Paul, I received your email on the future of the PMG transport this morning. As a long time buyer of CDs with hundreds of CDs I hope PS Audio isn’t abandoning the thousands of “ol’ timers” that still believe in CDs.
I traded in my older PS Audio transport for your SACD transport when it was introduced years ago and it has worked without flaw for years. Since the introduction of the PMG line I was wanting to trade in my BHK preamp for the new PMG preamp, but I need to take some time and save my pennies. Now, with news of the PMG CD transport ending I’m split on which one do I get first. Can’t afford to trade in both at the same time. I’d rather get the PMG preamp, but if there’s going to be no more CD transports from PS Audio…
Paul, can you confirm that PS Audio sometime in the future will build a new CD transport?
Thanks Paul, I’ve enjoyed your audio equipment for years.
We’re trying. Not easy as building our own mechanism for the discs is waaaaaay beyond our skills. We just play with transistors, tubes, capacitors and code.
We are going to roll our sleeves up and try one more shot at a new transport that we might be able to launch in 2027, but it won’t be a PMG. It’ll likely be a Stellar.
The drives appropriate for a PMG are no longer available. If this changes we’ll jump on it.
Thanks for your reply and honesty Paul. I’m a little disappointed that it may not be in the PMG line. It would be a little out of “place” sitting with my all (eventually) PMG styled equipment. I’m hoping for a top loader PMG style CD transport. Glad to hear your working on this and I’ll be trading in my BHK for the PMG preamp in the Spring.
As the owner of two full PS Audio systems from sources to speakers save turntables, I will add my two cents. Those of us who use CD’s (and SACD’s) do so for many of the reasons already discussed in numerous places on this forum, and not all are sonic. The reality is that the SACD format, regardless of its merits vis-a-vis 44.1 may be dying and it may be for much the same reason as the hydrogen economy has not taken hold: no good way to make it and no good way to store it and no one wants to work on generation or storage until the other is solved. Those still making SACD’s are facing a potential lack of demand simply because no one is making drives and no one wants a production line making SACD’s with such a limit catalog of discs. Paul, I think there would be lots of interest in a well engineered, low noise CD transport that could interface with PS Audio DACs. Of course, $9K might be a bit much.
Would rather have a PMG (style) CD transport. Weather it’s SACD or not.
There are are several manufactures of top loader mechanisms one of them is StreamUnlimited (SUOS HI-FI) (former Philips engineers.) produces many of the top loader mechanisms (two, lower & higher cost.) used in the industry. The problem for PS Audio is the cost for these mechanisms. The PMG line seems to have a set retail cost and using a “better” costlier mechanism would blow their build budget. Maybe they’d rather not use a lower cost mechanism in the their PMG line, and just maybe that’s why Paul mentioned it might be in the lower cost Stellar line.
MSwift, in your exact shoes, wanted to upgrade from PerfectWave SACD, DAC Mk2, and BHK Preamp all to the new PMG line as I could afford em. Planned to upgrade the Pre first, but with the SACD player having such limited production, bit the bullet, decided to get it first and put off the other 2. Very excited though, shipping today!
You may get lucky on the used market down the road though!
I’m assuming the reason they don’t want to continue production of the PMG transport is the front cd loader (drive) is manufactured by D+M (Denon Marantz) and they stopped manufacturing those units. Paul has stated in the past they bought all they could get their hands on, but they only have so many replacement pieces and one never knows for certain how many may fail under warranty and have to be replaced by PS Audio. So, it would be best to stop making the PMG transport and limit the number of units out there.
As I said in my original post I bought their prior transport with the same D+M drive when it was introduced and it’s worked flawlessly for years. I think I’m going to stick with this transport and trade in my BHK preamp for the PMG preamp and that’ll bring the price down to 6k. I’ll wait and see what happens in the future with the possible new transport.
Fingers crossed my present transport keeps on truckin’
Hope you enjoy your new transport. I’m sure it’ll have killer sound!
