Do not worry! Maybe it is just my poor English guilty. Anyhow I had in my posses and tests manny phono pre in the past. Puffin will be used only like a reference, if it meet my goal. In that purpuses I was looking for a decent phono pre, that can deal with Marschall Leach batt. head amp and PS AUDIO first phono pre, Jasmin lp2, ESE lab NUBIRUetc. Valab for that purpuse is way out of my budget, unfortunately Lounge do not ship to EU anymore. Their approach to amp the signal was to me very interesting. Anyhow I will repport my impression.
Nothing to do with you, it was all about me. Welcome again and post regularly, we'd love to hear more of your thoughts and impressions. Your English is fine.
Hey I know a guy from Slovenia named Ferry. Super nice, speaks about 6 languages fluently and just got his doctorate in...something.
I thought your observation was valid and meaningful. The size and weight of any preamp or amp is often a very telling sign of quality. In the picture I posted (a long time ago at this point) you can see its just a card, the power supply (an external on the power cord), capacitors and circuity is fairly basic. As are all the sub $500 phonos that I've had or seen. Compared to just about every internal I've ever had or heard, the Puffin is a amazing, compared to one that costs twice as much, it's about half as good. Compared to a Lounge, it's about the same but has way more functions. Being able to run a LOMC alone makes it a better buy than a Lounge in my opinion. The RCA posts on the top of the box is hard to live with.
Hi, Haven't had time to go through all the pages... I wanted to know who is using a MC cartridge exclusively with their Puffin and your thoughts? Thanks in advance!
I’ve done it with a Lyra Delos and a koetsu rosewood, it will work but wouldn’t be my recommendation.
You just need a better phono to get what you’re paying for with a LOMC cart. That carts start at $1,000 and most are well beyond that. At a certain point you are too far out in front with your cart.
I’m using a Sumiko Bluepoint Special EVO III HOMC cart and it works quite well with the Puffin. I’ve Also got a Lounge LCR Silver in this system which is excellent. The Puffin offers a similar level of performance, but offers so much more as it’s a DSP. For the analog purist the Lounge LCR Silver is a fine choice. If one doesn’t have an issue with the digital aspect of the Puffin then it’s well with it’s price tag.
I have a Dynavector 10x5. What a richer sound through my amp (VAC Avatar tube). Have had coils adjusted for MC in the VAC phono stage but still need to raise volume and get a slight hum. How much improvement will the Puffin generate on my amp?
So glad i have a puffin and budgie....i have been using the puffin on my clearaudio performance dc and Ortofon 2M black....with no problems or tweaking.... This weekend i gor sick of listening to wife hammering on me about how cluttered the entertainment center looked so i hit home depot and built another one of my 3' threaded rod, birch plywood, and nut/Washer hi-fi racks and i putthe Technics Sl-1600 table w/Stanton 681eee cart, Adcom 5400 SS amp, Woo Audio wa-2 tube pre/headphone amp, Parks audio Budgie and Klipsch Quartet speakers all together as my secondary system. It reminded me of that johnny Cash song about the auto worker who put together a lincoln made from numerous, different year parts over the years he worked at the lincoln plant. This was a possible synergistic nightmare but it sounds good, wifes happier, home depot gave me the wood for free and i can now listen to music/vinyl in two rooms... I love my Parks audio gear and each unit sounded better with the specific unit i paired it with. What im hoping for next from Shannon is a device like the sugar cube at a parks audio pricepoint....or a higher end all tube phono pre in the Chinook, Ares, or Allnic h-1201 league but at the under 1k pricepoint......
