A new standard in clarity, control, and musical transparency.
$8,999
Save up to $2,900 with a trade-in.
Options
Save up to $2,900 on your PMG Signature Preamplifier
Your old gear is worth more than you think. We'll give you full original retail value for your trade-in equipment, applied directly to this purchase—up to $2,900 maximum trade credit. Try it risk-free for 60 days—love it or return it.
★ Special Offer: Trade in your BHK Signature Preamplifier and receive $2,900 credit!
On the product page, simply press the Trade Up and Save button on selected products and complete the Trade Up information as requested on the Trade Up form. PS Audio offers full, original retail manufacturer price value back as an immediate credit towards your new purchase.
Adjusted Retail Price:
Upon check-out, we will only charge you the Adjusted Retail Price.
The PS Audio Sales Team will review all Trade Up claims within 48-hours. We will authenticate the original retail manufacturer price value of your Trade Up, and we will call or email you if we see any discrepancies. Once you receive an order confirmation from us via email, your Trade Up proposal has been accepted.
We will also email you an RMA with an RMA Number, which you can write on the box or shipping label, which you can use to return your unit. You will have 60-Days to return the Trade Up.
What we accept in trade:
We will accept nearly any hi-fi make and model. We ask for component-level product in trade. What's component-level mean? Component-level refers to any high-quality stereo product such as a preamplifier, power amplifier, DAC, phono stage, loudspeaker pair, turntable, headphones, or CD transport. We require that all Trade Up gear is functioning. Additionally, all Trade Up gear must have respectable cosmetic condition.
What we do not accept in trade:
We do not accept broken or non-functioning product. We do not accept most accessories, phono cartridges, power cables, or interconnects. Exceptions can be made based on the value of the accessory or cable. Go ahead and enter your Trade Up for quote, and the PS Audio Sales Team will review your proposal. We work hard to accept every trade we can.
Can I Trade Up multiple items?
Heck yeah! You can trade multiple items for value back up to but not exceeding the credit-cap. Just click "Add Another…" at the bottom of the Trade Up form.
I don't know if PS Audio can accept this Trade Up…
Don't worry, you have options:
Call us, you will speak with a real person: 800 PSAUDIO (800-772-8346)
Email us, and a real person will write you back: sales@psaudio.com
Trade In Your Equipment
We'll purchase your trade-up equipment and apply that credit towards your PS Audio product. Add up to 5 items from any manufacturer.
Quick Select (Optional)
Select your PS Audio product to add it to your trade-in
Choose it for a reference system or a PMG Signature amplifier. Zero-feedback circuits and a film-capacitor power supply, with distortion under 0.0003% and a noise floor of −145 dB.
Where it fits
The preamplifier is the heart of any high-end system. Every note, every breath, every bit of music from your sources—DACs, phono stages, CD players—passes through it before reaching your power amp. It’s the final gatekeeper, and it better be right.
Read more
The preamplifier is the heart of any high-end system. Every note, every breath, every bit of music from your sources—DACs, phono stages, CD players—passes through it before reaching your power amp. It’s the final gatekeeper, and it better be right. The Paul McGowan Signature Preamplifier is the first product in 50 years to carry my name, and for good reason. It delivers complete control, ultra-low distortion, and total isolation between sources and amplification. With five identical balanced and single-ended inputs, all signals are converted to fully balanced and passed through our zero-feedback Class A Diamond buffers. Nothing is added, nothing taken away. This is where the magic happens.
Design
How it's built
The Paul McGowan Signature Preamplifier is a bold leap beyond anything that’s come before. Its fully balanced circuitry delivers an unprecedented level of purity and control.
Read the full design story
The Paul McGowan Signature Preamplifier is a bold leap beyond anything that’s come before. Its fully balanced circuitry delivers an unprecedented level of purity and control. With a dynamic range approaching 150dB—the difference between a single molecule of sound and standing beside a roaring jet engine—it achieves a level of sonic blackness almost no other design on Earth can touch. Transients explode with lightning speed, and its bandwidth stretches beyond 500kHz for limitless openness and realism. High-speed, zero-feedback Diamond buffers preserve every musical nuance, while a revolutionary film-capacitor power supply unleashes dynamics with astonishing grace. This is not refinement. This is reinvention. The PMG Signature is pure musical authority.
