The CD Box E is a compact slot-loading CD player with a Red Book CD-DA transport and a 24-bit / 192 kHz delta-sigma converter; it has an analogue RCA output and a coaxial digital one, and comes with a remote control.
CD Box E: transport and conversion
This is the CD player of Pro-Ject's entry line and it revisits the approach of the first CD Box: a brushed, anodised aluminium front with aluminium buttons, and the remainder of the chassis in rigid sheet metal, which gives stability and keeps outside mechanical and electromagnetic disturbance at bay. The disc goes in through the front slot, with no tray.
Inside is a transport dedicated solely to audio CDs under the Red Book standard, fitted on shock-absorbing mounts and able to read the data bit for bit. Conversion is handled by an MS8413 multi-bit delta-sigma DAC working at 24-bit / 192 kHz with low jitter. The output stage has a very low impedance, so interconnects have little bearing on the result; level is 1.8 Vrms at 0 dBFS.
There are two outputs: analogue on two RCA sockets, for a line input, and S/PDIF coaxial digital, for anyone who prefers to leave conversion to an outboard DAC. Published figures give a response from 20 Hz to 20 kHz within 0.2 dB, distortion of 0.04% at 1 kHz, a noise floor beyond 85 dB and channel separation beyond 65 dB. The external adaptor is 12 V / 2 A; the remote takes two AAA cells.
Specifications
- Type: slot-loading CD player
- Discs played: Red Book audio CD (CD-DA)
- DAC chip: MS8413 delta-sigma, 24-bit / 192 kHz
- Display: 1.54-inch OLED
- Analogue out: two RCA sockets
- Digital out: one coaxial S/PDIF
- Output level: 1.8 Vrms at 0 dBFS
- Frequency range: 20 Hz - 20 kHz, -0.2 dB
- Distortion (analogue out): 0.04% at 1 kHz
- Noise floor: better than 85 dB
- Channel separation: better than 65 dB
- Power: external adaptor, 12 V / 2 A DC
- Current draw: 250-1,500 mA DC, under 0.5 W at idle
- Remote control: supplied, takes two 1.5 V AAA cells
- Size (width x height x depth): 206 x 55 x 153 mm, 160 mm including sockets
- Weight: 1,430 g, adaptor excluded
- Finishes: black, silver
