Pro-ject USB Box review

There are plenty of good points about this Pro-ject USB toting DAC, but it's still on the pedestrian side for us Tested at £100

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

It's certainly got its plus points, but this Pro-ject is a little too pedestrian for us

Pros

  • +

    Solidly built

  • +

    lots of detail and precision

  • +

    transparent sound

Cons

  • -

    Lack of cohesiveness

  • -

    pedestrian delivery

  • -

    lacks some dynamics

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

If weight was the only measure of quality, this Pro-ject would romp home with five stars: this tiny unit feels like a brick.

But it’s sound that matters to us, and it’s here that the USB Box is lacking.

Connect your computer to the USB (the single input) and the Pro-ject will draw power and convert 16-bit, 44.1kHz tracks before outputting them through the stereo RCA outputs.

Play Nick Cave’s soundtrack to The Road and the USB Box digs up plenty of detail and precision, and has a tonal transparency that means instruments have a convincing timbre, which is a rarer quality than it sounds.

The problem is that notes don’t link with each other as well as they might, resulting in a slight lack of cohesiveness.

This combines with a surprising lack of dynamics to create a delivery that’s a little pedestrian – and that’s a shame, because with more drama and bite sitting alongside that tonal sweetness, it could’ve been great.

Follow whathifi.com on Twitter

Join whathifi.com on Facebook

What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.


Read more about how we test