Save up to $2,900 on your PMG Signature Preamplifier
Your old gear is worth more than you think. PS Audio credits the full original retail value of what you trade, up to the limit, straight off your new purchase.
Tell us what you have. Press Start your trade-in and list your gear. Nearly any working hi-fi component counts, from any brand.
Pay the adjusted price. At checkout you are charged only the price after your credit. Our sales team reviews every trade within 48 hours.
Send yours back. We email a return label number. You have 30 days to ship your trade.
Start your trade-inThe fine print
What we accept. Nearly any hi-fi make and model at component level: a preamplifier, power amplifier, DAC, phono stage, loudspeaker pair, turntable, headphones or CD transport. It must work and be in respectable cosmetic condition.
What we don't. Broken or non-working products, and most accessories, phono cartridges, power cables and interconnects. Exceptions can be made based on value.
Several items? Yes. Trade as many as you like, up to the credit cap. Use "Add another" on the Trade Up form.
Not sure it qualifies? Call 800-PSAUDIO (800-772-8346) or email sales@psaudio.com, and a real person will answer.
Reviews
More reviews
It is uber-transparent, letting me hear deeply into every track I played through my system.
FFuture Audiophile2025
It makes your power amplifier sound more powerful.
It's sweet, it's engaging. No listening fatigue.
AAudiophiliacSteve Guttenberg, 2025
The highs are extended and grain-free, the mid-range is full but not bloated, and the low end is well extended but not overblown.
TThe Absolute SoundRobert, 2026
Flowing thru the PMG Pre, I’ve never heard better digital playback.
My prior reference was a full CH Precision 10 series system with Stenheim Ultime Two speakers.
We're happy to help with system matching and upgrades. Talk to a real person at 800-PSAUDIO, Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 5 Mountain Time, or email sales@psaudio.com.
<strong>With unsullied acoustic transparency, the PMG Preamplifier delivers zero-distortion clarity, so you get everything you want to hear, and nothing you don’t.
</strong>
The Paul McGowan Signature Preamplifier isn’t an evolution—it’s a revolution. It’s our flagship, the very best we know how to build, and the first product in 50 years to carry the name of our founder.
It had to.
This time, it’s personal.
Born from a lifetime of relentless pursuit, this is the purest, most transparent conduit between music and emotion we’ve ever created. With a vanishingly low noise floor of -145dB—beyond the limits of human perception—it uncovers musical truth with explosive dynamics, infinite depth, and holographic imaging.
Nothing we’ve built comes close. Once you hear it, there’s no going back. It’s not just a preamp. It’s a revelation.
Free UPS Ground shipping (continental US only)
$8,999.00
PS Audio Gold Home Experience
60 Days of Better Sound
The best way to experience PMG Signature Preamplifier is on your time, not ours.
Enjoy an extended 60-day in-home trial with our newest release.
✦Zero Risk — Full refund guaranteed.
✦Full Experience — Plenty of time for proper setup and break-in.
✦Total Comfort — Decide from the best seat in the house.
And if it doesn't work out? Return shipping is on us — we'll make the process as smooth
and hassle-free as you'd expect.
Listen. Live with it. Decide with confidence.
Purchase or Audition Locally
Contact an authorized dealer in your area:
Save up to $2,900 on your PMG Signature Preamplifier
Your old gear is worth more than you think. We'll give you full original retail value for your trade-in equipment, applied directly to this purchase—up to $2,900 maximum trade credit. Try it risk-free for 60 days—love it or return it.
★ Special Offer: Trade in your BHK Signature Preamplifier and receive $2,900 credit!
On the product page, simply press the Trade Up and Save button on selected products and complete the Trade Up information as requested on the Trade Up form. PS Audio offers full, original retail manufacturer price value back as an immediate credit towards your new purchase.
Adjusted Retail Price:
Upon check-out, we will only charge you the Adjusted Retail Price.
