The Gearhead

PS Audio 4.6 Preamplifier with External PSU I wore a lot of hats over two and a half years as the retail sales manager of PS Audio, but one of my absolute favorite jobs there was to take visiting customers around for a tour. We started each journey at the “museum,” right by the door leading into PS Audio. An old gramophone and Paul and Stan’s first phono preamps occupy the first area, highlighting PS’ humble beginnings. The next shelf shows PS Audio stretching its legs into the power amplifier market, and the next beyond it features external power supplies and preamps, and the beginnings of source offerings like the first Data Link DAC and hot-rodded Phillips CD players. Of all of the PS Audio components in years past — there are a massive number, as PS have been in business a healthy 44 years — there are two that I heard more about from customers than any others: the 4.6 preamplifier and the V (5). What I heard was that these preamplifiers were not only relevant today,...

At TMR headquarters, we take sealed factory packaging very seriously. We consider our description of any item and its flaws (or lack thereof), and also our “A-OK” on the functionality, to be our sacred contract with each and every buyer. So if a component comes through our doors with the factory seal intact, we treat it like gold and never disturb the quality seal that is, in the same way, a contract from the component’s manufacturer with our customer. In case you can’t tell, we take our work seriously, and we care about the things a real audiophile would care about. Since we’re sort of highlighting our unique partnership with PS Audio in this week’s Friday Five, I thought it would be a good chance to share a recent story about how I broke some factory seals, but only at the behest of a potential customer. On the sales order were two new BHK 300 mono amps, and a BHK preamplifier as well, and a request was put in for upgraded tubes. More than a few words have been written in forums ab...

Some of you may recognize my name from the, oh, roughly 80,000 words I wrote for PS Audio’s Copper Magazine since its inception two years ago. I wrote about recording from an audiophile perspective under the column title “Behind The Glass,” and if you’re not aware of Copper let me take this moment to send you down a deep rabbit hole: http://www.psaudio.com/copper-magazine/ During my time at PS Audio, I became very acquainted with the BHK 250 and the BHK 300 power amplifiers. During my brief time here at The Music Room, I’ve already been able to listen to a huge stack of amplifiers, from BAT to Levinson, to Krell, to Plinius to Space Labs. Amazingly, I still prefer the BHK. Firing up all ranges of music, from Gary Burton and Makoto Ozone’s masterful Virtuosi to Mo Vibez’ brilliant album Champion Riddim, the BHK just gives me that extra “holy cow” thing - that extra sizzle in the undercarriage, if you will. Many amps play the music, and some good ones play all of the music that...