The WAXWING: Before You Buy A New Phono Preamp, Watch This!

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Күн бұрын

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@parksaudiollc4697 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for taking the time to do this, David - so appreciated. Happy to answer any questions commenters might have about the Waxwing and Parks Audio (that's me --> Shannon). Keep spinning that vinyl, folks!

@MODAC 2 ай бұрын

How about a Waxwing SE with fancier components for $1k-1.5k for all the snobs out there?

@parksaudiollc4697 2 ай бұрын

@@MODAC If I could change a couple components and make the Waxwing perform better, I'd do it tomorrow and keep the price the same. So I like concentrating on a single design and doing my best to make it affordable.

@Thunderbird139 2 ай бұрын

What a fun product I’m so excited to see this! As far as the harmonic distortion feature- is the amount of distortion adjustable? If it’s a set amount how did you decide on the tuning?

@parksaudiollc4697 2 ай бұрын

@@Thunderbird139 No adjustments on the amount of harmonic distortion. I basically set it to a similar level one would experience with a 300B triode amp (for 2nd) and typical tape deck saturation (for 3rd). The level of distortion is low at lower signals and grows to maximum distortion percentage at full signal - just like the analog methods. It's a sweet spot - not sure one would even notice less distortion.

@parksaudiollc4697 2 ай бұрын

The whole idea behind this wasn't even as a "tube emulation" function, but rather was inspired after listening to a talk by John Curl (the renown audio engineer from Parasound). I wanted to do 2nd through 7th harmonic distortion settings, so folks could "hear the difference" of different types of distortion. I may still get around to that.

@matthewfrazee3352 2 ай бұрын

I absolutely love my waxwing. I have an all digital system with a genelec active speakers and the waxwing allows me to still enjoy my record collection with all the benefits of keeping the audio signal in the digital domain all the way to the speakers internal dacs.

@ianaintsaying1625 2 ай бұрын

Totally digging my Waxwing. Couldn't be happier with it.

@attrktmarketing4582 2 ай бұрын

Great video. Thank you. You set this up nicely to do an episode where you compare your vinyl listening experience using your different Dacs. I haven’t seen anyone do that kind of thing before 🤯

@lewiswaddo5045 2 ай бұрын

Incredible product. Absolutely love mine, and a fantastic progression from the Puffin.

@danb.9891 2 ай бұрын

Terrific video Dave. I always find them informative and appreciate the creativity you put into them. I was intrigued when you reviewed the Puffin, but didn't have a table at that time. I have 2 tables now and have been exploring phono preamps. I may just pick one up. Keep up the great stuff 👍

@lewiswaddo5045 2 ай бұрын

Subscribed and turned on notifications! I’ve been following you, but now I’m committed! 😂

@jimsregaturntableshifijukebox 2 ай бұрын

It's certainly an interesting piece of kit. Thanks for posting. Jom🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🙂

@peterlundskow4061 2 ай бұрын

I bought a Puffin on your video recommendation, & have been super happy with it. I had been wondering about the Waxwing, thanks!

@Tendervittle 18 күн бұрын

This is a tiny miracle - I don’t even care if it sounds digital - just slightly/slightly. It sounds fantastic-easy breezy / totally functional - very happy

@EddyTeetree 2 ай бұрын

Combing two seemingly opposed technologies to achieve a better outcome is a mature approach. Good find. And good for you supporting your own countrymen in their endeavours instead of chasing free gear from Chinese manufacturers like so many others do.

@JerryZigmontMacWorks 2 ай бұрын

Love my Puffin but would not hesitate to get the Waxwing. Great company and terrific support!

@nikkipatton-mk8st 2 ай бұрын

I definitely want one

@peterlundskow4061 2 ай бұрын

I have been a subscriber of yours before the Puffin video. In fact I remember on of the first videos I saw of your, you were out in the woods.

@stevezeidman7224 2 ай бұрын

Hi Dave Nice job. Interesting device. I hope to see you at Axpona. I’ll be in the Geshelli room again I’m sure!

@MODAC 2 ай бұрын

Thanks. Unfortunately, I won't be at AXPONA due to work stuff. Have fun.

@laurelhardy4064 2 ай бұрын

Unfortunately we audiophiles don't know the meaning of the word "LAST", even a $100,000 phono preamp would not be the last, great review, thanks.