The PS Audio Sales Team will review all Trade Up claims within 48-hours. We will authenticate the original retail manufacturer price value of your Trade Up, and we will call or email you if we see any discrepancies. Once you receive an order confirmation from us via email, your Trade Up proposal has been accepted.
We will also email you an RMA with an RMA Number, which you can write on the box or shipping label, which you can use to return your unit. You will have 60-Days to return the Trade Up.
What we accept in trade:
We will accept nearly any hi-fi make and model. We ask for component-level product in trade. What's component-level mean? Component-level refers to any high-quality stereo product such as a preamplifier, power amplifier, DAC, phono stage, loudspeaker pair, turntable, headphones, or CD transport. We require that all Trade Up gear is functioning. Additionally, all Trade Up gear must have respectable cosmetic condition.
What we do not accept in trade:
We do not accept broken or non-functioning product. We do not accept most accessories, phono cartridges, power cables, or interconnects. Exceptions can be made based on the value of the accessory or cable. Go ahead and enter your Trade Up for quote, and the PS Audio Sales Team will review your proposal. We work hard to accept every trade we can.
Can I Trade Up multiple items?
Heck yeah! You can trade multiple items for value back up to but not exceeding the credit-cap. Just click "Add Another…" at the bottom of the Trade Up form.
I don't know if PS Audio can accept this Trade Up…
Don't worry, you have options:
Call us, you will speak with a real person: 800 PSAUDIO (800-772-8346)
Email us, and a real person will write you back: sales@psaudio.com
Trade In Your Equipment
We'll purchase your trade-up equipment and apply that credit towards your PS Audio product. Add up to 5 items from any manufacturer.
Quick Select (Optional)
Select your PS Audio product to add it to your trade-in
PS Audio Trade-Up Items
Other Manufacturer Items
Other Brand Item #1
Total MSRP Value:$0.00
Your Trade-Up Credit:$0.00
Original: $8,999
Your Price: $8,999
Preamplifier
PMG Signature Preamplifier
With unsullied acoustic transparency, the PMG Preamplifier delivers zero-distortion clarity, so you get everything you want to hear, and nothing you don’t.
At home
Where it disappears into the music.
The Paul McGowan Signature Preamplifier isn’t an evolution—it’s a revolution. It’s our flagship, the very best we know how to build, and the first product in 50 years to carry the name of our founder.
It had to.
This time, it’s personal.
Born from a lifetime of relentless pursuit, this is the purest, most transparent conduit between music and emotion we’ve ever created. With a vanishingly low noise floor of -145dB—beyond the limits of human perception—it uncovers musical truth with explosive dynamics, infinite depth, and holographic imaging.
Nothing we’ve built comes close. Once you hear it, there’s no going back. It’s not just a preamp. It’s a revelation.
Overview
The Paul McGowan Signature Preamplifier is a statement of what's possible when nothing is held back. Designed by Darren Myers and carrying the name of our founder for the first time in 50 years, this is the culmination of a lifetime of innovation. Fully balanced from input to output, every stage features zero-feedback Diamond buffers for unmatched speed, transparency, and control. A high-resolution stepped attenuator ensures precise volume with 1/10th dB channel accuracy, revealing microdynamics with lifelike precision.
At its heart is a revolutionary power supply that eliminates traditional electrolytic capacitors, replacing them with long-life, sonically superior film capacitors. The result is lightning-fast transient response, deeper silence, and greater dynamic swing. Housed in a double chassis construction that shields against noise and interference, the PMG Signature achieves a noise floor of -145dB—so quiet it’s not there.
What you hear is exactly what was recorded—nothing added, nothing taken away. No glare, no grain, no veil. Just the music, uncolored and alive. The PMG Signature is the finest preamplifier we have ever built.
Revolutionary new gain stage
At the heart of the Paul McGowan Signature Preamplifier lies a completely reimagined gain stage—one that defines its unmatched sonic purity. This is where the real magic happens, where the fragile musical signal is amplified without the slightest trace of coloration. The design blends the best of both FET and BJT technologies, combining the finesse and linearity of FETs with the dynamic control and drive of BJTs. Fully complementary from input to output, the gain stage maintains perfect symmetry and balance, operating in pure Class A, direct-coupled and servo-controlled for absolute signal integrity.
