Parks Audio Puffin Review (Phono Stage)

[mhardy6647]

Why?

Because they sound really, really nice to me.
I do have more experience with the "modern" stereo SPUs (with relatively fancy stylus geometry), truth be told.
A little too pricey for my discretionary spending, though.

 

[watchnerd]

Because they sound really, really nice to me.
I do have more experience with the "modern" stereo SPUs (with relatively fancy stylus geometry), truth be told.
A little too pricey for my discretionary spending, though.

I only have the modern / current version SPUs.

I thought it sounded good on old records, but not at all on modern reissues.

 

[mhardy6647]

I only have the modern / current version SPUs.

I thought it sounded good on old records, but not at all on modern reissues.

Stereo or mono?
If the latter -- well, we just talked about the issues with that (and albums cut with even possible vertical modulation of the groove).

The SPU in the photo is one of the high zoot, limited producuction models with - I think (?!) - some sort of fancy stylus geometry. It sounds absolutely marvelous -- and costs, from my perspective, borderline a lot. Not Koetsu a lot -- but, still, a lot.

 

[watchnerd]

Stereo or mono?
If the latter -- well, we just talked about the issues with that (and albums cut with even possible vertical modulation of the groove).

The SPU in the photo is one of the high zoot, limited producuction models with - I think (?!) - some sort of fancy stylus geometry. It sounds absolutely marvelous -- and costs, from my perspective, borderline a lot. Not Koetsu a lot -- but, still, a lot.

Both stereo and mono. I have two.

Caveat that my stereo version (SPU Classic GE MkII) has a regular nude elliptical stylus, but even compared to other semi-modern elliptical MCs (e.g. AT33EV), I don't prefer it on modern issues.

Also, VTF = 4 grams

That always makes me a little neurotic.

 

[StefaanE]

Because they sound really, really nice to me.
I do have more experience with the "modern" stereo SPUs (with relatively fancy stylus geometry), truth be told.
A little too pricey for my discretionary spending, though.

View attachment 110350

Pardon my ignorance, but is your turntable standing on scrub sponges?

 

[mhardy6647]

Pardon my ignorance, but is your turntable standing on scrub sponges?

1. not my tt (I wish it were)
2. Those are little isolation blocks. They can be purchased expensively as audiophile ephemera, or inexpensively as what they are -- anti-vibration pads used, e.g., in HVAC applications. They work very well.
https://www.diversitech.com/en-US/category/cat_id/209

 

[mhardy6647]

I only have the modern / current version SPUs.

I thought it sounded good on old records, but not at all on modern reissues.

Both stereo and mono. I have two.

Caveat that my stereo version (SPU Classic GE MkII) has a regular nude elliptical stylus, but even compared to other semi-modern elliptical MCs (e.g. AT33EV), I don't prefer it on modern issues.

Also, VTF = 4 grams

That always makes me a little neurotic.

ahh, and the AT makes me grit my teeth -- de gustibus non est disputandum.

As to the 4g tracking -- low compliance means high tracking force (and vice versa) -- as long as the cartridge is properly mounted, aligned, and everything is level and plumb (as the case may be) (EDIT) and the arm bearings are good, all will be well. I am often surprised that the VTF/compliance thing doesn't seem to be well understood by even some of the vinylista. (N.B. that's not directed at you; there are lots of "experts" who parrot the old "high VTF = bad" mantra, but they don't know why they make the claim. It's like a lot of audiophilicity... it seems to make superficial sense, so it sticks in folks' RAM.)

I use a DL-103 at about 3g.

 

[watchnerd]

ahh, and the AT makes me grit my teeth -- de gustibus non est disputandum.

As to the 4g tracking -- low compliance means high tracking force (and vice versa) -- as long as the cartridge is properly mounted, aligned, and everything is level and plumb (as the case may be) (EDIT) and the arm bearings are good, all will be well. I am often surprised that the VTF/compliance thing doesn't seem to be well understood by even some of the vinylista. (N.B. that's not directed at you; there are lots of "experts" who parrot the old "high VTF = bad" mantra, but they don't know why they make the claim. It's like a lot of audiophilicity... it seems to make superficial sense, so it sticks in folks' RAM.)

