Measurements of Parks Audio Puffin Phono Stage

[win]

I am tempted to get this. Always wanted to build a MC setup and this seems to check off all the boxes without breaking the bank.

I was looking at some reviews, and was a bit amused how many purists were very annoyed when this first came out. Apparently he has an older tube preamp that was very loved, called the budgie. I was wondering if anyone has compared the puffin to the budgie?

I'm about to pull the trigger so figured I'd ask now!

Thx

 

[Frank Dernie]

I am tempted to get this. Always wanted to build a MC setup and this seems to check off all the boxes without breaking the bank.

I was looking at some reviews, and was a bit amused how many purists were very annoyed when this first came out. Apparently he has an older tube preamp that was very loved, called the budgie. I was wondering if anyone has compared the puffin to the budgie?

I'm about to pull the trigger so figured I'd ask now!

Thx

I remember reading those Budgie owners upset about a digital phono stage!
The designer will (obviously) have listened to the difference and decided the Puffin is so much better it is worth doing.
I have been using a digital RIAA stage for about 10 years. It sounded splendid to me compared to my "high end" analogue stage (which I have kept anyway, just in case).

 

[Billy Budapest]

WTF did this increase in price from $399 to $489 in a year and a half?

 

[win]

The price is the price.

It might change the value equation for you but ultimately it's expensive to run a small business in the US and I doubt this price increase is making the owner into a millionaire.

 

[Billy Budapest]

The price is the price.

It might change the value equation for you but ultimately it's expensive to run a small business in the US and I doubt this price increase is making the owner into a millionaire.

Of course “the price is this price” and I don’t care if the owner is a millionaire—although truthfully these days a millionaire is closer to middle class than wealthy. But yeah, the increase of close to $100 in a little over a year certainly does change the “value equation.”

 

[Frank Dernie]

WTF did this increase in price from $399 to $489 in a year and a half?

I think a digital output was added for those who think their DAC is audibly better than the one in the Puffin.
This may have needed a redesigned board, with all the overhead that entails, casing mods, extra connectors and more work in assembly.

 

[Wombat]

DIY: Add SPDIF to the standard Puffin and save.

http://parksaudiollc.com/spdif/spdif.html

 

[audiopile]

If you order the Puffin with the RCA/SPDIF output installed at the factory they now cost $598 (yes -you can pretty easily install this yourself on any? Puffin.). I ordered one equipped with a Digi out last week-shipped Friday-should see it in the next couple of days. My pre-purchase rational for buying one was that even if just viewed as a test instrument - it offers portability/small size that's pretty attractive when it comes to setting up turntables at other folks homes. And personally- because my speakers only accept input via SPDIF RCA -the Puffin will allow me to eliminate a bunch of analog stages and a outboard ADC. Obvious question is will this actually sound better or even as good as some of my other phono preamps ? Probaly will have some idea by later this week.

 

[Billy Budapest]

I find the idea of RIAA done through DSP to be optimal, and the “Magic” algorithm—if non-destructive to the music—is intriguing and way less expensive than other surface noise attenuating products. So it’s on my list. I’m just not sure whether it’s worth $500 to me, especially when I already have a perfectly functional phono stage (a Lehmann Black Cube).

 

[watchnerd]

I find the idea of RIAA done through DSP to be optimal, and the “Magic” algorithm—if non-destructive to the music—is intriguing and way less expensive than other surface noise attenuating products. So it’s on my list. I’m just not sure whether it’s worth $500 to me, especially when I already have a perfectly functional phono stage (a Lehmann Black Cube).

You can also use the Puffin to set azimuth.

So in addition to a phono stage, you're getting a Fozgometer.

 

[watchnerd]

I think a digital output was added for those who think their DAC is audibly better than the one in the Puffin.
This may have needed a redesigned board, with all the overhead that entails, casing mods, extra connectors and more work in assembly.

I think the digital out is also a reasonable choice if one is using DSP-based room correction. Saves another conversion step.

It's only $100 extra.

I've got headshells that cost about that much.