What sets this stage apart is its innovative take on the folded cascode topology. Traditional cascodes use stacked transistors to improve gain and bandwidth, but the folded version "bends" the signal path, allowing high voltage swing, low noise, and wide bandwidth without the instability or harshness of conventional designs. Our version pushes this even further, lowering output impedance, increasing linearity, and preserving every nuance of the source.
The result is pure and perfect amplification—no filters, no coloration, just an open window into the soul of the music.
The power supply
Everything we hear in our systems—every note, every whisper, every explosive crescendo—starts life as raw DC power. That power is then modulated by the circuitry into music. Which means, at its core, what we’re actually listening to is the quality of the power supply. Get that wrong, and nothing else matters.
Most high-end preamplifiers rely on electrolytic capacitors to store and deliver that energy. But electrolytics come with baggage: high equivalent series resistance, limited lifespan, increased distortion under load, and poor high-frequency performance due to internal inductance. They dissipate energy inefficiently and smear transients. In short, they dull the edge of realism.
The Paul McGowan Signature Preamplifier throws all that out the window. Using an elegant system of analog level multiplication and dozens of large, hand-selected film capacitors—components known for their speed, ultra-low loss, and near-eternal lifespan—we’ve eliminated the noise, grain, and sluggishness that plagues even the best conventional designs.
The result is a supply so clean, so responsive, it disappears. What’s left is music with effortless dynamics, stunning clarity, and a sense of magic few have ever heard. This is power reborn.
What owners and reviewers say
It has the lowest noise floor and widest bandwidth of anything that I've ever heard.
Well the professional reviewers have had their say and the latest by Neil Gader in the Absolute Sound was a rave which isn’t surprising to those who have had their preamp for awhile. I am still amazed at just how good this preamp is. The BHK preamp is no slouch but the PMG is in another league al...
The BHK sounded really good, but this thing blows that away, which is a monumental feat in itself.
Bill V - PS Site
Through the PS Audio preamp, it took on extra authority. The music came across as more holistic: Individual notes, sounds, and phrases, while still perfectly delineable, meshed a bit better, emphasizing the whole instead of the parts.
I would try the PMG preamp first and if you don’t have the volume turned up too high we might hear your jaw drop!
Iwin 1949
I am hearing something close to wheat i heard in the concert hall. Turning up the volume and with really good recordings the sound is so very much like my memories of what I heard at Lincoln Center.The new equipment ups the ability of the system to a new level. And the PSAudio Aspen speakers, 30s...
Herb W
I think the PMG will be the long term choice. It leaves the BHK in the dust. Completely different class. See what you can get for your current preamp, and what else you adjust in your budget! If it can stretch, you will be so very happy with the PMG for many years!
Philip G.
It's sweet, it's engaging. No listening fatigue. Lot's of resolution but never hardness. But it does have this powerful sound. It makes your power amplifier sound more powerful.
It is uber-transparent, letting me hear deeply into every track I played through my system. It’s also extremely quiet, letting me hear fantastic detail and dynamics, even at very low volume levels.
Glorious music immediately poured from my speakers. I have been struck by the improved spatial localization of instruments and vocals, tighter bass and smoother highs. It’s been running about 28 hours now and continues to improve. I’m impressed. It replaces the MKII and clearly is a big improveme...
Boy, the moment I dropped the needle on one of my favorite LPs, my jaw dropped. Compared to the old preamp, the PMG preamp in balanced mode is more transparent, quieter background, better dynamics and fuller sounding. The tone is clean, pure, and liquid.
A wonderful intimacy and presence of vocals and instruments were evident in the overall presentation, and a clean and pure sound was the norm. The bass presentation was at a new high as well, full-bodied, tight, and with superb clarity.
