The Waxwing Thread

[antcollinet]

Anyone knows if spdiff output is galvanicly separated trough transformer internaly or stright from chips?

No, but if you ask Shannon Parks, he will tell you. Contact email here:

Parks Audio

Waxwing - the new standard for phono preamp performance - from Parks Audio.

parksaudiollc.com

Or message on facebook here: (He normally responds within a day)

Parks Audio LLC

Parks Audio LLC. 1,313 likes · 13 talking about this. The official Facebook page of Parks Audio LLC and the Waxwing Phono DSP

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[Martin]

Very interesting phono preamp. If my setup wasn't fully balanced I would be very interested in giving it a try.

Martin

 

[Brian Hall]

I ordered one and received it today. I have around 500 old records inherited from my dad. Ranging from 1953 to 1985. Some are still in great shape, others are in bad shape, with scratches, lots of pops and other issues. It seems like he used to remove and discard the inner sleeve and just put the records back in the outer sleeve.

First test was a classical album from 1958, Dvorak's New World Symphony. It sounded bad previously. Not worth listening to. I hooked up the Waxwing and the same record sounds great. The Waxwing grading rated it an F. The Magic function removed ~90% of the problems with it.

Second test was an original copy of Miles Davis's Kind of Blue from 1959. The Waxwing rated it at C+ quality. It sounded like a brand new record with the Magic function turned on.

Last test was one of the few new records I have purchased, Led Zeppelin 4. It sound good before and still sounded good with the Waxwing.

I'm impressed and recommend the Waxwing to anyone listening to records. I didn't expect it to work as well as it does. It really can make records sound almost as good as a CD.

 

[Brian Hall]

Very interesting phono preamp. If my setup wasn't fully balanced I would be very interested in giving it a try.

Martin

It has optical and coax outputs to connect to another DAC if you don't want to use the analog out.

 

[rcstevensonaz]

It has optical and coax outputs to connect to another DAC if you don't want to use the analog out.

I assumed he was referring to the turntable side of the audio chain. Which would mean connecting the balanced output on the turntable to an unbalanced input on the Waxwing.

That said, given how amazing the magic function is, it might be worth routing the balanced turntable output into a balanced ADC, then optically to the Waxwing, then optically back to the DAC. For example, using the AD/DA routing mode on an RME ADI-2 Pro. [Edit: never mind... Waxwing only has analog input]

 

[Martin]

It has optical and coax outputs to connect to another DAC if you don't want to use the analog out.

I assumed he was referring to the turntable side of the audio chain.

Bingo!

 

[antcollinet]

I didn't expect it to work as well as it does. It really can make records sound almost as good as a CD.

That is my impression also. Not perfect but pretty damn close.

 

[AaronJ]

I read through the Waxwing user manual and it seems like this could be used at the line level, so I have a question about a use case.

Right now I have a handful of sources going into my Sansui AU-5500 integrated. Turntable into the phono input through a SUT, streamer, tuner, and CD player on the other inputs. I have a MiniDSP Flex in the pre-out/main-in loop for DSP. I very much love this setup but I'm wondering if it could make sense to stick a Waxwing between the pre-out and the MiniDSP Flex at -0db volume, 0db gain, and "Line In" EQ instead of "Phono", while running the Magic function.

Basically all the line output from the Sansui would be processed through the Waxwing's Magic function with no additional signal processing. In theory if this works it should still be able to remove pops and clicks without altering any of the rest of the content no matter the source. I also wonder if it could help with needle drops like all the RidingEasy Brown Acid Trip LP's that sometimes have obvious quality issues.

 

[antcollinet]

I read through the Waxwing user manual and it seems like this could be used at the line level, so I have a question about a use case.

Right now I have a handful of sources going into my Sansui AU-5500 integrated. Turntable into the phono input through a SUT, streamer, tuner, and CD player on the other inputs. I have a MiniDSP Flex in the pre-out/main-in loop for DSP. I very much love this setup but I'm wondering if it could make sense to stick a Waxwing between the pre-out and the MiniDSP Flex at -0db volume, 0db gain, and "Line In" EQ instead of "Phono", while running the Magic function.

