Pro-Ject CD Box S3 Slimline CD Player - Silver

Built to Play One Thing Properly

Your Blu-ray player will spin a CD. It was never designed to do it well. The CD Box S3 is engineered for one job, which is reading a Red Book disc as fully and as faithfully as the format allows.

The drive is optimized for 1:1 playback of that standard, and discs go in through a slot rather than a tray. They are accepted quietly and start playing within a few seconds.

The case measures 206 by 55 by 153mm and weighs 1,330g without its power supply. That is small enough for a desk, and the full aluminum shell is rigid enough to hold the laser steady.

The Converter, and What It Measures

A Texas Instruments PCM5102 does the conversion, handling bit depth and sampling rate up to 32-bit and 384kHz. Output is 2.0 Vrms at 0dBFS, which any preamp or integrated amplifier line input will take.

Frequency response holds within 0.15dB from 20Hz to 20kHz. The noise floor sits below -120dB across that range. Distortion is 0.005% at 1kHz on the analog output and 0.001% on the digital one.

A 1.54-inch display carries the track information, and holding a button inverts its colors to suit a dark or a bright room. A full-function remote is in the box, and standby draws under half a watt.

What Reviewers Are Saying

The Audio Tailor praised the "sleek, full-aluminium chassis that's both aesthetically pleasing and functionally superior," and said its "delta-sigma DAC implementation delivers exceptional detail and dynamic range."

Who Is This CD Player Best For?

• You are replacing a Blu-ray player — a drive built only for Red Book discs, in a rigid aluminum case, gives your CDs the machine they were meant to be played on.
• Space is tight — 206 by 55 by 153mm fits on a desk or a crowded shelf, so a CD player stops being the thing you have no room for.
• You may add a converter later — the S/PDIF coaxial output lets the S3 feed your own DAC, so it becomes a transport instead of something you replace.
• You read the display from across the room — a 1.54-inch screen with a color-inversion button stays legible whether the lights are on or off.
• You want a straightforward source — no network, no app and no account, so it works from the first disc. Pair it with one of our integrated amplifiers.

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Run the RCA outputs to any line input on your preamp, integrated amplifier or receiver. The internal PCM5102 does the conversion, and that is all most systems will ever need from it.

If you own a converter you would rather use, take the S/PDIF coaxial output to it instead. The external supply plugs into the wall, and the remote handles the rest.

Pairs Well With

Building around the CD Box S3? Here are some great companions:

• Integrated Amplifier: The other half of the system — see our Integrated Amplifiers.
• Bookshelf Speakers: Sized to match — see our Bookshelf Speakers.
• DAC: For the coaxial output — see our Digital to Analog Converters.
• Interconnects: A clean run from the RCA outputs — see our Interconnect Cables.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which discs does it play?

Red Book CD-DA, the standard audio compact disc, which is the format the drive is optimized to read 1:1.

Which converter is inside?

A Texas Instruments PCM5102, handling bit depth and sampling rate up to 32-bit and 384kHz.

What outputs does it have?

A pair of RCA line-level analog outputs at 2.0 Vrms, plus one S/PDIF coaxial digital output for feeding your own converter.

What does it measure?

20Hz to 20kHz within 0.15dB, a noise floor below -120dB, and distortion of 0.005% at 1kHz through the analog output.

How big is it, and what powers it?

206 by 55 by 153mm and 1,330g, running from an external 9V DC supply and drawing under half a watt on standby.

What is the warranty?

Two years for the original owner, from an authorized Pro-Ject dealer. Register the product and subscribe to Pro-Ject's newsletter and they extend it to three. It does not transfer.

See It in Action

AV Atmos covers the S3 and its larger sibling at launch:

And Mad Audio puts the two of them side by side:

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Learn More

Want to learn more about CD players, adding a converter later, or matching a source to your amplifier? Visit our Learning Center for guides, tips, and expert advice.