I use a DL-103 at about 3g.

The AT33EV is far from my favorite cartridge, but it's the only elliptical stylus I have. Most of the others I have are various kinds of advanced styli, so very hard to compare to the GM E MK II.

As for high VTF = bad, I've seen it repeated plenty on ASR.

Even for ~2g.

Shure marketing did a lot of primal imprinting long ago that lower VTF = better. It seems to have stuck over the decades.

 

[Balle Clorin]

One day I will compare the Puffin with my Cambridge Duo on top of the SNR list

Here it is. Puffin MC at 56-60db / 200hom load and Cambridge CP2 MC (l55dB, 100 ohm).
Seems like Cambridge has slightly higher level in the top octave, No not know if thet is the RIAA implementation or lower loading
(100 vs 200)

REW show 0.7db higher level on Cambrigde at 55db gain and Puffin at 56, adjusting for this shows the relative difference

 

[Balle Clorin]

new things coming with software upgrade..
(5) Parks Audio LLC | Facebook

 

[sergeauckland]

The AT33EV is far from my favorite cartridge, but it's the only elliptical stylus I have. Most of the others I have are various kinds of advanced styli, so very hard to compare to the GM E MK II.

As for high VTF = bad, I've seen it repeated plenty on ASR.

Even for ~2g.

Shure marketing did a lot of primal imprinting long ago that lower VTF = better. It seems to have stuck over the decades.

My understanding is that it isn't the tracking force per se that's bad, but the pressure it exerts. Consequently, a spherical stylus with a point contact (actually a circle as it will indent the vinyl) will exert a greater pressure, and therefore benefit from a lower tracking force than a line-contact where the contact area is greater, and therefore can stand a higher downforce.

One further benefit of a line contact stylus (apart from its narrower minor radius) which makes sense to me as a hypothesis is that old records bought used etc, are more likely than not to have been played with a spherical stylus, possibly a worn one at that. Consequently, there will be a wear groove running about half-way up the recorded groove where the spherical stylus has worn a path. A line-contact stylus will 'bridge' that wear path and play the unworn part of the groove wall. How likely this is, I don't know, but has at least the merit of making theoretical sense.

S.

 

[Helicopter]

.... A line-contact stylus will 'bridge' that wear path and play the unworn part of the groove wall. How likely this is, I don't know, but has at least the merit of making theoretical sense.

S.

Certainly so; in my experience, record damage is a far more prevalent problem than record wear. Most of my vintage records are from the late-60s and 70s though, so I'm not sure how many were played with really heavy and terrible cartridges, compared to stuff from the 50s and early 60s. I think people who cared for their records were also more likely to have big collections and as a result, less wear per record too.

 

[watchnerd]

new things coming with software upgrade..
(5) Parks Audio LLC | Facebook

The skate measurement seems tricky...

 

[Balle Clorin]

 

[watchnerd]

View attachment 115487

Which cartridge is that? The OC9?

 

[Balle Clorin]

Yes AT OC9ML/II . It was laying 12 years in the drawer before I mounted it. While doing VTA adjustment I accidentally pushed down the arm with the cart on the record, I wonder if damaged something that causes the drop at 9k?. It sounds fine anyway. Tracks 70um OK at 1.5 gram on a SME V.

Equalised with puffin 500R-0 and 10db/decade filter

Test record

 

[Balle Clorin]

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...fun-with-vinyl-measurements.20278/post-693336

 

[Balle Clorin]

https://www.hifisentralen.no/forumet/threads/parks-audio-venner.94991/post-3253573

 

[watchnerd]

https://www.hifisentralen.no/forumet/threads/parks-audio-venner.94991/post-3253573

Which firmware is that?

 

[Balle Clorin]

1.30 Beta , the latest