Pro-Ject Dock Box Digital S

Features & Construction

• The Dock Box S Digital is a simple enough device, at least externally. It uses the same rugged bent-metal chassis as most of the Box Design range, so it?s compact but at over half a kilogram, it?s about as solid as a chunk of machined metal. There?s a power switch on the front of the unit, which is a refreshing change from the model I?ve got. Round back is the power input, S-Video output, analogue outputs and a digital coaxial output that allows the Dock Box S Digital to function as a transport feeding an external DAC. A credit card-sized remote is included, along with a compact wall-wart power supply, which is much friendlier than the oversize PSU?s that have shipped with Pro-Ject products since time immemorial.

Sound Quality

• There?s no doubt that the Dock Box S Digital sounds better than my analogue Dock Box Fi. The sound quality steps up a notch in terms of transparency, with the digital unit sounding more natural and more open. It?s the same kind of improvement you get when moving from a CD quality file to a high-res download, just not as dramatic. Cymbals ring more vividly, vocals and instruments are rendered with more textural detail and the bass is just a fraction more articulate.