i have two ps audio pieces, one is the directstream dac and my latest purchase is the bhk preamp.
the directstream dac had a problem in that the rca output jack ‘hat’ fell off. As advised in this forum, after one botched attempt i eventually managed to fix that with superglue.
i received my bhk preamp today. On powering up, i could not press the input selector button at all, it was firmly stuck. Since i couldn’t push the input selector button, i was not able to perform any settings at all.
i eventually mustered up courage and watched the directstream dac upgrade video on youtube which taught me to remove all the edge screws on the bottom of the case. I did that and luckily, since the preamp has the tube window opening on top, i was able to slide my fingers underneath the top cover and lift it up.
After some very careful nudges with a small screwdriver, i managed to adjust the placement of the input selector button from within the case. Luckily that unstucked the button, but the button seems amenable to being stuck again occasionally. When i press that button i have to be very careful.
imagine the stress in having to open up a newly purchased statement preamp and having to perform this ‘mini surgery’. Not very happy.
i love ps audio and honestly and truly believe that i will be completely taken care of in the event the bhk preamp is faulty, but this small problem completely ruined my happiness of receiving my brand new bhk preamp today. This happened about two hours ago and i’m still tired from doing all the aforesaid work.
I’m making this post with the hope that this input selector button receives more attention from ps audio in the future.
finally a question, how do i update the firmware in the bhk preamp?
Is the BHK Signature Preamplifier? Mine only has a on/standby button and a volume dial. No input selector. Everything is controlled by the remote.
This might sound obvious but when you realised the issue why didn’t you straight away contact the outlet that supplied the unit? Why take it apart in the 1st instance? Perhaps you had contacted the supplier and they suggested some DIY?? Sounds strange.
Frank, there is a single small input selector button. You press that to select the function and then turn the dial to change things.
andytts, the only way to upgrade the firmware on the BHK Pre is to swap a chip. Unlike with the DS, the firmware rarely changes. If you have a new unit your firmware should be up to date.
Yikes. I apologize for the sticking button problem. We’ve seen it before and it’s something I had hoped would not again rear its head. Ugh.
I can assure you it didn’t leave the company that way, but sometimes shipping jostles things around and parts stick. But, that doesn’t help you when you get the new product home and it doesn’t work. Shipping or whatever is OUR problem, not yours.
Again, my apologies. We are here to make it right. Just let us know what you want us to do. I will ask our customer service manager contact you.
Some context: i’m in asia, i was at the dealer’s shop to pick up the bhk preamp, while there i suggested that we open the box and have a listen, my dealer obliged
when we found that the button was stuck, it was understood that i have the option of having it sent back to ps audio in the USA for necessary repair but i suggested that we open the case there and then and see if the problem was caused by anything becoming loose during shipping that could be fixed by simply having it adjusted by hand.
Paul, thank you so much for the kind words, i have full confidence that ps audio will have me fully taken care of in the event there’s any problem. I’m not asking for anything, i just want the bhk preamp to work flawlessly from today onwards.
the good thing that came out of it is i got to see the internals of the bhk preamp up close in all its hand made glory, looks pretty awesome, especially the huge silver power supply unit.
by the way, the metal ‘unity’ remote that comes with the bhk is so much better than the plastic remote i got with the directstream dac, good work!
If you would, please reach out to us at service@psaudio.com and we’ll get your BHK Pre’s serial number and route you to the correct distributor for service.
As for your firmware the current version is 1.0.5.3 (JakeBlues).
stevem2 is correct in that your BHK Pre needs a physical swap of the PIC on the main board to upgrade the firmware.
Long press the menu selector button and cycle through the menu pages to find the firmware screen.
If your firmware is different than let me know and we can ship your distributor an updated PIC.
As well please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.
Elk, i forgot to mention that when the button became stuck, it caused the preamp to constantly be in setup mode and cannot be operated at all, meaning yesterday we spent about 2 hours figuring out how to even get the music playing.
It became stuck again last night but now knowing how it works i just pulled the button out lightly and adjusted it using my fingers.
i think since after the initial settings, i don’t really need to touch that button and the input selection, balance and volume control can be done from the remote, i will just live with it.
You’ll also need to use the button if you want to reset your tube hours counter (or just to check the number of hours), but that’s typically about once a year.