Basically all the line output from the Sansui would be processed through the Waxwing's Magic function with no additional signal processing. In theory if this works it should still be able to remove pops and clicks without altering any of the rest of the content no matter the source. I also wonder if it could help with needle drops like all the RidingEasy Brown Acid Trip LP's that sometimes have obvious quality issues.

But what is the benefit compared with using it as a phono pre?

If it is in circuit with everything then it will be adding its (albeit small) normal noise and distortion to everything - including digtal sources - which dont need magic,

Plus it is almost certainly a better phono pre amp than the one built into your Sansui.

 

[Salt]

Agree with @antcollinet : use it as TT-Preamp. That it is made for.

 

[Bacek]

First test was a classical album from 1958, Dvorak's New World Symphony. It sounded bad previously.

Are they clean? I think first thing is to ensure records are clean. Then any pre would have much easier work.

 

[Brian Hall]

Are they clean? I think first thing is to ensure records are clean. Then any pre would have much easier work.

Yes. Cleaned with the Spin-Clean record wash kit.

 

[JaccoW]

When I saw the title I thought of Waxwing bags, a maker of classy bicycle bags.

 

[early rejecter]

But what is the benefit compared with using it as a phono pre?

He wants to improve the sound of digital files (and perhaps other non-vinyl recordings) that were sourced from noisy vinyl:

it should . . . be able to remove pops and clicks . . . no matter the source . . . it could help with needle drops like all the RidingEasy Brown Acid Trip LPs.

 

[Brian Hall]

"it could help with needle drops"

I hate that term. Dropping the needle is not a good idea. Need some other description.

 

[early rejecter]

Need some other description.

I’m not sure if you mean you wish people used a different phrase or if you’re asking for a definition, but if the latter it simply means a recording of a vinyl record.

 

[Brian Hall]

I’m not sure if you mean you wish people used a different phrase or if you’re asking for a definition, but if the latter it simply means a recording of a vinyl record.

The phrase is bad. The needle should never be dropped on a record. Only gently lowered. What kind of monster came up with that phrase?

 

[Brian Hall]

I have a question about the gain setting for the Waxwing. The default out of the box was 38db. I played one of the Led Zeppelin record and it showed a triangle indicator which means it detected clipping. I lowered the gain to 37db and that record played with no clipping indicator. Another showed clipping so I lowered the gain to 36db. That record played ok then.

Repeat for other records. I have the gain down to 33db now and haven't seen the clipping indicator again yet. Has anyone else had this happen? I'm using an ortofon 2m blue cartridge.

 

[Bob from Florida]

I have a question about the gain setting for the Waxwing. The default out of the box was 38db. I played one of the Led Zeppelin record and it showed a triangle indicator which means it detected clipping. I lowered the gain to 37db and that record played with no clipping indicator. Another showed clipping so I lowered the gain to 36db. That record played ok then.

Repeat for other records. I have the gain down to 33db now and haven't seen the clipping indicator again yet. Has anyone else had this happen? I'm using an ortofon 2m blue cartridge.

Where are you seeing the "triangle" clipping indicator? I set the gain using the real time "Levels" with particular attention to the "Peak ADC" numbers. With a Hana SL 56 db gain gives me "Peak" levels around -9 db.

 

[Brian Hall]

Where are you seeing the "triangle" clipping indicator? I set the gain using the real time "Levels" with particular attention to the "Peak ADC" numbers. With a Hana SL 56 db gain gives me "Peak" levels around -9 db.

In the Waxwing app, it has the Gain option on the second line. The clipping indicator (triangle) appears between the lock icon and the "Gain" text. When I tapped the triangle it popped up a box that said clipping was detected. Lowering the gain setting made the clipping indicator go away.