Joelee, I obtained a Puffin with the intention of moving into the LOMC universe. At first, I used my tried and true Denon DL-110 HOMC for a knowledgeable comparison. And it wasn’t even close—the Puffin blew away my rather fine McIntosh internal phono. I’ve since moved onto the Denon DL-103. My record listening has entered another stratosphere. The Puffin really shows off the meaty characteristics of the 103. It’s both powerful and nimble, with an ever-present bass that never overpowers the treble or midrange. The Puffin can take an incredible variety of loads/gains with ease. And it is absolutely dead quiet. In that regard, it will easily surpass your VAC internal. And if that’s what’s been eating at your ears every time you put on your $700+ cart rather than the music, then you will kick back with the Puffin and enjoy the music. Frankly, the device is so flexible that you can truly optimize your Dynavector within your system—or modify the Puffin for the quality of album you are playing. If you’re really curious about your gear’s synchronicity with the Puffin, I advise you to contact Shannon Parks on his website about your concerns. He is responsive and friendly. Since he sells the Puffin via Amazon, you can give it a shot with a solid return policy. When I wrote to him about my gear/concerns prior to purchase, he told me, “Your system should sound great with the Puffin. And if you don’t like it, you can always return it. But I have a feeling it would be a keeper.” And he was absolutely right. Huffin and Puffin, Bill
I am pondering the puffin. In my second system I've been using a Rotel phono stage for only 20+ years. With a Dual cs5000 and micro Benz silver mc cartridge. High output2.0 mV. Into a home theater receiver. It's the families system. Sounds nice and provides music in the family space, kids exposed to vinyl etc. On the one shoulder the little white devil is saying I should get it. It's ok it's not tubes (being a tube guy), the price is right and all reviews are super positive if not downright giddy. And it's easy to use, probably an upgrade in sound from the Rotel. The other shoulder has the red devil poking me saying 'it's not tubes you idiot, even worse it's it's dsp. You're not a tweaker. Stick to tubes.' Hmmm. I've read much and watched videos and am intrigued. For those who get this Rush reference. There is only one thing to do. Listen to Hemispheres (on vinyl of course) and ponder the greater meaning of life and the two halves of my brain.
I have the puffin and the budgie (tube). I use the puffin in my reference system with my tube integrated amp and my puffin with my Adcom amp and technics turntable....i would put the best siunding phono pre with my better system which i did. You will not be disappointed with the puffin......the vast majority of folks who were weary (myself included) were pleasantly surprised.
I’ve put my Puffin into Tape In 2 of my Sanyo Plus C55 pre (providing 4 Line inputs), into a Line input of my King Rex PreFerence pre to Audio Consequence Sonito power amp. Speakers are Opera Seconda in near-field. NF cables are mainly German Highend LGS and the Zu Varial for Puffin Out to PreFerence In. I’ve a re-plinthed Sony PS2250 in 18 mm plywood on Gryphon Black Spikes (cones) atop a Panzerholz base. My arm is the Audio Technica AT1010 with various headshells. As I‘ve my Puffin only for about two hour‘s audition (keeping it, just easing into its use), I‘m still dumbfounded at its ‘success’ in elevating my tuner (harman 9600), DAC (HRT microDac) and cassette’s (harman TD4600) sound. I’m blindly trusting, based upon these two hours’, Shannon Parks success here. I’ve an Expert Stylus re-tipped Zu DL103R grade 2 with Paratracer stylus and emerald (?) cantilever, re-bodied DeccaGold from ‘Wesley’ in ebony/John Wright re-built, Audio Technica AT OC30 vdH re-tipped with Dynavector Line Contact stylus, several Signets and lastly a practically NOS Technics U205CMK3 to ‘play’ with. I’m enjoying [I assume the effects of] the DSP implementation and its silence for the nonce and will venture to vinyl soon enough. I’ve at least owned a dozen good designated phono amps, the Gryphon PS1 phono board with external PSU likely the best. I’ve got above-average mental recall, also for sounds, and if anyone wants my two bits on how the Puffin fares with my cartridges, let me know. I’m sure the Puffin will deliver I suppose 95% of the goods 95% of the time, or something like that. Cheers!
