I was a beta tester for the SGP and SGD thinking about taking the advantage of the SGP trade in towards the PMG. I know some have done this, benefits, value, diminishing returns?
The cost is a little less than 3 times the value of the trade so in context when I was testing the SGP against the BHK it was not too much of a question because I bought both the SGP and the SGD when trading in the BHK.
I will say PS Audio is very nice to deal with making the process very inviting.
Thanks for any opinions.
Edit: added system pic. Amps are Orchard Audio 25 Mono
I know my answer wonât help you with your trade-in delima but as an owner of the 25âs since June of last year this is what I have found. Since I have owned them I have tried the 25âs with two SS preamps, the Wyred 4 Sound STP-SE Stage 2 and the Holo Kitsune KTE, and three tube preamps, the Supratek Cabernet, the Don Sachs DS-2 and the Bakert Labs Rhumba 1.4. I also owned the BHK preamp for over four years and any of the three tube preamps I listed are superior to my ears. After testing the 25âs for lengths of time with each my definite preference was for any ot the three tubed preamps with the âmatter off factâ Starkrimson amps. While your preferences may be different, to me the SS preamps added to much on the detail side and left no âsoulâ in the music while the tube preamps put some balance back.
I went from BHK Pre to PMG Pre and was shocked at how quiet (low noise) it is. Then upgraded from MK2 to PMG Dac and was shocked again Built in streamer is icing on the cake. Every instrument and voice sounds so real. You can listen at home for 30 or maybe 60 days, forgot which it is now but you will know immediately you are not sending back. Both are end game for meâ
Thanks, initially I was thinking of getting back into tubes since my reintroduction into hifi after my kids got older and was buying gear again was the Dodd tube buffer preamp with 6h30 which I really liked. So i was looking at the Rogue RP9V2, ARC LS28SE and the new LS-2 which all use the 6h30.
For a more tubier sound i was recommended the Backert (2 friends have them) and the Rogue RP7V2. The Rogue dealer would give me 2K in trade on the SGP so that matters, the PS Audio would give ma a little more. The Backert a little out of my price range.
Since I really liked the SGP so I was leaning to the PMG
Looking for some guidance from a man who has first hand experience with both PMG DAC and Pre. Looking at PMG DAC paired with a StellarGold preamp or alternatively the PMG Pre paired with a DS MKII DAC. Iâve been going round and round with these pairings for months. My feelings are that going with the PMG DAC probably makes the most sense but something about the preamp really appeals to me, probably due to the fact that the DAC seems to get more negativity regarding reliability. Sure would appreciate your thoughts.
I would go with PMG Pre first then Dac. The MK2 sounds great with the PMG Pre but then when you can upgrade to the PMG dac, paired together with high quality xlrâs and power cables are end game for me. The dac by the way have no issues now, I believe those have all been addressed now at least in my system. Donât forget in home trial period so you canât go wrong. I have never sent back any PS Audio upgrades I have made.
Thanks for your reply. Something about that preamp really appeals to me. Iâve been seeing more reviews in the press lately and they seem to be universally very positive. Now if PSA would reach the point where they would become a bit more flexible on pricing that might push me over the edge. Thought there might have been something like that recently with Axpona but guess itâs still too soon to be seeing anything like that.
You should get a good trade in on your current Pre. Itâs probably going to be a while before any sale pricing comes out on PMG products and think of it this way. Pricing on PMG products can go up more after all of the great reviews on the popular magazines come out. Just do it!
I have seem two PMG preamps come up for sale on The Music Room since last summer, a silver and a black one. They were listed for about the price that PSA gives when trading in a StellarGold preamp ($2250 off). That may be a good route to go if another comes up as I could still trade in my preamp to lower the price further. Just a thought.
My answer isnât going to help you either, lol, but I recently bought the Stellar Gold Preamp to go with the Levinson 5302 amp, Eversolo DMP-A6, Magnepan LRS+ and PSA F12 sub, and the SGP and Foundry sub (both purchased at Axpona) significantly elevated this system to a level that does not need further refinement (my main system is another matter that I will continue to refine). I have heard the PMG Preamp, along with the PMG Transport and PMG DAC at a friendâs house, and that system is at a much improved level of refinement.
The only time I heard the PMG stack was in the demo room at PSA when I took the factory tour last summer. Only heard them was a whole so hard to draw conclusions about any specific piece with one exception. We listened streaming mostly using the PMG DACs built in streamer. I could tell a substantial difference between that and what I typically get using my Eversolo A6 ME feeding my DS MKII DAC. It reminded me more of what I get listening to CDs.
If anyoneâs looking for additional reasons to upgrade to the PMG Preamp, take a look at the very positive review in the May issue of Stereophile. In my own system, Iâm particularly impressed with the transparency, dynamics, quiet background, and realistic tonal quality of the PMG Pre. Check out the reproduction of voices, piano, and stringed instruments.
The Stereophile review just came out. I think itâs being made available only to subscribers initially. I have a digital subscription through Zinio, which is how I accessed the review. I would expect that PS Audio will provide a link to the review once they have cleared it with the magazine.
