A phenomenal new CD transport-Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 transport


I have had in-house for the last week Pro-Ject's new CD Box RS2 transport to review for the website Stereo Times. I was very curious to assess its performance because it uses the Pro 8 drive with the Blue Tiger CD-84 servo card. This drive was developed and built by StreamUnlimited a company started by the original Phillips designers that historically built the finest CD mechanisms. Only two other companies use the StreamUnlimited 8 drive and Blue Tiger CD-84 servo card, their pieces cost $16,000 and $39,000 compared to Pro-Ject's sane price of $3,000!

My reference for the last two years has been the excellent Jay's Audio MK-II transport that had out-performed much more expensive highly regarded transports in my system. Well, across every sonic parameter  (transparency/micro-details-overall dynamics/bottom-end extension/purity of tonality- a much more airy sound-stage with wonderful 3D imaging) compared to the Jay's Audio transport.

That's way I titled this thread a "phenomenal new CD transport" because while not inexpensive, it just might be a bargain based on its performance. Mind you, this superlative level of performance is based on using the switching power supply that Pro-Ject ships the transport with. I have shortly coming a custom 20 watt 3 amp linear power supply from Linear Tube Audio and Pro-Ject's own upgraded power supply to see if the RS2 transport performance will even go to a higher qualitative level of performance.

I'll be writing a full detailed review for Stereo Times in the near future. However, I wanted to share this information to GON members who still spin CDs. I have had numerous CD transports in for evaluation and this just might be the best sounding of all of them.

Teajay (Terry London)




amorstereo
So timely to see this review! I am thinking about changing to separate CD transport and DAC. Can you compare/comment on Project CD Box RS2 vs. Rega Isis or Oppo BDP205?
Thanks,
Jack
Steve Guttenberg said as much on his YouTube site awhile back. He said it bettered his Jay's Audio CDT as well. I read, somewhere, that the ProJect CD box simply reads the CD better than any previous design due to it's new transport and servo drive in a way that the older styles just can't. 

If I had the dosh, I'd get one in a heartbeat.

Hey Terry, how do think the ProJect CD box would play feeding into a SPL Director (with the built in DAC)?

All the best,
Nonoise
Hey Jack,

I don't review CD players. Therefore, I can't comment on your question regarding either the Rega or Oppo CD players. However, I have written reviews on eight different DACs, a number of threads here on AudioGon contain information on these DACs, in different price ranges ($1000 to $14,000). My latest review, on the Audio Note UK 3.1 Balanced DAC, will be published at any minute now.

So, if you want information on stand alone DACs, not players, you will find the above mentioned reviews and threads helpful to you to see what you might want to go for. Regrading, a transport, if you can afford the cost, the Pro-Ject transport is a killer.
Hey Nonoise,

I have the SPL Director in-house for review. Yes, the Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 transport driving the Director's internal DAC delivers superlative results. So far, any DAC I have teamed with this transport increases the overall performance to a higher level then with my other transports.