First off, I see that there are no after publishing edit means here. Correction: My PS2250 Sony TT plinth sits atop 78mm ply and the 3 Gryphon metacrylic cones were replaced by 3 Sorbothene/ceramic feet ‘borrowed’ from a Cyrus Mission base from way long ago. Okay. Listening to one of my quick and dirty cartridge set-up LPs, Aretha’s Hey Now Hey, which I used about a week ago with the OC30/PreFerence, used three weeks ago with the Graham Slee Reflex C... The Reflex I found slightly ‘better’ than the PreFerence but this by utilizing QED’s phono (passive MC cartridge EQ) box. The PreFerence has built in capacitance dip switches and I finally decided for the PreFerence. ...Now with only two phones to a/b, compare, I find the Puffin no less enjoying (a major important hot button for me), than the PreFerence. Despite the TF switch being on “off” the Puffin ‘sounds’ more tube-like (and I’m a transistor guy), but in reality does what I thought, is 95% there with details and gobs of groove and swing versus all the renditions I’ve heard this LP with. FWIW a couple of months ago I parted with my Hayden Boardman 33.3 tube phono - also pretty darned good. I don’t think I’m kidding myself but imho the Puffin is enough for the most discerning vinyl addict. Was my Gryphon PS1 with dedicated PSU ‘better’? Yes! But do I miss it enough to regret it? No. Would I be interested in owning the Gryphon Orestes? Yup! ‘Need one? Nope!!!! Hope this helps those sitting on the fence. For the price of the Puffin it imho easily establishes itself with phono units five times as expensive. That it can incorporate any audio signal is a real revelation. Cheers! John
This rewiev was written from my friend at whom I borowed my Puffin. Already third day at home puffin- digital phono amplifier. Do an A/D conversion- with DSP it equalizes, filters, smoothens... - Now follows the D/A conversion. You can connect the MM or MC or CD or a source like the tape recorders (turn off the RIAA filters) and modify the sound the way you like it - which is the main advantage of this unit- On default its "only" capable of phono with a digital sign. First impressions- for this money it deserves 5 stars, it has its qualities. Where have we come: Analog purist use digital phono pre!? On some LPs there is a dramatic difference in music messaging and sound itself, dependend of eq it is used. Have yesterday listened with NAB LP curve Kreutzer sonate(Deutsche Grammopfon with probably RIAA eq)- I can not explain to myself the differences in the sond with just few dbs difference in curve slops. It must be there something else (phase of filtering?? together with the phase of my speakers?plus ineraction between RIAA and NAB filters?) that piano jump out physicaly in front of me. Now I am not adjusting filters by the book, but by the sound. Switching between them is soft, fluid and fast so it is enjoyable testing them. I am asking myself: Master tapes are not RIAA coded, this is done, during the matrix cuting. Are there all DECCA LPs filtered same(London LP) even when matrix was cuted outside GB? This is not written anywhere, so you have to made tests. When using digitaly recorded LP, there is no difference between pure analog tube phono pre and Puffin. In this case silence jump out, by my oppinion because Puffins digital net is not able to elaborate those thinny pop signals caused by electrostatic discharges. You lose some subtile info on texture of instruments but only in big orchestra. In the low numbered musicians it is in some cases even velcome, when single instrument jump out in 3d manner directly into your hands. On the other hand echoes are far more detailed with Puffin and this count too. Dynamic VG, stage no limit in any direction in confront with other 4 phono stages. My retiped DENON LO MC (boron cantilever!?) is a little bit thinny! With Puffin; piece of cake! Using eq on Blaupunkt Bremen, just switching on the eq take off transparency. Pure analogists are using different mats, cables, phonos, phono adjustments, etc. In conclusion If you are in the search of high quality multipurpuse phono pre, than Puffin is highly recomended! If you are in the search for ultimate phono pre, than your search and emptying your vallet will continue. Vertical turntable made by reviwer Marschal Leach MC Batt. opperated step up with first PS AUDIO phono pre and home made SRPP tube pre, ESE Lab ANU phono pre Krell i400 Cizek 2xMG27 +2X CIZEK MODEL 2
Mybee I own to all you guys some explanation. With Technics, Aiwa, Thorens, Linn and so on turntables only in state of the art adjustments yuo will be able to make judsments! I spent today afternoon listening Puffin in my friend listening room. No way you will find something even near 2k$
I got a Puffin this week after having a Schiit Mani and then auditioning a Mofi StudioPhono in my system. I decided to spend a bit more, but given the flexibility and features of the Puffin you get some pretty good return on the investment (ie. feels like you're getting 2-3 components in one). And it sounds fantastic. Balanced, deep soundstage. Testing some of my favorite vintage analog records, the Quiex II Dire Straits - Love Over Gold, an original US (RL I think?) Roxy Music - Avalon. The reverb tails stretch into eternity. And all the tweaking can be distracting at first- but once I dialed it in a little I've relaxed and am just enjoying it. Maybe there's an emotional trick, it being a small one-man business and a product with an adorable name, but this one feels warm and fuzzy. Digital but with an analog heart. It sounds awesome but it's also fun to play with. Makes you want to rush home to tinker and listen to it. I'll be keeping this one. Personally I'm a fan of the aesthetics, too. The blank box with a light (eg. the Mani), while simple, feels a little too sterile to me. I'm planning to keep the Puffin close to a wall and tuck all the cables directly to the space between the wall and the table. Think that should be clean. If you can thread all the cables to trail backwards from the unit, I think it can look great.
