Pro-ject CD Box RS2 Tube CD player
While unboxing the CD Box RS2 Tube, I discovered a watch battery and an Allen key for the super-sleek remote control. I immediately set about installing said battery, which required the dexterity of a Swiss horologist: five very small screws, two expletives, and one dropped screw later, I discovered there was already a battery installed in the remote. The good people at Pro-ject had decided to provide a spare CR2032. Ah well — my bad. I should have tested it first.
Installing the player was simple enough. The unit has an external power supply with a non-standard connector for the power cord, so no after-market ‘elephant trunk’ power-cord tomfoolery is available here. That said, the connector snicks into place with a satisfying click, and there’s a real feeling of quality to everything supplied. There is an linear power supply available in the form of the Power Box RS2 Sources (£899) should you feel the itch to upgrade.
The PSU itself is no cheap wall wart — it’s a decent block, providing an external power supply and conditioner. Pro-ject are pragmatic as ever: it’s rare to see an isolated PSU at this price point, and seeing this as anything other than a positive is to miss the point entirely.
The CD Box RS2 Tube specs here are genuinely interesting. The balanced E88CC tube output stage is fed by the excellent Texas Instruments PCM1796 DAC in a fully differential configuration. Pro-ject are rightly proud of the component selection, including the SUOS DM-3881 disc drive, which provides very low jitter and sits in a heavily vibration-damped chassis. These high-quality, price-conscious decisions really add up.
Custom install
The CD Box RS2 Tube also has an RS232 port on the back for AV integration — a quirk I can’t quite get my head around. The high-end custom install people (that I once worked with for many years) tend not to install CD players. And if they do, they’re normally of the ‘rip to disk’ variety, with an ethernet port for connectivity and control. It seems that modern custom-install systems such as Control4 or AMX do still support serial integration albeit at a cost.
Once installed, I flick the CD Box RS2 Tube’s front switch and the very large display pings into life — and gosh, it’s bright. I reach for the remote and am alarmed to find there’s seemingly no control over this. A day later it occurred to me that, of course, there must be. It would be far better to make the display white-on-black, rather than having so much bright white real estate.
Eventually, I did the unthinkable and read the manual (who knew!). I discovered that yes, you can dim the display, and yes, you can invert it. It’s the ‘Mode’ button, dummy. Small frustrations of my own making aside, let’s get some music on.
Sound quality
Right off the bat, I get a pacy presentation that defies expectation. I don’t know about you, but when I see a valve stage I immediately think ‘pipe and slippers’ — warm, cosy sounds.
However, as Steely Dan enter the chat, the CD Box RS2 Tube instantly gives me Naim vibes rather than Tannoy, if you’ll allow the mixed analogy. The drums and bass are present — not shouty or in-your-face, just there. There’s a clear drive to the sound. Steely Dan’s Deacon Blues has all the warmth you want in the horns and smooth backing vocals, yet with more pep than I’m used to. I should add that I like it. It inspires me to put on something more exciting.
As I start digging through the CD shelves for Chemical Brothers or Prodigy-shaped things, the clarity of the vocals really hits me. I decide to sit back down and hear the album out. I’m glad I did.
Next up: Gil Scott-Heron. Gil’s deep, rich voice is beautifully rendered. Again, it’s an upbeat presentation, but without ever wearing thin. Those E88CCs add just the right level of midrange harmonic richness to make voices feel real, warm, and alive.
Going green
Regression to the mean sees Orbital’s eponymous ‘Green’ album making its way into the fray (I am, if nothing else, a creature of habit). The disc snicks into place with a magnetic puck, then gets covered with the CD Box RS2 Tube’s heavy Le Creuset quality lid. I sit back for what should be a very familiar ride.
As ever with such well-known material, small differences are magnified. This is a less clinical presentation than my reference player, but the earlier findings are all still there: it has that pacy rhythm thing going on, yet the midrange is richer. The CD Box RS2 Tube’s overall presentation is cohesive and clear, while bringing new sounds to the fore. I have to overcome my own bias to realise this may actually be more in line with the original intentions of the Hartnoll brothers when they created this electronic masterpiece all those years ago.
