Parks Audio Puffin Review (Phono Stage)

[Billy Budapest]

So you want “modern» GUI with oversized icons , pale poor contrast colour choices that sucks, click and confirm“ are you really sure you want to increase gain? “ Questions, un- discoverable search fields. And the need to click 24 times and a user account to change volume?

No, just something more professional looking and without buried functions—which in the case of the Test item are bizarrely hidden behind a hamburger icon. Plus, the gear icon which is supposed to be to access settings instead accesses an about menu.

It’s pretty much a mess. Usable? Yes. But ugly and confusing.

 

[Bob from Florida]

No, just something more professiobsl looking and without buried functions—which in the case of the Test item are bizarrely hidden behind a hamburger icon. Plus, the gear icon which is supposed to be to access settings instead accesses an about menu.

It’s pretty much a mess. Usable? Yes. But ugly and confusing.

Do you have a Waxwing?

There are no "hamburger" icons in the app on my iPhone. Unless you call the standard stacked horizontal lines that mean a "sub-menu" a hamburger. I don't have Android so cannot say anything about that version. I can say that the function and layout are very intuitive and work fine in use. "Ugly and confusing" - I don't think so. Then again, I am more interested in something that works versus something "pretty" that serves no purpose.

 

[Billy Budapest]

There are no "hamburger" icons in the app on my iPhone. Unless you call the standard stacked horizontal lines that mean a "sub-menu" a hamburger.

1). That icon is commonly called a “hamburger” and I have no clue why you do not know that.

2). It does not ordinarily signify the presence of a “sub-menu.” Rather, it is a control for a slide-out menu.

See here for your own edification:

https://www.howtogeek.com/720214/what-is-a-hamburger-menu-button/

 

[Billy Budapest]

"Ugly and confusing" - I don't think so. Then again, I am more interested in something that works versus something "pretty" that serves no purpose.

The hardware deserves professional looking software, commensurate with the quality of the product.

 

[Balle Clorin]

Get a Puffin…?

 

[Snoopy]

Guys don’t fight about a GUI if it’s open to 3rd party developers I’m sure there will be soon enough a alternative. if not, isn’t this a set it up once and forget app?

I’m currently thinking about all the option this phono stage actually provides with the multiple outputs. Would there be a benefit of going from the waxwing into a (better or different) external dac and would the dsp still work by doing that ?

 

[Balle Clorin]

maybe-Yes

 

[Billy Budapest]

Do you have a Waxwing?

Yes. I thought this went without saying.

 

[Bob from Florida]

Guys don’t fight about a GUI if it’s open to 3rd party developers I’m sure there will be soon enough a alternative. if not, isn’t this a set it up once and forget app?

I’m currently thinking about all the option this phono stage actually provides with the multiple outputs. Would there be a benefit of going from the waxwing into a (better or different) external dac and would the dsp still work by doing that ?

You have digital out via optical and RCA. You also have analog out. You can select Analog only or digital at 24/48 or 24/96. You could use 2 outboard DAC's - one coax and one optical - or one analog out.
I use the optical out to the optical input of my Schiit Modius. I do this for level matching reasons. The Modius is fed by my music server via USB. I use the balanced outputs to one of my balanced inputs in my Luxman integrated. The Waxwing gets an extra 6 db boost because of using the Modius balanced output. This allows me to tune the gain on the Waxwing to better match volume with the music server without approaching the limits of the ADC on the Waxwing. Because the Waxwing app shows you the peak and average ADC input values, you can easily tell when your gain is getting too high and risking clipping on the ADC. I run the AT95SH at 38 db - which when you add the 6 db gain from the Modius - gives you 44 db overall for a 3.5 mv cartridge. The Hana gets 56 db plus 6 for 62 db gain for a 0.5 mv cartridge.

There are many features like this to be explored. It is a really fine phono preamp!

 

[Billy Budapest]

I find Shannon to be an excellent human being.

Yes—he is very responsive to his customers and to members of the public at large. Plus, he seems like a really nice guy both in the email exchanges I have had with him and in the videos he has posted.

 

[Billy Budapest]

Guys don’t fight about a GUI if it’s open to 3rd party developers I’m sure there will be soon enough a alternative. if not, isn’t this a set it up once and forget app?

I’m currently thinking about all the option this phono stage actually provides with the multiple outputs. Would there be a benefit of going from the waxwing into a (better or different) external dac and would the dsp still work by doing that ?

The quick reference card actually recommends using the optical out to lower leakage currents and noise. The DSP still works.

 

[Billy Budapest]

 

[cgallery]

The Waxwing interface on my Android looks just fine. Seems well thought out and is reminiscent of many instrument interfaces I've used.