Wishes Upcoming PSA Perfect Wave Phono Pre

Audio Components Vinyl
#1

Our wishes about the new Phono Preamp.

What we know:

  • @darren Myers is working to it
  • range line between Stellar Phono (2,5 k) and coming BHK Signature Phono (20k)
  • DirectStream chassis (no touch screen, similar to next DSD DAC or new Perfect Wave SACD Transport)
  • Solid state - no tubes
  • no ADC - only analog output (XLR and RCA) no digital converter (i2s and so on)
  • Q3-Q4 2021 expected launch
  • Mono switch
  • Dimmable lights

What we wish:

  • hi-quality phonostage improving analog SQ vs design or digital unnecessary optional tools
  • price range 5k-7k
  • really better than Stellar Phono
  • synergistically aimed to work with BHK Preamp
  • adjustment resistance knob (or other) not on the rear side - uncomfortable to use
  • display informations more clear than stellar model ~ able to be seen from listening seat and to be set by remote control

Hope this thread will offer suggestions and ideas to PS Audio team from members who love vinyls and are excited waiting for the new product

Thank you.

#2

Who is “we”?

1 Like
#3

I mean everybody loving PS Audio products and reading this Forum… of course.

#4

A mono switch. Please!

4 Likes
#5

This is what I’m waiting for. Hurry up Darren.

#6

Dear @DarrenMyers we know you helped to fix bug during Sunlight launch, we imagine with lot of listening sessions. Maybe you are working also for the new project of Octave Streamer (and will certainly work with @Paul and Terry on Octave Studios as soon as refurbishment is ready). I suppose all of these works take time but we are anxious to know about PerfectWave Phono Preamp work in progress. Is the project already complete as for design in general? Some new characteristics you may reveal here? As for SQ are you already listening for improving to share with us? I’m reading 99% True during these days, in particular the way @Paul worked on cigar-box phono preamp to save KXFM from FCC test, and I imagine how exciting would be to create a new analogue gear. Curious, curious, curious… thank you.

#7

Dimmable LED’s please, please, please

Or at the very least a soft, non distracting LED color (white, aqua)
Black tape stuck to the front of my phono stage, although an easy fix, is not an elegant look and also defeats the intended purpose of the indicators in the first place

+1 for the custom loading on the front panel or at least detents on the rear pots so one can “feel” where the setting is if the rear of the pre is not easily accessible

No trying to sound like I don’t like the SPP, in fact I love it! It far exceeds my expectations prior to purchase

Best,
-JP

#8

better yet, maybe, the ability to turn them off.

1 Like
#9

After reading the comments and hopes concerning the new phonostage, I assure you guys have absolutely zero to worry about. I am so unbelievably excited about what I have come up with. It will of course be placed in the PerfectWave range concerning cosmetics and retail price. Just like the SPP, the next phonostage has been designed around SQ first given the available BOM, which is obviously a lot more given the retail price. The design will also be feature rich, even for the price range…

I have promised all the obvious features such as mono and a rumble filter that can be disabled/enabled. However, that is just the very beginning of the feature sets and we will be waiting until right before beta launch for the full reveal of the product. On a product like this, there will NOT be any pots for loading. The loading will be via VERY high end precision audio resistors. I’m not going to sacrifice SQ for flexibility. Sorry if you don’t agree but pots are massively flawed and sound nothing like a really high end audio resistor, especially with 72dB of gain after it (90ish at 20hz…). They also drift and are not accurate at very low resistive settings and pick up tons of RF while introducing capacitance that I cannot control. These resistive (and capacitive :wink: ) settings will be in abundance and accessible via the front panel with or without a remote.

As I put it to someone who was asking me in person last night - I have prototype hardware in hand and I am sleeping SO well at night ;).

Oh, and don’t worry about the lights, this one will have the capability of being fully dimmed via the remote and the circuit doesn’t contain LEDs in the voltage reference circuits. :slightly_smiling_face: I do understand the importance of that.

Anyways, I CANNOT wait to release this thing!

12 Likes
#10

Sounds phenomenal!
(literally and figuratively)

1 Like
#11

Thank you @DarrenMyers, it sounds great and I’m anxious to discover it.
If it belongs to PerfectWave range family, I suppose it will perfect match the input characteristics and performances of the BHK Preamp. What about TT relationship? I have a direct drive TT (Technics SL-1200G) for example, or TT belt drive would be a better choice for this new phonostage? Do MC cartridge models with low output (even less than 0.4mV) take advantage from new PerfectWave Phono features? And most of all the location: a phonostage position too close to TT or preamp on the same rack (not stacked of course) can cause in general noise, disturb and other bad effects to the system. Does the new PerfectWave Phono Preamp come with new technologies onboard able to reduce them?

#12

Yes it will be a perfect match for the BHK preamp, both electrically and cosmetically. Shielding and noise immunity has been a focus and while I can never recommend to stack any phonostage directly on top or bottom of another component, there won’t be an issue with having it in the same rack.

This stage will be highly resolving and improvements in the turntable and cartridge will only yield sonic rewards. It will mate with the SL1200 very well although I recommend investing in a very high quality MC to take full advantage of the ultimate resolution of this phonostage.

As my main table, I’m using a Kuzma Stabi R with a 9" 4 point tonearm and an 11" 4PT tonearm. The main carts are the Ortofon A90 (.27mV) and Lyra Etna Lambda (.56mV). It will excel with all output ranges of MC carts, even moving coils as low as .15mV.

3 Likes
#13

Happy to read you post, thank you. Waiting next release and any further anticipation will be very appreciated. Keep us informed step by step. As for carts, I’m using Gold Note MC Donatello Gold and planning to upgrade to MC Machiavelli Gold MkII (.4 mV) or MC Tuscany Red (.35 mV) along with new PerfectWave Phono as soon as it will be available.

1 Like
#14

Cool! I’m sure they will be awesome matches!

#15

Will it have tubes inside?

#16

As a self-declared element in “we” (anybody know who is in “them”?) the only thing I really want for Christmas is a high end tube phono stage with a couple of phono inputs, volume control and a balanced line input.

#17

Sounds exciting Darren!
How critical do you see switches generally (as there are also puristic designs passing on any switch, even on/off, mono, filter and certainly dip switches for similar reasons as pots). So you use plugs for loading with resistors or how do you plan switching them?

A simple thing I always look at with normal sized phono stages: is the input socket on the left if seen from the front?

I’m sure this will sound killer (if you sleep well you will have successfully compared it to much more expensive ones) and Paul will restart record collecting :wink:

Any easy to understand circuit design features to talk about aside convenience features?

2 Likes
#18

Is it possible (or even desirable) to include a step transformer or does that restrict the ability to pair different MC cartridges?

#19

Ok - I’m all in, Darren. I’m ordering a Stellar phono Pre now as a stepping stone to the Perfectwave phono.

#20

I can’t wait for mine, but I guess I’ll have to. damn.

1 Like