Pro-Ject CD Box DS3 CD Player

An Affordable Truly High-End CD Player

The CD Box DS3 introduces Pro-Ject's completely new DS3 line. Pro-Ject picked the best features of its predecessors and added the Texas Instruments PCM1796 DAC to create the ideal CD player with all the features you really need. Easily control the CD player with the buttons on the front, or use the supplied remote control. The high contrast dot-matrix display shows you all relevant information you need to enjoy your favorite CDs.

The 'Pure CD Player' Advantage

You may wonder why you would want a dedicated CD player if your Blu-ray or DVD player already can play CDs. It is a matter of a significant step-up in terms of potential quality. The CD Box DS3 is engineered for one task and one task only, which is to extract musical information from a compact disc as fully and faithfully as possible. The special drive used in the CD Box DS3 is specifically optimized for 1:1 playback of the Red Book CDDA standard. Pure CD players are, in contrast to DVD or Blu-ray Disc players, frequently better in playback of stereo CDs, and the difference can be particularly evident with the CD Box DS3.

CD-80 Blue Tiger Servo

A CD drive is only as good as the servo which controls it – like the brain of the human which controls the movement of the body. Without the best brain you cannot reach the best performance in sports, for example, although the muscles may be developed. Pro-Ject's already legendary Blue Tiger CD-80 servo developed by Stream Unlimited is considered by many audiophiles to be one of the most advanced on the market.

Texas Instruments PCM1796 DAC

There have been many new DACs on the market, especially DACs that offer a higher bit resolution. But is newer always better? The famous PCM1796 from Texas Instruments has been used in many high end designs in super expensive CD players. It has the most analog, sweet, and easy-to-listen-to sonic character. It is the perfect choice for a CD player whose aim is to sound as close to an analog vinyl record as possible.

Analog and Digital Outputs

The CD Box DS3 gives you both analog and digital outputs. Use the internal TI PCM1796 DAC and connect your CD Box with the RCA line output to the line input of any preamp, integrated amp, or receiver. We are confident you will be thrilled with the sound quality. However, should you have your own DAC that you prefer to use, using the S/PDIF coaxial or optical output you can bypass the CD Box DS3's internal DAC and connect to your own DAC instead, enjoying the DS3 as a high quality CD transport.

Rigid Aluminum Housing

Standard sheet metal housings are not resonance-resistant and mechanically accurate enough to support a sensitive CD drive where the laser position has to be correct all the time. The CD Box DS3's massive aluminum chassis provides a far superior foundation for the CD drive.

A serious suspension system quashes any potential resonance problems. Three cushioned points isolate the drive from external vibration, and one hard point dissipates high frequency vibration caused by the fast movement of the laser into the massive chassis, where it will not affect the music signal.