The track Fahrenheit 303, seems to prove the point — the whole piece makes more sense like this. Have I been listening to it ‘wrong’ all these years? Haha, no. Oolaa brings me back to reality. Some tracks sound better on my reference system. Others benefit from the warm midrange of the Pro-ject. Either way, this is a lot of fun. I’m now digging around for the next disc — something equally familiar — to see where this takes me.
If, like me, you got into hi-fi to hear more of what’s on your discs, then the CD Box RS2 Tube will not disappoint. I find myself loving the way it digs into the recording and lays it bare — the very definition of high fidelity. The fact it does this without ever becoming tiresome is quite the trick, and very much a result of that valve output stage adding the right level of cream to the coffee.
Soundstage
Radiohead’s The King of Limbs is spinning on the CD Box RS2 Tube. Lotus Flower just blew me away: that descending bass line, with ascending chords, fills the room. The soundstage is clear, and the CD Box RS2 Tube paints a big picture. I’ve got a big grin on my face again.
Snarky Puppy’s We Like It Here is a live recording from 2013. If you’re not familiar with the US jazz-fusion group, they are — in my humble estimation — some of the most talented musicians on the planet today. Whether you like jazz fusion or not, listening to this album is strong evidence of that.
It’s also strong evidence of the massive (Guernica-sized) picture the CD Box RS2 Tube creates. And it’s further testament to my earlier findings on pace: this is no pipe-and-slippers slouch. The music moves along exactly as bassist and bandleader Michael League intended. Foot-tapping, head-nodding, and general grooving ensues.
Conclusion
I mentioned I was testing this to a friend of mine who happens to be a former hi-fi dealer. He used to stock the Pro-ject Box range of products, and still uses the CD player and amp in one of his systems today.
He was frustrated by the way people’s perceptions of this range clouded their judgement. In his words: “People saw a small box and a more affordable price tag and instantly assumed it was somehow a lesser device. The truth is that this is simply a very cleverly designed range of kit, using the same top-quality components as brands charging twice the price — and sounding every bit as good.”
Having now spent a good few weeks with the excellent CD Box RS2 Tube CD player, I find it hard to disagree with him. I love pragmatism, and this appeals to me on many levels. My overriding sense is that when I send this clever little box of tricks back, I’m going to miss it.
I highly recommend auditioning the CD Box RS2 Tube — and I urge you to leave any prejudices firmly at the listening-room door.
Pros
Exceptional sound quality: Offers a “pacy” and upbeat presentation with a clear drive, avoiding the “slow” sound often associated with tube stages while maintaining a rich, warm midrange.
High-quality components: Features a premium Texas Instruments PCM1796 DAC chip, a balanced E88CC tube output stage, and a dedicated SUOS DM-3881 disc drive.
Expansive soundstage: Capable of creating a “massive” and clear sonic picture, described as “Guernica-sized.”
Build and design: Despite its small size, the unit feels high-quality with a heavy, “Le Creuset quality” lid and a satisfying magnetic puck for securing discs.
Power supply: Includes a high-quality external power supply and conditioner rather than a cheap “wall wart,” which is rare at this price point.
Informative display: The unit features a very large display that can be dimmed or inverted for better visibility.
Value for money: Uses the same top-quality components as brands charging twice the price, offering high-end performance in a “diminutive box.”
Cons
Power cord limitations: Uses a non-standard power connector, making it difficult to swap out for after-market high-performance power cords.
Remote control maintenance: Replacing the battery in the remote is a fiddly process requiring a tiny Allen key and the removal of five small screws.
Initial UI confusion: The display is very bright by default, and the control to dim it is not immediately intuitive without reading the manual.
Niche features: Includes an RS232 port for custom AV integration, which is quirky and largely unnecessary on a modern CD player.