 

[audiopile]

A word about price increases.
I have several long term customers who are manufacturers or in charge of manufacturing for the companies they work for. Their complaint (before Covid -which has REALLY complicated parts availability and flow/delivery) is that Prez Trumps tariffs on PRC products are still on the parts that they buy from China. Lots of folks in the USA seem to think these have gone away ? As one executive put it "The only time it get's brought up is by our European competitors who start their sales pitch with -we're less expensive because we don't pay tariff on PRC component parts and ................ does." (Note: signifigant blood pressure event for the speaker.) Designing digi boards (and lots of modern analog boards too) of almost any sort makes specific parts assumptions as part of the design process.. Not only do the parts need to physically fit the board layout -but measurable performance aspects of a particular part may be critical. So a trusted supplier notifies you that they are down to ? number of a part. Mass market in the audio biz ain't all that massive . So do you stock up in order to avoid getting into the situation where you have completed units that you can't ship simply because one or two component parts aren't in your hands or even orderable from your regular suppliers ? Remember: Once the tariffs are off -nobody's given you back that tariff you paid. So -you stock parts post Covid a LOT heavier than you would have six months ago and a price hike comes along to pay for this investment. I DO NOT KNOW if this is what Shannon Parks has done -but other slightly bigger audio manufacturers have responded to the supply line mess this way. Since almost nothing in electronics today is made up of even a single continents (much less single nation's) component parts -what else is there to do ?

 

[Soniclife]

Digital out also liberates you to put the TT away from the DAC, without worrying about long cables picking up noise.

 

[watchnerd]

Digital out also liberates you to put the TT away from the DAC, without worrying about long cables picking up noise.

That's a very very good point. I hadn't even thought of that aspect.

I think it would simplify grounding loops, too?

(I think)

 

[Soniclife]

I think it would simplify grounding loops, too?

I would think so, though turntables seem to obey their own rules of physics when they want to.

 

[Billy Budapest]

A word about price increases.
I have several long term customers who are manufacturers or in charge of manufacturing for the companies they work for. Their complaint (before Covid -which has REALLY complicated parts availability and flow/delivery) is that Prez Trumps tariffs on PRC products are still on the parts that they buy from China. Lots of folks in the USA seem to think these have gone away ? As one executive put it "The only time it get's brought up is by our European competitors who start their sales pitch with -we're less expensive because we don't pay tariff on PRC component parts and ................ does." (Note: signifigant blood pressure event for the speaker.) Designing digi boards (and lots of modern analog boards too) of almost any sort makes specific parts assumptions as part of the design process.. Not only do the parts need to physically fit the board layout -but measurable performance aspects of a particular part may be critical. So a trusted supplier notifies you that they are down to ? number of a part. Mass market in the audio biz ain't all that massive . So do you stock up in order to avoid getting into the situation where you have completed units that you can't ship simply because one or two component parts aren't in your hands or even orderable from your regular suppliers ? Remember: Once the tariffs are off -nobody's given you back that tariff you paid. So -you stock parts post Covid a LOT heavier than you would have six months ago and a price hike comes along to pay for this investment. I DO NOT KNOW if this is what Shannon Parks has done -but other slightly bigger audio manufacturers have responded to the supply line mess this way. Since almost nothing in electronics today is made up of even a single continents (much less single nation's) component parts -what else is there to do ?

Well, hopefully cr@p like this will change after November.

 

[jhaider]

Well, hopefully cr@p like this will change after November.

January

 

[audiopile]

Only have a few evenings in listening to my Puffin - I am very impressed. And my unit and all SPDIF output units shipping directly from Parks Audio from now - output 24/96. The "lights" on my Benchmark DAC-3 confirm this. Since my speakers top out at 24/96 inputs - this takes care of me.

 

[watchnerd]

Only have a few evenings in listening to my Puffin - I am very impressed. And my unit and all SPDIF output units shipping directly from Parks Audio from now - output 24/96. The "lights" on my Benchmark DAC-3 confirm this. Since my speakers top out at 24/96 inputs - this takes care of me.

What cartridge are you using?

 

[audiopile]

Technics SL-1210 mk 2 -stock 52mm Stevenson? alignment - various headshells .
So far: AT-VM-750SH (wonder if that's the right model # ?) ,Shure M97xe, Sony XL-MC3 ,Denon DL-103r, Ortofon Quintete Black S , and the big surprise - Ortofon MC-100-this very low output sweetie usually brings some hiss or hum to the party -so why is it so quiet when the Puffin is only set to 56 dB gain at 200 ohms ? Admittedly I have to crank the volume up on my speakers with the MC-100 -but there doesn't seem to be much of a noise penality ?