Long story short, he was so impressed with the performance of the PMG Pre that he has already put his Conrad Johnson up for sale. The PMG is much quieter and even fuller sounding than the much more expensive tubed CJ, amazing, even with patch cord level XLR’s.
Since I was only able to listen to pianist and orchestra live recently, I particularly appreciate the timbre fidelity and accuracy of the PMG preamplifier here.
Much to my chagrin the PMG preamp easily beat out the BHK. If it were close, I was going to keep the BHK and spend the money I had saved on the PMG DAC which I also put a deposit on. After what Paul has said about the DAC I am sure that it is a keeper.
I found a substantial realism improvement across the board. More natural and just real sounding. A better tone and realism to instruments. Piano for example… wow!
Sound staging: Wider and more focussed with a better centre image being the cherry on top!
Started playing the last thing I listened to - Beirut’s new album, A Study of Losses. First song - sounds nice. Second song - sounds really nice, then one minute into the song, the soundfield just explodes. Wider, deeper and yet more in-your-face than I have ever heard. WOW. That’s all it took - ...
PS Audio Forum
Flowing thru the PMG Pre, I’ve never heard better digital playback. It’s absolutely stunning. My prior reference was a full CH Precision 10 series system with Stenheim Ultime Two speakers.
This is a very special piece of gear. No make that very, very special. My system is at the stage where I am very happy with incremental improvements. To get a large jump in performance like this was a delightful surprise.
You will notice more low level detail, probably because of its lower noise floor. The PMG can negotiate complex material and resolve detail while the BHK renders it more homogeneous.
Well even with little time running this is the most significant improvement in memory I have experienced. The PMG is better than the BHK virtually across the board with the greatest improvements in the bass (solidity, tunefulness) and soundstage/image specificity and tonal balance low to high.
Lots of good stereos do this leading edge attack well on loud high dynamic music. The PGM does it at medium and quieter passages. Percusion and piano have this leading edge attack at all sound levels. I can hardly wait to pair is with the PGM DAC.
The notes just continue to linger in the air like I’ve never heard before. They seem to just float. The decay is amazing. The transients are mouth watering good.
I could not tear myself away. I must have spent almost three hours listening. I’ve never heard my system sound this good. First impressions are that this preamp does EVERYTHING right.
You do not have to have bought from us before, and it does not have to be ours. Trade in almost any
component from any brand and we credit its full original retail value against this one — up to a
per-component cap that appears the moment you start a trade.
See what yours is worth.
Hear it first
This piece comes with a 60-day in-home trial, with return shipping on us.
The Paul McGowan Signature Preamplifier is a bold leap beyond anything that’s come before. Its fully balanced circuitry delivers an unprecedented level of purity and control. With a dynamic range approaching 150dB—the difference between a single molecule of sound and standing beside a roaring jet engine—it achieves a level of sonic blackness almost no other design on Earth can touch. Transients explode with lightning speed, and its bandwidth stretches beyond 500kHz for limitless openness and realism. High-speed, zero-feedback Diamond buffers preserve every musical nuance, while a revolutionary film-capacitor power supply unleashes dynamics with astonishing grace. This is not refinement. This is reinvention. The PMG Signature is pure musical authority.
Application
The preamplifier is the heart of any high-end system. Every note, every breath, every bit of music from your sources—DACs, phono stages, CD players—passes through it before reaching your power amp. It’s the final gatekeeper, and it better be right. The Paul McGowan Signature Preamplifier is the first product in 50 years to carry my name, and for good reason. It delivers complete control, ultra-low distortion, and total isolation between sources and amplification. With five identical balanced and single-ended inputs, all signals are converted to fully balanced and passed through our zero-feedback Class A Diamond buffers. Nothing is added, nothing taken away. This is where the magic happens.
Overview
The Paul McGowan Signature Preamplifier is a statement of what's possible when nothing is held back. Designed by Darren Myers and carrying the name of our founder for the first time in 50 years, this is the culmination of a lifetime of innovation. Fully balanced from input to output, every stage features zero-feedback Diamond buffers for unmatched speed, transparency, and control. A high-resolution stepped attenuator ensures precise volume with 1/10th dB channel accuracy, revealing microdynamics with lifelike precision.
