dougi
Addicted to Fun and Learning
I just picked up one of the Parks Audio Waxwing "digital" phono stages. The new model that replaces the Puffin that @amirm already measured.
There are threads about this product already, so I won't go into a lengthy introduction.
My use case is to use the ADC part only, to then run optical into my AMP (NAD C3050). The amp has it's own mm only digital phono stage, but not the flexibility the Waxwing should offer.
I measured it using my RME ADI-2 PRO and @pkane 's wondeful Multitone software. Toslink out of the Waxwing using 96kHz sample rate.
In it's natural environment:
THD IN MM (40dB gain) MODE
similar to Amir's measurement of the Puffin optical out (well, the THD component). Despite no attention to grounding, noise with the RME as a source is OK.
With a mm cart as a source with no signal (VM95ml) the noise is:
Noise does improve if you filter out the HF with the app (sorry about the different frequency scale:
While we are here, THD and noise measurements in MC (60dB, 200 ohms) mode (20 Hz HP, 30kHz LP here):
Strangely, the front end really likes actual MC carts w.r.t. noise, below with an AT OC9XEN. 81dB, cw 66dB mm, wrt full scale)
As per the Puffin, frequency response is perfect within the audio band:
This is with the 5 Hz HP filter. with the 20, and 30 kHz LP (20kHz does rolloff the top end a bit):
Overload of the ADC may be slightly better than the Puffin, I got ~27mV in mm mode at 1 kHz, with slightly better values at 5 and 10 kHz (not shown):
No need to show MC, effectively the same but reduced by 20dB so ~2.7mV at 1 kHz.
THE VARIOUS DSP FUNCTIONS THAT AFFECT FREQUENCY (all with 5 Hz HP, 48 kHz LP, so ignore the very bottom)
The bass boost should give a bit of punch. I didn't test the PEQ but I imagine, together with AIR, could flatten any cart's HF response with effort.
In using the Waxwing I would keep an eye on both ADC and DAC level monitors in the app. Certainly the RME input monitoring aligned with the DAC levels. I think this makes sense as I assume phono EQ and DSP are all post the ADC. While if you consider it a "normal" phono amp the headroom looks poor, you can reduce the gain any amount you want to give ADC/dig out headroom. I run it into the RME then onto the NAD, both of which I can monitor levels, so I am doing that 3 times!
I think the 15 or 20 Hz HP and 30kHz LP filters are a good compromise to use with it.
There are threads about this product already, so I won't go into a lengthy introduction.
My use case is to use the ADC part only, to then run optical into my AMP (NAD C3050). The amp has it's own mm only digital phono stage, but not the flexibility the Waxwing should offer.
I measured it using my RME ADI-2 PRO and @pkane 's wondeful Multitone software. Toslink out of the Waxwing using 96kHz sample rate.
In it's natural environment:
THD IN MM (40dB gain) MODE
similar to Amir's measurement of the Puffin optical out (well, the THD component). Despite no attention to grounding, noise with the RME as a source is OK.
With a mm cart as a source with no signal (VM95ml) the noise is:
Noise does improve if you filter out the HF with the app (sorry about the different frequency scale:
While we are here, THD and noise measurements in MC (60dB, 200 ohms) mode (20 Hz HP, 30kHz LP here):
Strangely, the front end really likes actual MC carts w.r.t. noise, below with an AT OC9XEN. 81dB, cw 66dB mm, wrt full scale)
As per the Puffin, frequency response is perfect within the audio band:
This is with the 5 Hz HP filter. with the 20, and 30 kHz LP (20kHz does rolloff the top end a bit):
Overload of the ADC may be slightly better than the Puffin, I got ~27mV in mm mode at 1 kHz, with slightly better values at 5 and 10 kHz (not shown):
No need to show MC, effectively the same but reduced by 20dB so ~2.7mV at 1 kHz.
THE VARIOUS DSP FUNCTIONS THAT AFFECT FREQUENCY (all with 5 Hz HP, 48 kHz LP, so ignore the very bottom)
The bass boost should give a bit of punch. I didn't test the PEQ but I imagine, together with AIR, could flatten any cart's HF response with effort.
In using the Waxwing I would keep an eye on both ADC and DAC level monitors in the app. Certainly the RME input monitoring aligned with the DAC levels. I think this makes sense as I assume phono EQ and DSP are all post the ADC. While if you consider it a "normal" phono amp the headroom looks poor, you can reduce the gain any amount you want to give ADC/dig out headroom. I run it into the RME then onto the NAD, both of which I can monitor levels, so I am doing that 3 times!
I think the 15 or 20 Hz HP and 30kHz LP filters are a good compromise to use with it.
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