@jimsregaturntableshifijukebox 2 ай бұрын

Very true my friend. Best wishes to all from Scotland. Jim🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🙂

@gregjohnson247 2 ай бұрын

I use phono pre's from Hagerman and Darlington Labs and the Waxwing I use is NOT inferior to them in any way, shape, or form. I have been using the optical out to a Topping D30 Pro DAC which feeds a Woo Audio WA22 headphone amplifier through the balanced XLR's, and the resulting audio could not be better. The price is outstanding especially when you consider all of the tools Shannon has supplied. A Waxwing in a vinyl setup is a no brainer! One of the biggest advantages is sitting in the listening position of a speaker setup and tuning the audio through Bluetooth. You are not going to do that unless running your signal through an AVR or other DSP. The Waxwing will do it better IMO. I also had a couple of tube Budgies and a Puffin and they were stellar. Shannon has been at this game a long time (not saying you're old Shannon ;) .... but I am! lol ) ..... you simply can't go wrong .... Oh and BTW, the video is perfect! @thumbsup.

@MODAC 2 ай бұрын

Fantastic comment. Thx.

@NOMQN Ай бұрын

I’ve got a Darlington M8 on order and now I learn about the waxwing. Features alone no comparison but wondering if there’ll be any audible advantage to the much more expensive M8…

@mysteriousfox88 2 ай бұрын

shocked that the puffin got replaced

@tonyvaldiconza3914 2 ай бұрын

Technically the digital outputs are from an ADC ( Analog to Digital converter) 😊

@brainache555 2 ай бұрын

Well yes?

@StigOveVoll 2 ай бұрын

Looks amazing! Would this device let me play vertical cut 78 rpm records, such as the Pathé, without me having to touch the wiring on the cartridge itself? Using a Stanton V500.3.

@MODAC 2 ай бұрын

Yes, I believe it will.

@danloani 2 ай бұрын

Hello Thank you for the video. Is there a mode by which you can bypass the dsp? Thanks

@MODAC 2 ай бұрын

Yes

@fredlennon5937 2 ай бұрын

Any thoughts regarding the waxwings ability to remove ticks and pops?

@MODAC 2 ай бұрын

The improvement is audible.

@cunningtim 2 ай бұрын

Seems like this would be an ideal way to apply different RIAA curves, such as for 78RPM records, but I don’t see that in the settings.

@MODAC 2 ай бұрын

I does have those features, but I didn’t show them.

@cunningtim 2 ай бұрын

Correction: I looked at the manual, and it is in fact adjustable in the EQ setting.

@MODAC 2 ай бұрын

@cunningtim yes indeed. You need one!

@bearded_wolverine3503 2 ай бұрын

Would this be an upgrade to the phono stage in my yamaha a -s701?

@MODAC 2 ай бұрын

Could be.

@F82F8 Күн бұрын

Silly question but isn’t adding a digital stage just sampling your analog signal? Wouldn’t SACD be the answer at this point?

@MODAC Күн бұрын

Nope. Everyone needs the get over this analog to digital thing. Several high end companies like Linn, Technics, Daniel Hertz, McIntosh, etc are selling gear that converts analog to digital, and then back to analog. My albums don’t sound like CDs…they sound like fantastic analog recordings. Record collecting is one of my passions, why would I want to do something vastly less interesting and download SACD files?…which have zero history or intrinsic value? Thanks

@bearded_wolverine3503 2 ай бұрын

Im confused. Is this only for use with a DAC?

@MODAC 2 ай бұрын

It has a DAC inside. You have options.

@peterlundskow4061 2 ай бұрын

Kind of a bummer, I thought the Puffin would be the last phono preamp I would need! I would prefer not having to stand over it every time I start an LP. I also wasn't crazy about what I had to do to upgrade it. I now wonder, who would buy it on the used market since the Waxwing is just as affordable. I guess I might be able to sell the Puffin at a bargin price.

@parksaudiollc4697 2 ай бұрын

No worries - lots of folks still want a Puffin, Pete! You'll be able to basically upgrade for free if you choose to.

@robomaster4882 17 күн бұрын

If you believe that LPs are superior to digital there simply is no point in converting analog signals to digital. Just listen to Cds or stream. Sell your LPs.

@MODAC 17 күн бұрын

You know that makes no sense at all. Thanks

@robomaster4882 17 күн бұрын

@@MODAC Explain why this makes no sense. Why would it matter where the digital conversion takes place. In the recording studio or at home using an analog to digital converter. Mobile Fidelity was sued for this exact issue. They were selling LPs as pure analog but on a tour of the factory a guest saw that the signal was being pressed to LP using digital tapes. I'm not one of these analog is better than digital people. I'm just saying that once converted to digital you are no longer listening to analog. It may sound great but it's not analog. Therefore it makes no sense to hang on to your LPs when you can stream them in digital format online via Tidal or whatever. Hope that clears it up for you

