1
icon Audio
PS1 MK II
Pure Valve Phono Pre Amplifier Manual
1. About the PS 1 MK II
2. Final inspection
3. Quick set up guide
4. Getting the best from your PS1
5. General points
6. Trouble Shooting
7. Specifications
1.
What makes the PS1 MK II so special?
Thank you for purchasing one of our phono pre
amplifiers. You now have a uniquely designed
and manufactured pure valve phono stage that
can produce the rich analogue tones that makes
vinyl sound so satisfying. To do this a great deal
of care has gone into the design, component
selection and production of this amplifier. We are
sure that you will hear the difference.
Our amplifiers have a reputation for excellent
performance and reliability following excellent
reviews in the Hi Fi press.
It
’s well known that for many reasons, valves can
sound much better than transistors, this is especially
so with vinyl reproduction. Chiefly because:
•
The massive overload headroom of valves
prevents distortion on highly modulated or
scratched and worn LPs therefore minimising
noise and distortion.
•
The “warm” sound of valves is particularly suited to
the reproduction of music from vinyl.
•
The huge 40db RIAA difference between 20hz and
20khz is easier for valves and therefore only
needs a simple design.
•
Our “passive” RIAA design uses no “feedback”
giving a more
“vivid” sound compared to the more
common
“feedback RIAA” designs.
•
Our simple design uses “audiophile” components.
•
We use “hard wired” “point to point” wiring with no
printed circuit board.
There are several “valve phono pre-amps” that are
only part valve or only use valves as an output stage;
these will not have the colour and vibrancy of valves.
The simplicity of the design means that we were able
to avoid the use of printed circuit boards, which are
not ideal for valve amplifiers despite their common
use.
Although good frequency response, low noise and
distortion are important in any hi fi unit, there are
several other criteria that are often forgotten.
Transistors have a poor overload capability, and the
resulting distortion is very unpleasant. The PS1 has a
massive overload capability and even then would go
into ‘soft clipping’, which is much more benign and
easier on the ear.
The simplicity of the circuit means that there are
much fewer components for the signal to pass
through, fewer connections and switches, again
adding to the purity of sound.
This simplicity also means that we can use higher
quality oversized components, such as 2w resistors.
The use of popular valves, which are still in
production, means that obtaining replacements is
easy and inexpensive when necessary. This also
means you will be able to able to change valves
yourself and experiment with the different tonal
balance of different types.
The final result is an amplifier with excellent
characteristics, with an accurate yet smooth and
transparent quality.
To get the best out of the PS1 Please read the
enclosed notes. We have tried to give you all the
basic information you will need. Should you be
uncertain about anything contact your dealer, or
ourselves.
IMPORTANT!
THIS MANUAL CONTAINS
ESSENTIAL HEALTH &
SAFETY INFORMATION FOR
YOU AND YOUR AMPLIFIER.
PLEASE READ & KEEP SAFE
AND REFER TO IF NECESSARY