At its heart is a revolutionary power supply that eliminates traditional electrolytic capacitors, replacing them with long-life, sonically superior film capacitors. The result is lightning-fast transient response, deeper silence, and greater dynamic swing. Housed in a double chassis construction that shields against noise and interference, the PMG Signature achieves a noise floor of -145dB—so quiet it’s not there.
What you hear is exactly what was recorded—nothing added, nothing taken away. No glare, no grain, no veil. Just the music, uncolored and alive. The PMG Signature is the finest preamplifier we have ever built.
Revolutionary new gain stage
At the heart of the Paul McGowan Signature Preamplifier lies a completely reimagined gain stage—one that defines its unmatched sonic purity. This is where the real magic happens, where the fragile musical signal is amplified without the slightest trace of coloration. The design blends the best of both FET and BJT technologies, combining the finesse and linearity of FETs with the dynamic control and drive of BJTs. Fully complementary from input to output, the gain stage maintains perfect symmetry and balance, operating in pure Class A, direct-coupled and servo-controlled for absolute signal integrity.
What sets this stage apart is its innovative take on the folded cascode topology. Traditional cascodes use stacked transistors to improve gain and bandwidth, but the folded version "bends" the signal path, allowing high voltage swing, low noise, and wide bandwidth without the instability or harshness of conventional designs. Our version pushes this even further, lowering output impedance, increasing linearity, and preserving every nuance of the source.
The result is pure and perfect amplification—no filters, no coloration, just an open window into the soul of the music.
The power supply
Everything we hear in our systems—every note, every whisper, every explosive crescendo—starts life as raw DC power. That power is then modulated by the circuitry into music. Which means, at its core, what we’re actually listening to is the quality of the power supply. Get that wrong, and nothing else matters.
Most high-end preamplifiers rely on electrolytic capacitors to store and deliver that energy. But electrolytics come with baggage: high equivalent series resistance, limited lifespan, increased distortion under load, and poor high-frequency performance due to internal inductance. They dissipate energy inefficiently and smear transients. In short, they dull the edge of realism.
The Paul McGowan Signature Preamplifier throws all that out the window. Using an elegant system of analog level multiplication and dozens of large, hand-selected film capacitors—components known for their speed, ultra-low loss, and near-eternal lifespan—we’ve eliminated the noise, grain, and sluggishness that plagues even the best conventional designs.
The result is a supply so clean, so responsive, it disappears. What’s left is music with effortless dynamics, stunning clarity, and a sense of magic few have ever heard. This is power reborn.
Features
14 key features
CLASS A BALANCED ANALOG OUTPUT STAGE
STEPPED ATTENUATOR FOR LEVEL CONTROL
FILM CAP BASED POWER SUPPLY
BALANCED XLR OUTPUT
BALANCED XLR INPUTS
FOLDED CASCODE ANALOG DESIGN
DARREN MYER'S DESIGN
HIGH-CURRENT OVERSIZED ANALOG POWER SUPPLY
AMONG THE WORLD'S LOWEST DISTORTION AND NOISE
NO CAPACITORS IN OUTPUT SIGNAL PATH
FULLY COMPLEMENTARY DIFFERENTIAL DESIGN
THE BEST PREAMPLIFIER IN 50 YEARS
THD+N < .0003% @ 1 kHz, 1 VRMS INPUT
NOISE FLOOR −145 dB
Reviews
28 reviews
RD Audio Reviews - youtube
It has the lowest noise floor and widest bandwidth of anything that I've ever heard.
Well the professional reviewers have had their say and the latest by Neil Gader in the Absolute Sound was a rave which isn’t surprising to those who have had their preamp for awhile. I am still amazed at just how good this preamp is. The BHK preamp is no slouch but the PMG is in another league altogether
The BHK sounded really good, but this thing blows that away, which is a monumental feat in itself.
Rogier Van Bakel - Stereophile
Through the PS Audio preamp, it took on extra authority. The music came across as more holistic: Individual notes, sounds, and phrases, while still perfectly delineable, meshed a bit better, emphasizing the whole instead of the parts.
