pair of powered Behringer Truth 2301-A studio monitors. I have personally used these for over 5 years for casual listening and I used to mix with them. I just plugged them straight into this puppy. The improvement is phenomenal compared to using the laptop's audio output. Gone was much of the excess noise generated by the computer and in its place was a new, very dynamic sound. The bass separates clearly from the kick drum and the cymbals became crystal clear. It literally sounds like a whole new setup. For the price, I can't think of a better upgrade for a simple system like that.
The result of adding the Pro-Ject USB box would surely be significant enough that anyone with a set of ears could instantly notice a difference. This would surely appeal to the average college student.
Unfortunately, I did not have any other DAC's to compare it with. I do like the simplicity and small footprint of the ProJect. It simply has a USB input (no power cord necessary) and an L,R RCA out. I let it run all day and did not even get warm. For an MSRP of $159 this is definitively an affordable piece of audio equipment for a college student or someone working in an office, listening to music on their computer.
Also see:
Tech Radar Expert Review: http://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/hi-fi-and-audio/accessories/pro-ject-usb-box-dac-483623/review?src=rss&attr=all
Strengths:
Very simple. 1 USB input, L and R RCA output
Small footprint
Solid construction
Fantastic improvement in sound quality (clarity and dynamics)
Generates no noticeable heat
Comes with driver and Foobar 2000 very straightforward instructions
Weaknesses:
No Balanced XLR output like others in this price range.
Similar Products Used:
Pro-Ject Phonostage
Sounds great
(5 out of 5) by J. Siepmann on Jul 17, 2009 (NJ, USA)The sound quality delivered by this box is great. In a side by side comparison using my Intel MacBook and M-Audio AV-40s, the Pro-Ject USB Box sound is fuller and with greater definition than using the headphone out as I had been doing. In one test song, I can hear some soft drums in the background that I hadn't noticed before. With the MacBook, just plug in the USB cable choose System Preferences/Sound/Output...you'll see "Burr-Brown Japan PCM2702" in the list. Just pick it and your good to go. I didn't need to install any software.