@jissanhuq3792 8 күн бұрын

@@robomaster4882the point is Fidelity and stability. Digital sources that are readily available do not perform as well to many of our ears as does vinyl. CDs to streaming may be convenient but it doesn’t have that extra level of separation if your hifi is good enough. Most of my vinyls are from a digital source as is most since early 80s. Its about listening not being some ocd purist. There are people who don’t EQ and listen to music with less impact because that’s what’s intended. If it doesn’t sound digital, compressed to me, i don’t care, my vinyls have beat their streaming and other counterparts to my ears. Id love the convenience but it hasn’t wowed me like a vinyl source regardless of interpolation

@Jeep_on_audio 2 ай бұрын

I love your reviews, subscribed and clicked 👍🏻 but... This has nothing to do with heresy. It is pure logic. And my ears concur that an ADC ruins a lot of information. I tested it this week with a 2k MC cartridge via my Rose streamer (no slouch!). It totally destroyed the soundstage. You just can never restore lost information with any digital fiddling. Smeared timing will remain smeared. It's not easy to find a good phono under $500. For the price class this ADC phono could serve well but it will NOT scale up. So if you have a $5000 Linn and a very good ML MC cartridge you can just as well sell those and buy a great U-turn. Where would you expect the bottleneck to be with a $100 ADC, a $3k DAC and a $5k turntable? If you buy a reissued LP and play it with the Waxwing or Puffin you will get ADC>DAC>LP>ADC>DAC. Do you really think the $500 Waxwing with a ADC and a DAC will sound as good as pure analog (or 10^-30 granularity in this Matrix). By the way: our ears are made digital. Each hair tuned to 1 specific frequency in the cochlea triggers 1 specific nerve ending. Just like our eyes are digital RGB or B&W cones or rods. If you have a really fine turntable with a similarly fine cartridge this is not a good choice. Better look for a great MM and a SUT. I own a Gold Note PH10+PSU with silver wire SUT, several modified Chinese tube phonostages and a modified Jolida and they all sound very good, only with different features. And most are priced

@MODAC 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comments. I have not experienced the soundstage destruction and smearing that you say you heard. The Waxwing is a very clever bit of engineering that satisfies the needs of many record enthusiasts. Beside working very well, I find there is great utility and value with all of the additional features. I shot a video a few months ago in which I checked out the $1500 analog Kitsune LCR-1 Mk5 phono preamp. I directly compared it to the Puffin paired with an excellent $1000 SMSL DAC. In my opinion, the Kitsune edged out the Puffin/SMSL combo, but not by a huge margin. I did try the Puffin with an SUT and got excellent results.

@ivansbacon 2 ай бұрын

One would NOT want a digital phono preamp. Just stream crappy digital music if that's what you want.

@user-pw7zj8bk8u 2 ай бұрын

If you don't want it, simply don't buy one. Other people may have a different view.

@OTO_45 2 ай бұрын

Why???? Analog and then convert to digital anf back make no sense at all! Then you can stream or use CD. Analog means analog. Full stop. Don't get it. Cheers Stefan

@MODAC 2 ай бұрын

It’s ok. You don’t need to understand. Thx

@MODAC 17 күн бұрын

@@robomaster4882 what does “superior” mean? Like all aspects of hifi appreciation, it is a purely subjective opinion. I use both formats and enjoy listening to records far more. There is no argument here. Sorry.

@MODAC 17 күн бұрын

@robomaster4882 yes, it’s “digital”, but it still sounds just like a vinyl record, not a CD. I’m not an analog purist…whatever sounds good to my ears is what I enjoy. Steaming is boring and not engaging. Records are fun to hunt and collect, and a very high percentage of LPs are more dynamic than the compressed CD releases.

@robomaster4882 17 күн бұрын

@@MODAC CDs have a dynamic range capability of 96 db. An LP has about 40. However, how much of that is used is up to the recording engineer. On rock music especially, this is compressed so that it has a lot of volume output. I mean AC/ DC or whoever don't have a lot of dynamic range. It's all about volume. So some LPs could have more dynamic range than CDs due to how they are mixed in the studio by the recording engineer. My point that "once converted to digital you are no longer listening to a pure analog digital" is purely objective fact. It is now a digital signal converted to back to analog for playback on an audio system. Just like CDs or streaming. The rest of your comment is subjective so whatever floats your boat on that part. Oh one other fact about the Mofi issue I mentioned which they settled out of court. Michael Fremer was reviewing some of the "analog only" releases by them and claimed some titles were far superior to the digital versions. Then the story about Mofi came out and those LPs were found to be from digital tapes made from the original analog recordings. All he could say was that they just put this story out to embarrass him and other "golden ear" audio reviewers. Well, he should be. It proved he's full of it. Enjoy your music however and believe whatever you want to. That's your right.

@MODAC 17 күн бұрын

@@robomaster4882 hey, this is supposed to be fun. You are taking it all too seriously.