I would try the PMG preamp first and if you don’t have the volume turned up too high we might hear your jaw drop!
Herb W
I am hearing something close to wheat i heard in the concert hall. Turning up the volume and with really good recordings the sound is so very much like my memories of what I heard at Lincoln Center.The new equipment ups the ability of the system to a new level. And the PSAudio Aspen speakers, 30s in one system and 20s in the other are so good that they can easily display the improved signal coming from the new equipment.
Philip G.
I think the PMG will be the long term choice. It leaves the BHK in the dust. Completely different class. See what you can get for your current preamp, and what else you adjust in your budget! If it can stretch, you will be so very happy with the PMG for many years!
Steve Guttenberg - Audiophiliac
It's sweet, it's engaging. No listening fatigue. Lot's of resolution but never hardness. But it does have this powerful sound. It makes your power amplifier sound more powerful.
It is uber-transparent, letting me hear deeply into every track I played through my system. It’s also extremely quiet, letting me hear fantastic detail and dynamics, even at very low volume levels.
Glorious music immediately poured from my speakers. I have been struck by the improved spatial localization of instruments and vocals, tighter bass and smoother highs. It’s been running about 28 hours now and continues to improve. I’m impressed. It replaces the MKII and clearly is a big improvement of my already good system
Boy, the moment I dropped the needle on one of my favorite LPs, my jaw dropped. Compared to the old preamp, the PMG preamp in balanced mode is more transparent, quieter background, better dynamics and fuller sounding. The tone is clean, pure, and liquid.
A wonderful intimacy and presence of vocals and instruments were evident in the overall presentation, and a clean and pure sound was the norm. The bass presentation was at a new high as well, full-bodied, tight, and with superb clarity.
Long story short, he was so impressed with the performance of the PMG Pre that he has already put his Conrad Johnson up for sale. The PMG is much quieter and even fuller sounding than the much more expensive tubed CJ, amazing, even with patch cord level XLR’s.
Since I was only able to listen to pianist and orchestra live recently, I particularly appreciate the timbre fidelity and accuracy of the PMG preamplifier here.
Much to my chagrin the PMG preamp easily beat out the BHK. If it were close, I was going to keep the BHK and spend the money I had saved on the PMG DAC which I also put a deposit on. After what Paul has said about the DAC I am sure that it is a keeper.
I found a substantial realism improvement across the board. More natural and just real sounding. A better tone and realism to instruments. Piano for example… wow!
Sound staging: Wider and more focussed with a better centre image being the cherry on top!
Started playing the last thing I listened to - Beirut’s new album, A Study of Losses. First song - sounds nice. Second song - sounds really nice, then one minute into the song, the soundfield just explodes. Wider, deeper and yet more in-your-face than I have ever heard. WOW. That’s all it took - BHK is getting packed up and sent back.
PS Audio Forum
Flowing thru the PMG Pre, I’ve never heard better digital playback. It’s absolutely stunning. My prior reference was a full CH Precision 10 series system with Stenheim Ultime Two speakers.
This is a very special piece of gear. No make that very, very special. My system is at the stage where I am very happy with incremental improvements. To get a large jump in performance like this was a delightful surprise.
You will notice more low level detail, probably because of its lower noise floor. The PMG can negotiate complex material and resolve detail while the BHK renders it more homogeneous.
Well even with little time running this is the most significant improvement in memory I have experienced. The PMG is better than the BHK virtually across the board with the greatest improvements in the bass (solidity, tunefulness) and soundstage/image specificity and tonal balance low to high.
Lots of good stereos do this leading edge attack well on loud high dynamic music. The PGM does it at medium and quieter passages. Percusion and piano have this leading edge attack at all sound levels. I can hardly wait to pair is with the PGM DAC.
The notes just continue to linger in the air like I’ve never heard before. They seem to just float. The decay is amazing. The transients are mouth watering good.
I could not tear myself away. I must have spent almost three hours listening. I’ve never heard my system sound this good. First impressions are that this preamp does EVERYTHING right.
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