PS Audio 6 Preamp - Linn Basik Cartridge on Rega Planar 3

Audio Components Preamplifiers
1

Years ago, I had an intro high end audio system made up of an Aragon 4004, a PS 4.5 preamp, Thiel CS 2.3s, and a Rega Planar 3 turntable with a Linn Basik cartridge. I found that I had to run the PS4.5 on moving coil to get enough output to drive the Aragon and the Thiels.

One night, I heard a loud pop, and my house filled with smoke. The 4.5 blew a resistor and couple of transistors. I tried to fix it by replacing the fried components, but that did not fix it. I sent it back to PS, but the switches got damaged in shipping, and PS told me that the unit could not be repaired due to the switches not being made any more.

So, my system sat unused for about 15 years.

This past week, I found a used PS 6 preamp for reasonable money, so I decided to see if I could get my system back on the air.

The 6 seems to be working with my Sony CD player, but the turntable volume is not anywhere loud enough. Further, there seems to be no low end coming out of what I remember to be high quality records with a significant low end (kettle drums, bass drums, acoustic bass. The CD player also seems to lack a low end.

I’m also hearing some buzz that disappears if I wire the CD player directly into the Aragon.

I opened the 6, hoping to find a switch to select between moving coil and moving magnet, and found nothing.

Does the 6 have a moving coil stage built in, or do I need to add one?

Second, is the 6 known for a light low end, or does the preamp need to be aligned or adjusted?

Third, regarding the buzz, do I have a grounding issue, or have caps dried out due to the age of the unit? If so, should I just replace all of the electrolytics?

Finally, does anyone have a link to an online owners manual for the 6?

Thanks so much.

Christine

2

I just wired the CD player directly to the Aragon, bypassing the PS, and I am shocked. The soundstage exploded, the low end returned, and the system sounds like a high end system again.

So what’s with the PS? With the PS in, the system sounds like a pocket transistor radio.

I remember what my system sounded like with the 4.5, and I can’t imagine that the 6 sounds that much worse.

I looked inside, and there are relays that seem to be tied to the switches on the front. Could the relay contacts be oxidized / dirty? There is tape over them, saying to remove tape after cleaning.